Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden, has attended a Thanksgiving service in Maresfield, celebrating “Maresfield in Bloom” and the investiture of the British Empire Medal onto Dr Gillian Bullock.
The open-air event took place on the village recreation ground on Sunday 27 June and was attended by many residents as well as the High Sheriff of East Sussex and representatives from all areas of local government. During the occasion, Maresfield resident Dr Gillian Bullock received the British Empire Medal (BEM) for her charitable work leading the Children’s Health and Development in Kenya (CHADIK). The BEM was presented by The Queen’s representative in East Sussex, the Lord Lieutenant, Sir Peter Field.
After the Thanksgiving service, the 5 (Maresfield) Squadron were honoured with the Freedom of the village for their continued support to Maresfield in memory of their time spent in the village during the First World War.
Nusrat Ghani said: “Every year I attend the Remembrance Service St Bartholomew’s church and it was lovely to return this summer for the Thanksgiving Service. Many congratulations to Dr Bullock on receiving her British Empire Medal, a fantastic tribute to her invaluable work helping families in Kenya. The award was a wonderful boost to morale to us all and it is important that even in these in difficult times we recognise the great work that is ongoing in our communities. Many thanks to Angie Welton for organising this fantastic community event and inspiring local residents to get involved transform Maresfield into a blooming village.”