A KIRKBYMOORSIDE resident who has made a significant contribution to the town has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

June Cook, who was the Kirkbymoorside district nurse for many years and also midwife until she retired, is involved in many a number of local groups and charities, including Messy Church at the Methodist Chapel, the Red Cross, Brownies, Elderberry Club and pre-school play group.

June, 77, also set up the Kirkbymoorside and District Fundraising Group in June 1999, which has since raised over £370,000 for the charity.

She said: “When I opened the letter saying I had been awarded an MBE I burst into tears and thought they must have made a mistake.

“Keeping it quiet had been one of the hardest things as I’ve only been able to tell my husband,.”

Mrs Cook has also worked with Kirkbymoorside nursery school’s PTA to organise fundraising events, introducing the ‘mini pot of care’ daffodil project where the children learn to look after a plant and raise money for the charity.

She is a Trustee of the United Charity Trust of Kirkbymoorside, a local charitable trust established to care for those in need within the town. Furthermore, she was rewarded by the Ryedale Show Event, receiving a Lifetime Membership Award and a financial contribution to her charity work.

Mrs Cook’s husband, Stuart, ran Ryedale Garage in Kirkbymoorside for many years, before their son, John took over the business. They also have a daughter, Helen, and two grandchildren Alice and William.

Mrs Cook said: “It is an immense honour and I don’t know why I have been chosen as I don’t do anything different to other people. I have always been interested in the local community and in helping where I can and I enjoy what I do.”