Two Exmouth residents recognised in Queen's New Year Honours

Two Exmouth residents have been recognised in the Queen's New Year Honours List.

Lindy Woodage, a staff officer with Devon and Cornwall Police, has received an MBE for services to policing and civil contingency planning, particularly during the Covid-19 response.

And a trustee of the Royal Marines Charity, Jamie Zuppinger, has been awarded the British Empire Medal.

Lindy has been involved in supporting the UK in times of crisis over many years.

She has worked on major flooding incidents and the Salisbury poisoning in her civil contingencies role.

Along with the Deputy Chief Constable Paul Netherton, who is the National Police Chiefs' Council's lead for civil contingencies, she helps forces plan and respond to emergency situations.

This year's work has covered preparing for the UK's transition from the EU as well as the huge demands of the Covid-19 crisis.

In response to her MBE, Lindy said: "I'm absolutely delighted, this has come as a real surprise.

"Behind every individual who receives an honour there is a whole team of people. I couldn't do my job without the amazing people I work with.

"It's been an incredibly challenging year; we've had to work really quickly and respond at speed to various changes in guidance and regulations.

"Many long hours have been put in, but it has been the same for the majority of emergency services workers.

"I have worked with some really amazing people throughout the UK.

"I feel privileged to work for the police service, love what I do, and it is a great honour to be recognised."

DCC Netherton, himself made an OBE in 2020, said: "I'm absolutely delighted that the hard work and dedication that Lindy has put in over the last year with Covid, and for many years supporting civil contingencies and policing across the UK, has been recognised in this New Year's Honours list.

"She is known by police forces and by partners and the Government for all she does to support the UK in times of crisis and this award is richly deserved."

Jamie Zuppinger's role with the Royal Marines Charity

Jamie Zuppinger, a successful businessman, became involved with the Royal Marines in 2013 and, the following year, joined the board of trustees of The C Group, a charity helping wounded, discharged Marines into employment.

The charity merged with the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund in 2016 and he became a trustee of the merged Royal Marines Charity.

He also became Board representative on the Executive of the Royal Marines Sports Association and attended the US Virginia Gauntlet sports tour in 2019. This tour encouraged Marines who had asked to leave the service to withdraw their applications, an important achievement at a time of under-manning.

When the Royal Marines Charity merged with the Royal Marines Association in 2019 to become RMA-The Royal Marines Charity, Jamie became chair of the Fundraising and Communications sub-committee, and led a review of its income generation strategy.

He also played a key part in the Board's post-merger review of its employment strategy in 2019, increasing its focus on support to Marines who were medically discharged.

A spokesman for the charity said: "Jamie brings a deep focus and rigour to every aspect of his duties, delivering Board strategy in order that beneficiaries receive the benefit due.

"He displays selfless commitment and boundless energy supporting events outside normal working hours, requiring significant travel, sacrifice and personal expense.

"He has fostered a huge number of strong relationships across all ranks and displays an unstinting passion for the Corps and deep care for those in need within the Corps Family, so much so that he recently moved to Exmouth where most of them seem to live."