We always said about one of our 60 Random Acts of Kindness that we couldn’t actually tell you what it was! Well, now we finally can! Almost two years after we first blogged about it.
Our amazing, wonderful Grandad Tom has been given a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Honours for Services to the Community of Great Ayton, North Yorkshire.
Tom Maddison BEM
Here he is on his 86th birthday last Saturday.
Until 30 minutes ago I had no idea that our nomination was a success. Grandad hadn’t said a word (he will have been sworn to secrecy!) and I don’t think he will have even been told who nominated him! In fact, I’m sure he’s asleep right now and doesn’t know it’s public knowledge!
Our blog post for this RAK can be read here: An Honourable Person. Our clues in there are now obvious. The picture? Taken from this image:
It was our 48th RAK in our project and I can honestly say it was the longest one in terms of preparation. The nomination form itself was lengthy and took the help of many people to support it including the Reverand Paul Peverell of Christ Church, Julie McCluckie (the Clerk to Great Ayton’s Parish Council), June Imeson OBE (A local Great Ayton VIP and former councillor), and the late Margaret Tait, one of the residents of the village whom he helped daily who sadly died aged 90 just a few weeks ago. It is the Cabinet Office’s rules that only the nominee(s) and those who have written supporting statements are to know about it, so up until now we have all been sworn to the utmost secrecy!
From sending off the nomination in late July 2016 until now, the only communication that I have had from the Cabinet Office was an acknowledgment of receipt and in April 2018 I received a slip asking for confirmation of grandad’s details. Despite the latter giving me reason to hope (after all, nearly two years had gone by!), it said on it that it wasn’t confirmation that an award had been granted. The last few weeks my sister, my dad and I have had so many chats trying to analyse grandad’s mood, looking for any signs that he had received an important letter. But he gave NOTHING away!
When I have shared the kind words of his supporters for the nomination with Grandad I will share them with you all too. They are humbling and we couldn’t be prouder of him. He is who we should all aspire to be yet he does not see himself as anything special. He really is. And it must be true because the Prime Minister and Queen think so too!
I’m off to try and go back to sleep! I’ll save more squealing for the morning when I finally get to speak to our wonderful Grandad. Tom Maddison BEM!
Love Join Me 
How amazing!!! Welldone you guys. I can’t wait to hear more!!
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