All I can say is “Wow”!

A Welshpool woman with an incredible track record of volunteering and community work has been recognised by the Queen.

Lorraine Lloyd is included in Her Majesty’s Birthday Honours List and will receive the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the Welshpool area, and her reaction was: “Wow!”

The 56-year-old has been volunteering for nearly three decades with roles varying from starting up and running the Beaver Scouts in Guilsfield to supporting a variety of sports clubs as well as voluntary school work.

But it is her work in changing the lives of people through innovative training programmes at The Flash that caught the attention of St James’s Palace.

“All I can say is wow!” she said. “I was initially stunned, then after realising the enormity of it all I am extremely honoured and absolutely delighted, yet very humbled that the award is being given to me.

“My family and friends are all delighted for me and very proud, which is an amazing feeling!

“But I just do what I enjoy doing. To me I have my dream job. I admit I have worked hard and studied hard to get there, but I get so much pleasure in helping people reach their goals, improving their health and fitness or coming off medication because really all they need to do are small changes in their lifestyle and get a bit more active. Seeing that happen is reward enough.”

Lorraine implements the National Exercise Referral Scheme for Powys which is designed to help inactive adults at risk of poor health or have a pre-existing condition to become more active.

She provides a fully structured programme to a level to suit each individual following an initial referral from a GP.

“I also provide Cardiac and Cancer Rehabilitation,” she added. “I am professionally qualified to an advanced level. I have studied alongside work, partly funded by me and the rest from the scheme and I have gained numerous qualifications.

“I also provide AAA sessions (get Active, Stay Active, Be Active) which are very sociable supervised classes for the over 40s. These are also classes for anybody wanting to exercise, especially those a bit nervous or uncertain about undertaking exercise, or anyone who wants to stay active – there is free tea and coffee too!”

The mother of four says her children, three of whom serve in the navy, are her inspiration. She previously won Montgomershire Volunteer Sports Coach of the Year in 2004.