Queen’s Jubilee birthday honours: Drugs campaigner becomes MBE

A mother who has campaigned tirelessly about the harmful effects of prescribed epilepsy drugs on unborn babies has become an MBE.

Janet Williams, who has epilepsy, was inspired to act after both her sons were born with disabilities.

The 57-year-old from Pilling, Lancashire, took the drug Epilim while she was pregnant in 1989 and 1991.

She said she was "shocked but really excited" after being honoured for services to people with disabilities.

"I had to sit down... and it took quite a while for it to sink in," she said.

According to the NHS, the main component of Epilim is sodium valproate, which, if taken during pregnancy, can cause problems for a baby's development, including birth defects and long-term learning difficulties.

"I have two sons and they were affected by my medication during pregnancy," said Mrs Williams, who co-founded the Independent Fetal Anti-Convulsant Trust.

"Both of them have learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorders and my eldest son has a slight curvature of the spine.

"We weren't really told before getting pregnant and it was only explained to us after our second son was born.

"This made me want to help others as I knew there would be other people in the same situation."

She started campaigning in 1995 to ensure warnings were included on medication packets while raising awareness of the harm caused by sodium valproate on unborn babies.

Mrs Williams was also instrumental in the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, banning drugs containing valproate among women and girls of a childbearing age, unless they have a birth control programme in place.

Other Lancashire recipients included Glenda Andrew, 59, who said she felt "nervous but in a nice way" after being informed that she was going to receive a BEM.

The co-founder of support and campaign group Preston Windrush Generation and Descendants UK has been honoured for services to the Afro-Caribbean Community in Preston, Lancashire.

She was motivated to set up the group three years ago with Sekeena Muncey after trying to resolve her own mother's British status in 2018.

"I never thought I would get into campaigning and activism as I never thought that was me," she said.

"It is because of my mum that I'm doing what I do."

During the pandemic, she also led a community group in Preston which began providing 20 meals each Friday to elderly and vulnerable Caribbean people, but rapidly expanded to feed 400 people from across the city.

Julia Brothwell, from Morecambe, who has recently returned from supporting people fleeing their homes in Ukraine, has also been honoured with an MBE for services to international aid.

The 58-year-old, who is the British Red Cross's longest serving full-time international delegate, has been deployed on almost 40 operations, including helping in the aftermath of earthquakes and in war zones.

"Usually I'm deployed after a disaster has happened," she said.

"So it was different for me to be in Ukraine while the situation was unfolding, to see people being displaced, unsettled and distraught and actually be part of the mass movement to safer areas."

During the pandemic, when she was unable to be deployed abroad, she volunteered with a service supporting people discharged from hospital.

Elsewhere, volunteers who look after Blackpool's Stanley Park have been given the Queen's Award for voluntary service.

Nigel Patterson, chairman of The Friends of Stanley Park, said: "This has become a vibrant organisation and receiving the award this year recognises the hard work and commitment shown by the volunteers, who have been instrumental in what we have achieved in the 20 years since its inception."

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