MBEs for Conwy county community heroes

Jun 18 2009 North Wales Weekly News

A MAN who helped found a leading mountain rescue team and who is an internationally acclaimed author has been honoured with the MBE.

Ron James, 76, from Llanrhos has also taught hundreds of youngsters from inner city areas to climb and enjoy outdoor pursuits.

And it all started when he was eight years old and was evacuated to North Wales to avoid the Blitz in Birmingham in the Second World War.

“My parents brought me to a farmhouse at Llan Ffestiniog, and on the first morning I opened the bedroom curtains and I could see mountains shrouded in cloud, with the peak of the tallest one in view.

“From that moment I was interested in going into the mountains,” he explained.

After the war Ron’s family returned regularly to Llan Ffestiniog and Barmouth and he maintained his love affair with Snowdonia.

“My parents were very trusting and would let me go off on my own. When I was 14 I went around the Snowdon Horseshoe which was a wonderful experience,” he said.

After university he became a teacher in Birmingham and started bringing parties of pupils to Snowdonia and on one of those trips saw a rundown guesthouse which sparked an idea.

“I thought it would be ideal as an outdoor pursuits centre. Myself and a friend scraped some money together, but we were still short of what we needed to buy it, so another friend Tony Mason stepped in as guarantor and we bought Ogwen Cottage.”

The three friends started running outdoor pursuits courses for children, and started the Ogwen Cottage Mountain Rescue Team which later evolved into the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team.

“Over ten years I was involved in leading or organising 360 rescues it was a very challenging and rewarding period of my life,” recalled Ron.

When Ogwen Cottage was sold to Birmingham Education Authority Ron became principal lecturer and head of outdoor education at the IM Marsh College in Liverpool training teachers to take parties of youngsters into the hills.

He achieved international acclaim for his book Rock Climbing in Wales which details 200 climbs in his beloved Snowdonia. Since then he has also written guides to climbs in Italy’s Dolomite Mountains.

A WOMAN battling a severe disability has been awarded an MBE as part of the Queen’s Birthday honours List for her charity work.

Despite Laura Crawford suffering from a form of dwarfism and being confined to a wheelchair, the volunteer has helped others in her community and will now travel to London to meet the Queen.

Laura of Derwen Avenue, Rhos-on-Sea was born with pseudoachondroplasia, a condition which means her limbs are not fully developed and she also now suffers with arthritis.

But despite her own adversity Laura, 75, has devoted much of her time to helping others with disabilities as well various charity groups.

As well as helping provide special equipment for a number of charities looking after disabled people she also takes time to read to those suffering from sight problems and blindness.

Laura said she couldn’t believe her nomination when it arrived through her door: “I was thrilled, so excited when I had the letter.

“I thought it was somebody playing a joke but I had a friend with me who asked for a look. I was awestruck and I’m very much looking forward to meeting the Queen,” said Laura.

A DEDICATED Old Colwyn charity worker has been nominated for an MBE after raising thousands for disabled children.

Ray Herbert of Smith Avenue set up the Happy Faces children’s charity in 2003 which has since gone from strength to strength, raising over £250,000 and £110,000 in the last year alone.

Ray, 63, set up the charity after realising how valuable fundraising was to disabled and disadvantaged children as a North West member of the Variety Club Children’s Charity.

But Ray wanted more money invested in helping kids in North Wales and began his mission to assist children and special needs schools. The Venue Cymru and Scope worker has since raised thousands for everything from wheelchairs and buses to trips away and holidays.

Amongst those who have benefited is Ysgol y Gogarth in Craig-y-Don who last year received two new mini buses worth in the region of £52,000.

“I feel humble and proud and pleased for the charity and those who have helped me,” said Ray.

“It is great for the people who have helped me over the years, a lot of the things you can’t do without those people around you – committee members, friends and family, as far as I’m concerned the award is for them.”