As the year draws to a close, the annual New Year Honours list is here to mark the achievements of extraordinary people across the country.

This year, 1,107 people were honoured, including Paula Hudgell, adoptive mother of Tony Hudgell from Kings Hill, and a food bank volunteer from Snodland.

In the first list issued by King Charles III, some 305 people received a British Empire Medal (BEM), 431 were made an MBE and 219 made OBEs.

Kings Hill foster carer Paula Hudgell, the adoptive mother of Tony Hudgell, will receive an OBE for services to children.

Tony, eight, had both legs amputated at the knee after being abused as a baby by his biological parents.

The pair were jailed for 10 years in 2018, and Tony was adopted by Paula and Mark Hudgell in 2015, whose tireless four-year campaign resulted in Tony's Law taking effect in June.

The law means child abusers face spending life in prison if they cause or allow the death of a child, rather than 14 years under the previous law, and those who cause or allow harm to children will have their maximum sentence raised from 10 to 14 years.

Earlier this year, Paula also received support for her suggestion to establish a national register of child abusers.

A National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) spokesman said: "This honour is recognition of Paula's tireless campaigning and advocacy to help bring a greater sense of justice to those in our society who may not be able to speak for themselves.

"Paula's extraordinary hard work and dedication has seen Tony’s Law come into effect. This law means that those who abuse children could now face spending life in prison.

"Congratulations Paula. This award is so incredibly well-deserved and we thank you for all continued to work to help set up child cruelty register."

Also receiving an honour is April Homer, a Snodland mum who helped set up a food bank during the pandemic.

April will be awarded a BEM for services to her community during Covid-19.

The 31-year-old began volunteering with charity Kent Community Helpers in 2019, collecting and distributing food donated from supermarkets.

When the pandemic hit, April helped set up a food bank with Snodland Town Council, and also gathered a list of the town’s most vulnerable residents to deliver to.

She said: “It was mainly older people that were by themselves and had no means of going out because if you were classed as vulnerable, you weren’t allowed to leave home.”

After restrictions lifted and demand dropped, the food bank closed, but April continues to volunteer in her community and those in need come to her to collect food items.

The mum said of her award: “It was a bit of a shock actually, I wasn’t expecting it. There’s a little birdie that I don’t know, who’s nominated me, so I’m trying to figure out who it is.

“I want to tell them thank you, it’s quite overwhelming actually.

“It’s rewarding, I know I’ve helped somebody. I just do it because I do it, and I love it. That’s it.”

April cited her late dad as her inspiration, saying: “He liked volunteering with the local Scouts. He was a giving man, he had all the time in the world to give anybody.

“That gave me a bit of a drive to be as passionate as him giving his time up.”

'It’s rewarding, I know I’ve helped somebody. I just do it because I do it, and I love it. That’s it'

April received a Pride of Snodland award from Snodland Town Council earlier this year, adding: “I thought that was me done with an award but obviously this surprise has come along at the end of the year and it’s finished 2022 off quite lovely.”

The structural technician, who works for Maidstone engineering firm Considine, also credited her daughter as a “great helper” in her volunteering.

April continued: “I just hope everyone has a better 2023 and if you’re in need of food you can contact the Kent Community Helpers page on Facebook. There’s local drop off points for people who are in need so don’t be ashamed if you need to come forward.

“As word spreads that there is help for everybody it makes me want to push even more, try and do a little bit more.”

Helen Grant, the Conservative MP for Maidstone and the Weald, has been honoured for political and public service.

She has served as the prime minister’s special envoy for girls’ education and as a trade envoy to Nigeria.

Reacting to the news, she said: "I am thrilled and proud to be made an OBE in His Majesty's first honours list.

"My heartfelt thanks go to so many colleagues with whom I work for their care, help and guidance, and to my fantastic team and friends for their unwavering support over many years."

