Well, what do you know? I have been awarded an M.B.E. in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to mental health service users and their carers and families.
I am absolutely delighted and very proud to receive this honour. Beyond doubt this is a tribute to the success of Hafal which has achieved so much since its creation 12 years ago.
The great thing about Hafal is that its achievements depend on the hard work and dedication of its active and well-informed members – people with a mental illness and their carers – supported by a fantastic team of staff and volunteers and a dedicated Board of Trustees; and my own work has also always depended on the patient support of my dear wife Sheila. This honour must therefore belong to all of them as much as to me.
Hafal's Chair Elin Jones has kindly said: "This is great news: a fitting tribute to Bill’s hard work and a source of pride for everybody in our wonderful organisation. Bill inspired us to make Hafal a great charity which makes a real difference to the lives of vulnerable people."
And Hafal's first class new Chief Executive Alun Thomas adds: "Members and staff alike are delighted at this news both in appreciation of Bill’s professional success and also out of affection for an excellent friend and colleague."
Diolch yn fawr i bawb! And what a pleasure it is to see Hafal continuing to thrive today - a fantastic summer campaign promoting social life alongside great developments in services including a growing criminal justice role across Wales which is very exciting - follow the links to the right of this post to find out more...
