A “great surprise” is how Marion Brown describes her inclusion in the New Year’s Honours List.

The 57 year old from St Albans has been awarded an MBE for almost 20 years of service to the community in Hertfordshire.

Apart from being a governor at various schools, Marion was also involved in a major extension project at St Paul’s Church in Blandford Road.

From 1997 until the mid-2000s she was a governor at Maple Primary School in Hall Place Gardens. She has also choreographed the school’s Year 6 play for the last 15 years. And since 2013 she has been a community governor at Verulam School, Brampton Road. Her children have attended both schools.

Marion said that a key aim of her role with the St Paul’s building project was to ensure the extension, completed in 2010, would be used extensively by the wider community.

Hall facilities were expanded and improved, and the church layout was turned around 180 degrees.

Marion said it was great to see the extended facilities used by so many people since completion of the work, including for children’s groups, NHS screening sessions and lunch clubs for the elderly.

In total, 1,196 people across the United Kingdom have received an award in the New Year’s Honours List, published today in recognition of their achievements.

Seventy-six per cent of the recipients are people who have undertaken outstanding work in their communities in either a voluntary or paid capacity.

Marion said she had been ‘shocked’ at hearing that she was receiving an MBE as, “I’m just an ordinary person and there are loads of people who are volunteers.

“It’s great to see the role of volunteer is recognised, as it raises the profile of volunteering, and it encourages other people to do so.

“There are lots of groups who need more volunteers, and I would encourage other people to do so, as it feels good to contribute something.”