A GRANDMOTHER who has dedicated years of her life to improving her estate was told on the anniversary of her husband's death that she has been awarded an MBE.
Valerie Ahern, 69, has been a member of the Templars Community Group in Witham for 15 years.
Over the years she has spent her spare time striving to better the quality life on the estate, making it safer and improving its reputation.
Then she discovered she had been awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours List for her services to tenants on the Templars Estate.
"I found out in November but I wasn't allowed to say anything. It's been one of the hardest jobs being sworn to secrecy," said Valerie.
But what made the news all the more poignant was that she received the letter on November 27, the second anniversary of her husband's death.
"I had just got back from the cemetery and I saw the letter on the floor and saw Her Majesty's Service on it and thought, oh what do they want now? Money?" said Valerie. "But I had other things on my mind so I put it to one side."
Only later that day did Valerie decide to open the letter, and when she did she had a shock.
"I was gobsmacked," said the grandmother-of-three. "I did think if only my husband Mike were here he would have taken the mickey out of me. It was bitter-sweet."
Valerie does not yet know who nominated her but she is adamant that the work she was responsible for could not have been done without a lot of teamwork.
"You just try and make a bit of a difference. It is hard work but you can't do it without people around you. I have been blessed with an amazing group of people to work with."
Valerie has now stepped down as chairwoman of the community group but remains vice-chairwoman and is proud of the improvements that have been made to the estate.
Valerie has been instrumental in getting CCTV put around the estate, organising community events as well as appealing for new lighting that will soon be installed.
"It's nice to see that things have come to fruition," she said. "I'm just so thankful to everyone."
Valerie Ahern MBE must now wait to find out when she will be summoned to Buckingham Palace for the formal ceremony.
"That fills me with dread," she said. "I'm not very ladylike. What you see is what you get – I will have to try not to open my mouth when I'm with the Queen."
