Joan Richard awarded an M.B.E in Queen's Birthday Honours

What started with the selling of Christmas cards led to a near two-decade affiliation with Jersey Cancer Relief for Mrs Richard.

A former nurse, she has been made an MBE for her charitable work.

‘My husband, many years ago, was involved in a charity that was closing and the money was to be given to Jersey Cancer Relief,’ she said. ‘At the presentation I said I would be interested in helping out and I started by selling Christmas cards to raise a bit of money. I was invited on the committee and it went from there – before I could blink I was chair.’

After 18 years working with the charity, Mrs Richard stepped aside as chairwoman last November but continues to play an active role as a member of the committee.

Jersey Cancer Relief provides financial support for Islanders diagnosed with cancer.

‘The contact with patients is the part of it I really enjoy – it’s the nurse in me,’ she said.

As well as helping patients, the charity has also been covering salaries for hospital specialists, most recently helping the Hospital with the appointment of a specialist nurse.

Mrs Richard hopes that her MBE will help raise the profile of Jersey Cancer Relief.

‘We are always looking for ways to raise the profile of the charity,’ she said.

Mrs Richard added that she was ‘absolutely stunned’ when she received a call three weeks ago from Lieutenant-Governor Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton and admitted she had struggled to keep the news a secret.