Sue Shapland has been honoured with a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the King's Birthday Honours list.

Sue Shapland, a 79-year-old polio survivor and active member of her community in Minehead, Somerset was recognised in His Majesty The King’s Birthday Honours List announced on Saturday 15 June. The award was made for her voluntary services to the community and culture in West Somerset.

Renowned for her organisation skills, Sue has been running outings for her local National Trust Association for the last 30 years and in 1999 started another community group called the Exmoor Extroverts.

She has arranged hundreds of outings and holidays in many parts of the world for the Exmoor Extroverts. Taking groups of between 20 and 40 travellers to destinations such as Canada, Alaska, Iceland, Vietnam, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and New Zealand, plus many European countries

The group also enjoy about 20 coach trips a year and typically Sue recently took 60 people on a supper cruise up the River Exe in Devon.

“I heard about the award in May when I received an official looking envelope. I joked about how it might be a speeding ticket or parking fine,” explained Sue.  “It was a complete surprise, and I still don’t know who put me forward for it, but I’m incredibly grateful.

“For me, the Exmoor Extroverts provide a service to local people, particularly for those who have been bereaved. People need an alternative to what they used to do when they had a partner.  So the trips we go on and the activities we do are especially popular with people who are on their own.”  

Today, Exmoor Extroverts has over 700 members, each receiving regular email news and a quarterly Newsletter.

Sue contracted polio in 1957, aged 12 but made a good recovery and got on with life. During her fifties she began having problems standing. Now her constant companion is ‘Fred’ - her rollator who has travelled many thousands of miles with her to many parts of the world, to allow her to stand and to walk.

Sue’s British Empire Medal will be presented on behalf of the King by the Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, Mohammed Saddiq at a local ceremony, with an invitation to a Buckingham Palace Garden party celebration to follow later in the year.