Cornwall’s High Sheriff, education luminaries and community stalwarts are among those who have been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours for 2025.

Geraint Richards took office as High Sheriff of Cornwall in March. He is head forester for the Duchy of Cornwall and former president of Institute of Chartered Foresters, which nominated him for the prestigious honour of Order of the British Empire (OBE).

“It was the most wonderful surprise and, of course, a great honour,” he said. “Ever since I was a teenager, I wanted to be a forester and throughout my career I have endeavoured to serve the wider sector. I must acknowledge with gratitude the encouragement that both His Majesty The King and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales have given me to do this.”

His fellow OBEs include John Evans, former principal of Cornwall College; Lisa Mannall of Newquay, former chief executive officer of Cornwall Education Learning Trust (CELT); and Richard Kramer, former chief executive officer of disability charities Sense and Sense International, who lives in south-east Cornwall.

Sarah Brittain-Mansbridge, gallery director of Cornwall Contemporary in Penzance, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to art. She received a “very special letter” from the Cabinet Office in May but “had to keep [it] under my hat for a while”.

“To say I am hugely overwhelmed is an understatement,” she said. “I feel incredibly humbled and grateful to have been considered to join such an illustrious list of people being honoured by the King ... This means the absolute world to me, and it’s been the privilege of my life to have spent the last 28 years working with talented artists and promoting art in Cornwall, in my hometown.

Ms Brittain-Mansbridge paid tribute to “all of the wonderful artists I’ve ever worked with” and thanked her “brilliant staff” and her “always supportive husband” Dom. “I love being part of such a thriving art community and this recognition is the absolute cherry on top,” she added.

Her fellow MBEs include Tracey Bright of Saltash, nominated for services to older people; Tamsin Daniel, Heritage Services Manager at Cornwall Council, for services to heritage, Cornish distinctiveness and to the community in Cornwall; Melvyn Roffe of Launceston, chair of North Cornwall organisation Endelienta Arts, for services to education and to the community in Edinburgh; Falmouth-based Professor Timothy Taylor, creator and producer of Time Team, for services to archaeology and heritage; and Ross Williams MBE, director of Redruth Revival CIC, for services to heritage and culture in Cornwall.

Judith Nicholls, founder of Stage Struck Youth Theatre Company, received a British Empire Medal for services to young people in Penzance. Judith launched the company in 1996, and has since nurtured young actors aged six and up through classes, drama groups and performances. She was praised for creating “a sanctuary for creative children, something hugely lacking in remote areas such as West Cornwall”.

Katherine Helen Condon of Truro received a BEM for services to charitable fundraising, while Pamela Sloan was rewarded for services to the community in Bodmin.