King's Birthday Honours: Windsor school teacher among those recognised

A Windsor school teacher is among several professionals across the East Berkshire and South Bucks area to have been named on the King’s Birthday Honours List.

The annual list features several individuals from the Maidenhead, Slough, Windsor and Marlow areas who have been recognised this year.

Peter Francis, chief of staff at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Marlow Road, Maidenhead has been recognised as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to global commemoration.

Several individuals were also recognised as Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), including Andrew David Lapthorne of Maidenhead for services to tennis.

On the list from Slough is Sharief Gaafar, a senior solution architect at Siemens Mobility Ltd, who has been awarded an MBE for services to innovation in transport and to inclusion and diversity.

James Paul Manwaring, director of music at The Windsor Boys' School and for the Windsor Learning Partnership, has been awarded an MBE for services to education. 

Mr Manwaring, who became the first recipient of The Prince Philip Trust Fund Award in November last year, helps deliver music lessons across six schools through the Windsor Learning Partnership. 

He also directs community choirs for adults. 

Mr Manwaring played a key role in helping to organise celebrations to mark Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee at schools in Windsor in 2022. 

Elsewhere, Dr Karen Henderson, a director of research and innovation at the University of Reading from Windsor, has also been recognised with an MBE for services to higher education.

Also on the list is Marlow’s Sanjay Mahendra Patel, lately managing director at The Hundred, who has been honoured with an MBE for services to cricket.

Dr Helen Jane Read of Beaconsfield, a city corporation conservation officer has been awarded an MBE for services to conservation and arboriculture. 

Dr Read works at Burnham Beeches and Stoke Common - two sites managed by the City Corporation. 

She has worked with distinction for more than 33 years, 'pioneering the conservation practices of ancient and veteran trees and wood pasture management'. 

Dr Read is the founding member of the Ancient Tree Forum and was also part of the team leading on the development of the VETCert initiative to form common standards in veteran tree management, which now operates in eight countries. 

She also mentors and conducts lectures in the UK and across the world. 

Dr Read said: “I am delighted to be honoured in this way.

“Working at Burnham Beeches has been a privilege and I’m grateful for the flexibility that the City Corporation has offered, enabling me to become involved in a wide range of projects both linked to Burnham Beeches and more widely.”

Rob Szewczyk, an award-winning head chef at Cumberland Lodge was awarded an MVO. 

Mr Szewczyk celebrated his 40th anniversary working for the education charity in Windsor Great Park earlier this year. 

During his time in the role, he has been responsible for more than 2.5million meals, cooking for everybody from university students, to trainee doctors, members of the Royal Family, Prime Ministers and global leaders. 

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Mr Szewczyk and the kitchen team worked with the Crown Estate to prepared hundreds of takeaway meals for vulnerable and elderly residents.