Fundraising twins become youngest recipients of the Queen's birthday honours as seven honoured in Warrington

WARRINGTON twins Elena and Ruben Evans-Guillen, aged 11, have become the youngest recipients of the Queen’s birthday honours in her Platinum Jubilee year in recognition of their fundraising work.

Elena and Ruben Evans-Guillen, from Padgate, who have been awarded British Empire Medals for services to fundraising took part in their first challenge aged six, running 100km in a year to raise money for a garden at Warrington Hospital and have since taken on trekking, kayaking and climbing.

They are currently doing a virtual swim of the English Channel to raise funds for the Adventure Farm Trust near Lymm and are two of seven Warringtonians to be honoured in the Queen’s Birthday honours.

Elena described the honour as “unreal” adding “I’m really excited to be getting these awards from the Queen and I’m proud of my brother and myself that we have achieved this much.”

She said it had been hard keeping the medal a secret.

Ruben was “really surprised” to freceive the honour, adding: “My favourite thing about doing the charity workis that we get to help the community and we help other people.”

Proud dad Mark said the family first became involved with fundraising to provide a focus for the children, who both have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

He described the fundraising as “life-changing” for the family, adding: “I don’t know what we would have done without it.”

“They have been given a focus and bonded us as a family as well”.

He added: “I’m very happy for their Charity and Community efforts over the past few years to be recognised by this wonderful award of the British Empire Medal granted by Her Majesty the Queen, particularly in her Platinum Jubilee Year. We would like to firmly acknowledge the many wonderful charities we have been privileged to work with along our journey, and also to express our sincere gratitude for all the support Ruben and Elena have received in our fantastic town of Warrington, we have truly been inspired by many folk here who are simply incredible.

“If there are any young families who have a similar diagnosis and feel like it is going to be tough and overwhelming, I just hope they would look at Ruben and Elena and take any inspiration.”

Clare Roberts – Kids Planet

Meanwhile, Kids Planet Day Nurseries Chief Executive, Lymm mother of three Clare Roberts, has been awarded an OBE for services to education, along with Imperial College London’s professor of tropical paediatric infectious disease Professor Kathryn Maitland, from Appleton, who received her accolade for services to medical science.

Sally Yeoman, also from Walton, Warrington, has been awarded an MBE for services to the community as Chief Executive of Halton and St Helens Voluntary and Community Action.

Also receiving BEMs are Christina Noble, from Lymm, and Hollins Green Community Shop manager Julie Atkinson.

Christina Naged 81, from Lymm was awarded a BEM for services to ice skating, having served as an official for both short track speed skating and figure skating for the past 50 years.

Community Shop manager Julie Atkinson aged 49, was also honoured with a BEM for services to the community in Hollins Green during Covid-19.

Julie helped support vulnerable people, keeping the community shop – a not-for-profit scheme set up in 2015 – running throughout the pandemic with ‘determination and sheer hard work’.

She commented: “I feel incredibly proud of our shop and my wonderful team, who provided a lifeline for those vulnerable during difficult times.
So thrilled I could burst. Feeling very emotional at the moment. ”