Mike Sutton, former vice-chair of Hampshire & Berkshire 4x4 Response (HB4X4R), has been awarded a British Empire Medal for ‘services to emergency response in Hampshire, particularly during Covid-19.’
During the UK’s first lockdown, HB4X4R assisted with the setup of an emergency PPE warehouse and provided logistic support to Hampshire’s Local Resilience Forum (LRF). Using his own Discovery 2, Mike oversaw the HB4X4R volunteers involved and played a key role in setting up the distribution channels that ensured vital equipment was available to those who needed it most.
Throughout the pandemic, HB4X4R deployed over 70 responders who covered 60,000 miles and completed 2232 deliveries of PPE and vaccines around the county. The charity was also involved in administering swab tests to 890 lorry drivers at Portsmouth International Port and spent three months Covid testing over 2500 staff at Hampshire Constabulary.
Mike said, ‘I am truly honoured to receive this recognition, but in reality this is for the entire HB4X4R team that worked so hard during the pandemic. They are undoubtedly the best bunch of volunteers that I have ever had the privilege of working with and they should all be very proud.’
The charity’s current chair, Graham Middleton, said, ‘We congratulate Mike on this prestigious award, acknowledging Mike’s extensive efforts to support both our responders and Hampshire County Council’s efforts to assist the NHS. His ongoing work is very much appreciated by myself and our committee. Thank you very much, Mike.’
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