“She is a great example of what the honours system is actually designed for- ordinary people doing extraordinary things.”

There are just some of the glowing words that describe how highly people regard Tina Jacqueline Harrison, from Radcliffe, who has been given the prestigious Member of the British Empire (MBE) award after her countless efforts to improve the lives of others.

She received the award in Radcliffe on the day that the Queen died, Thursday, September 8, making it a very poignant moment and making her one of the last people to receive a Queen’s MBE.

The 64-year-old runs Trinity Foodbank in Radcliffe, and during the pandemic she did enormous amounts of work to help people with prescriptions, food parcels and other essentials.

Tina set up Corrie Gardens in Radcliffe with volunteers who work with young people and families to teach gardening skills.

Following the success of this, she set up a weekly drop-in cafe with partners that provide free meals, advice on legal matters and support with Universal Credit applications.

In addition, she organised a holiday club with daily activities and free meals and directed a successful bid for Bury Council's Community Capital Fund back in 2019.

This led to a project to encourage young families in the area to work with the older generation to grow food, the surplus items were then added to the food bank.

Described as the heart of the community, her dedication and hard work have been recognised, however, she said that at first, she didn’t think it was real.

Tina said: “I just got an e-mail saying that I had been awarded an MBE and I just thought it was a bit of a hoax really.

“I don’t know why but I saw the email during Covid and didn’t really believe it.

“It wasn't until later that day when I sat down and read it properly that I realised it was real.”

Tina was given the option to collect the award at a monastery or to have a local celebration and receive it later.

Wanting to share the celebration with the community she works so hard for, Tina opted for the later option.

She said: “I wanted to do that so that people who volunteered in the community could join me for a celebration at Radcliffe Football Club.

“It isn’t just me, it is for the community and all the volunteers that do so much, who put in the time and effort to make other people’s lives better.”

The mayor of Bury, Cllr Shaheena Haroon, mayoress Cllr Ayesha Arif (the mayor's daughter) joined the celebration among other policing and community groups.

The Vice Lord Lieutenant, Sharman Birtles MBE JP DL, also attended, describing Tina as the heart and soul of her community.

In a speech, the Vice Lord Lieutenant said: “Tina is the heart and soul of her community and has become a lifeline for many local people, establishing local groups to address crime, social isolation, financial hardship, anti-social behaviour and to promote cohesion.

“As the cost of living crisis deepens Tina continues to help the community. she is a great example of what the honours system is actually designed for, ordinary people doing extraordinary things.”

Unfortunately, the award day for Tina was saddened by some national news.

Tina said: “It was a lovely day but unfortunately it was on the afternoon of when Her Majesty passed away so it was quite poignant after that.

"We realised that afternoon was probably the last time we'd sing the national anthem for the Queen.”

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