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Mrs Marjory Maw (far right), with her son Dr Michael Maw and his wife Sheila, being congratulated by dressage trophy-winner "Tia Maria".

The New Year has brought pride and happiness to a trio of people in Burnley and district. They have been singled out for awards in the New Year honours list and have had the spotlight of publicity turned on them after years of unstinting work in their own particular fields. Fittingly women take the bulk of local honours and not least among them is housewife Mrs Hazel Bates, of Hufling Lane, who receives the British Empire Medal for her work with the parents' committee of the Burnley Sea Cadets. Mrs Marjory Maw, of Abbeyfields, Whalley, has also received recognition in the form of an MBE after years of unstinting work for hospital voluntary service. Burnley farmer Mr Jim Jackson, of Crow Wood House Farm, Burnley, has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire after playing a vital role in the agricultural industry.

Hospital voluntary work pioneer 74-year-old Mrs Marjory Maw celebrated news of her MBE in sparkling form. Family, including her son, Padiham GP Doctor Michael Maw, gave her a champagne party at her home in Abbeyfield, Whalley. Delighted with the award made in the New Year's honours list, she said: "I am very pleased. I welcome it especially as an appreciation of all the voluntary work which is done in hospitals." Mrs Maw was actively involved with the Women's Maintenance Council at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for more than 40 years, and was also a voluntary worker and welfare committee member at Edinburgh's Simon Square Day Centre for the Handicapped. Her work with the Women's Maintenance Council covered the organisation of all voluntary work in Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary, and involved the co-ordination of activities in many different departments. Her achievement was pioneer work in the real sense, for in those early days, hospital shops, snack bars and a host of other facilities run by volunteers were unheard of. Mrs Maw's groundwork at Edinburgh stood the test of time, and survived unscathed when it faced its biggest challenge in 1948, when the National Health Service was introduced. "We had to nurse it through for a while at that time," she recalled with a smile.

Born in Bury and brought up in Blackpool, Mrs Maw moved to Wakefield when her late husband, Yorkshireman Mr Henry Maw, became secretary at Clayton Hospital, Wakefield. in 1929 he was appointed secretary and treasurer of the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh. In 1942 - the year of his death - he was awarded the OBE. Mrs Maw, who has spent almost 46 years in Scotland, moved to Whalley in August. Mrs Maw has another son, Julian, a civil engineer based in London, and seven grandchildren. Both sons graduated from Edinburgh University.