Other people nominated include

KNIGHTS BACHELOR

Ian Bauckham CBE. Chair, Ofqual. For services to Education. (Tunbridge Wells)

ORDER OF THE BATH

Companions of the Order of the Bath (CB)

Catherine Little. Lately Director General, Public Spending, HM Treasury. For Public Service. (Bearsted)

ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

Nadra Ahmed OBE DL. Executive Chair, National Care Association. For services to Social Care. (West Malling)

Lea Sarah Trussler (Lea Paterson). Lately Executive Director, People and Culture, Bank of England. For services to the Economy. (Sevenoaks)

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Professor William Dominic Joshua Abrams FBA. Professor of Social Psychology, University of Kent. For services to the Social Sciences. (Canterbury)

Marcus David John Bell. Director of Equalities, Cabinet Office. For Public Service. (Cranbrook)

Jocelyn Harry Croft. Chief Executive Officer, UKinbound. For services to the Tourism Industry. (Rochester)

Helen Grant MP. Member of Parliament for Maidstone and the Weald. For Political and Public Service.

Dr Rosemary Christine Green (Rosemary Loftus). Lately Chief Medical Officer, Macmillan. For services to People with Cancer. (Gravesend)

Dr Vivian Ivor Hinchcliffe. Chair and Managing Trustee, St. Jude Foundation. For services to Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs. (Sevenoaks)

Paula Jane Hudgell. Foster Carer, Kent County Council. For services to Children. (West Malling)

Karen Joy. Headteacher, Abbey Court Community Special Foundation School, Medway, Kent. For services to Children and Young People with Severe, Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties. (Selling)

Jonathan Peter Mearns. Counter Terrorism Police Liaison Officer, Metropolitan Police Service. For services to International Counter Terrorism Policing.

Ann Margaret Millington QFSM. Chief Executive, Kent Fire and Rescue Service. For services to Fire and Rescue. (West Malling)

Dr Jeffery Nii Adjei Tawiah Quaye. National Director of Education and Standards, Aspirations Academies Trust. For services to Education. (Dartford)

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Denis Brophy. Lifeboat Operations Manager, Walmer Lifeboat Station, Royal National Lifeboat Institution. For services to Maritime Safety. (Deal)

Deborah Joan Greaves. Curator, Tenterden and District Museum. For services to the community in Tenterden, Kent. (Tenterden)

David Robert Lockyer. Legal Adviser, Westminster Magistrates' Court, HM Courts and Tribunal Service. For Public and Voluntary Service. (Rochester)

Anisah Osman Britton. Founder, 23 Code Street. For services to Diversity in the Technology Sector. (Margate)

Dr Sian Thomas. Chief Data Officer, Department for International Trade. For Public Service. (Rochester)

John Woodnutt. Founder Delmatic Lighting Control. For services to Business and to Entrepreneurship. (Sandhurst)

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)

Ian Martin Beazley. Lately Senior Officer, Fraud Investigation Service, HM Revenue and Customs. For services to Asset Recovery. (Dover)

Carol Mary Davis. For services to the community in Herne and Broomfield, Kent. (Herne Common)

Diana Ferguson. Administrative and Security Officer, Cabinet Office. For Public Service. (Welling)

Christopher George Goodwin. Founder and Group Scout Leader, 2nd Deal Sea Scouts Cub Pack. For services to Scouting, to Young People and to Charity in Kent. (Deal)

Derek John Hodge. For services to Association Football, Charity and to the community in Sevenoaks and in Kent. (Sevenoaks)

April Jane Homer. For services to the community in Snodland, Kent during Covid-19. (Snodland)

Anne Leese. Deputy Chief Executive Officer, EKC Group. For services to Education and to the community in East Kent. (Faversham)

Geoffrey Andrew John Lymer. For services to the community in Dover, Kent. (Dover)

Mark Coulston Hugh Mountjoy. For services to the community in Westerham, Kent. (Westerham)

Joan Rhodes. For services to the community in Kent during Covid-19.

Dr Patricia Kay Vella-Burrows. Co-Director and Director of Training, Music4Wellbeing. For services to Wellbeing. (Deal)

Stephen Andrew Windsor. Lately Border Force Officer, Home Office. For Public Service. (Gravesend)

HOME OFFICE

KING'S POLICE MEDAL (KPM)

Daniel Patrick Murphy. Chief Superintendent, Kent Police