'I've not even told my partner' says honoured Telford hero who helped house 15,000 people
A Telford man who works for the Jobcentre in Shrewsbury has been awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours.
Gareth Michael Niblett has been granted the Order of the British Empire for his work in the Incident and Crisis Response team at the Department for Work and Pensions and his services to benefit and pension provision.
The 40-year-old was instrumental in helping people fleeing Afghanistan following the withdrawal of western forces.
“I was part of Operation Warm Welcome where 15,000 Afghans were evacuated in 2021,” he explained. “I was part of the face of the government’s response and ensured those people were safe.
“I spent about 18 months helping them settle all over the country including finding them hotels and places to stay. I’ve also led a number of responses to resolve international issues, such as helping state pensioners overseas resolve payments.”
But he said he never expected to be named in the King’s Birthday Honours list.
“It was a complete shock. When I opened the envelope in May it was a real shock and a huge honour to be recognised for the work that I do,” he said.
He has also managed to keep the news quiet for the last five weeks from even his partner.
“It said in the letter ‘in the strictest confidence’ so I have not told anybody, not even my partner. She and a lot of people are in for a shock.”
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.