IT was a special occasion when West Sussex Lord Lieutenant Susan Pyper and Deputy Lieutenant, Dr John Godfrey, came to Milland Memorial Hall to invest parish clerk Lorraine Grocott with her British Empire Medal (BEM) 

Dr Godfrey read the citation and Mrs Pyper presented the medal to Loraine who has given 26 years’ service to the community (pictured).

Lorraine told The Herald: “It was wonderful to have so many colleagues and friends at the celebration as many of them had contributed so much to the successful community Milland is today.” 

Although the award was for “services to the community” Lorraine made it clear that she hadn’t done all the work on her own – describing herself as the “glue” to help bring the many projects and initiatives to fruition. 

Lorraine has also administered the village hall for the past 10 years which during that time has undergone significant improvement including refurbishing the kitchen and committee room. 

During the celebrations, she thanked her family for their support over the years and chairman of Milland parish council, Matt Cusack, proposed a toast to the Queen, Lorraine and the community.