Local heroes: Full list of Shropshire people in King's Birthday Honours List

Sally Johnson, 50, receives the British Empire Medal for her services to people with cancer.

And two couples who campaigned for maternity improvements after the deaths of their daughters have been honoured with an MBE.

They all spoke of their mixed emotions at receiving the honours, which have come after tragedy.

Following the tragedy of the death of her seven-year-old son Harry, in 2014, from Double Hit Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, Sally Johnson formed the Harry Johnson Trust.

In the years since, the trust has gone from strength to strength – raising more than £600,000, which is all used to support families facing the same ordeal Harry did.

Sally, who lives at Long Mountain with her husband Stephen, 54, and her 18-year-old son Eric, said she had been overwhelmed when she discovered the news of the honour – but added that her only inspiration had been to help other people.

She said: “I do it because I love it and Harry would have loved it, and all the things we do are things people did for Harry and our family so I am just paying things forward for what people did for us.”

The King has also recognised four parents who campaigned for maternity improvements after the deaths of their daughters – leading to the Ockenden Review into Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which uncovered hundreds of cases of failings in care, and has led to a series of local and national recommendations for improvements.

Rhiannon Davies, her husband Richard Stanton, and Kayleigh and Colin Griffiths, from Myddle, are all made MBEs.

Both couples said they had been overwhelmed with mixed emotions – adding that the honours would be dedicated to the memory of heir daughters Kate and Pippa – and the other families who revealed their own tragedies as part of the Ockenden Review.

Mrs Griffiths said: “We are very grateful we have received that recognition but there are so many families across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin that are living with this big loss and sense of grief from what happened across the county, so it is very mixed.”

Meanwhile the former chief executive of Shropshire Wildlife Trust – the county’s conservation guardians, is also made an MBE.