A healthcare professional and a lifeboat crew member have been recognised in the New Year’s Honours List.
An MBE was awarded to Pauline Brown and John Collins is to receive the British Empire Medal.
Pauline is an advanced nurse practitioner at Castle Douglas Medical Group.
Her medical career began in 1974 and she was one of the first advanced nurse practitioners in Scotland when she qualified in 1999.
Pauline, who is 65, said: “I received an email from the Cabinet Office and my initial reaction was one of total disbelief. However, after reflecting on this for a few minutes, I realised this was not a prank.
“It was then that the importance of this award really sunk in, and I felt immensely humbled by the fact that I had been nominated.
“For once in my life I surprised myself by keeping this secret. It was tremendously difficult to keep it from my loved ones!
“I am delighted to accept my MBE on behalf of all my colleagues past and present, including all the statutory and voluntary services.”
Pauline began her career as a district nurse and midwife in the Portpatrick area after she completed her training in Glasgow in 1974.
She was later based in Dalbeattie after moving to the Stewartry with husband Robert – now retired from his post as deputy rector at Kirkcudbright Academy.
When the NHS split the role of health visitor and midwife, she saw an advert in the Galloway News for the advanced nurse practitioner degree at Lancaster University, from which she qualified in 1999.
John is the lifeboat operations manager with Kirkcudbright RNLI and has been on the crew for more than 30 years, having originally joined as a mechanic.
And he thought he was the victim of a hoax when he found out he was to receive the BEM.
The 66-year-old said: “I didn’t get a letter, it was an email. I thought it was a scam! But apparently they don’t send them by post any more.
“I was surprised more than anything. I wasn’t expecting anything like that at all. It’s not really sunk in yet.”
John joined the crew in 1991 and will still be volunteering for a few more years.
He said: “Last year I would have retired but the retirement age has been put up from 65 to 70 so I’ll be around for a wee while longer. I haven’t been in the seagoing crew for a good number of years now.”
