Trust colleague Janet Parks named in King's Birthday Honours list

After Ivora Ferreira-Bean's recent MBE and Birmingham Children's Trust's success at the LGC Awards, there was even further cause to celebrate this week following the news that Janet Parks will receive a Medal of the Order of the British Empire (BEM). 

Janet, along many other unsung local heroes from across the West Midlands, was named on the King's Birthday Honours list and will receive a British Empire Medal, as shown below. 

Janet has worked for Birmingham City Council and Birmingham Children's Trust for 19 years, starting in Safeguarding, before moving to the Children in Care (CiC) team as a social work assistant. She is now seconded to the Lifelong Links service.

After discovering the letter from His Majesty among the usual bills, Janet — like Ivora — thought she was being called for jury service. Then she assumed it was a prank, because "that's what I'd do to my friends". 

However, she soon discovered the letter was very real after phoning up and speaking to the lady who had posted it only the day before.  

 

"I was so shocked. And it still hasn't really sunk in," Janet said.

"I still haven't found out who nominated me. I've asked everybody who I think might have and they're all saying no."

"I started getting messages from people saying: 'You're in the paper! It's in the paper!'. It was in both the London Gazette and Birmingham Mail."

"We were going to book a holiday! But I'm thinking now I can't really book anything because I don't know when it is yet [laughing]."

"I'm just really shocked and honoured that I've been nominated for this award," she explained. "I don't like to take credit for anything, I like to think we all do it together as a team and support one another. I couldn't do it without a stable team and a good manager. That's what keeps you going."

It was also an extra special moment for Janet's father.

"My dad is really sentimental and he just broke down crying when he found out. He's 87. It's his thing, you know. And we lost my mom last year. It upset him because he knows my mom would be really proud that I got this. But he's really, really proud of me."

As are all of us here at the Trust. Congratulations Janet!

Janet is just one example of the many people working at Birmingham Children's Trust who create lasting, positive change across the city for its children, young people and families. 

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