A CRAVEN grandmother, who has dedicated a large part of her life to helping others in the local community, has been awarded the MBE in the New Year's Honours List.

Helen Hartley - pictured - who is well-known in the area having celebrated 25 years as the district's Meals on Wheels co-ordinator, received her honour for services to the community in Skipton.

Mrs Hartley, of Stirton, joined the Meals on Wheels service in 1964 as a helper and was then asked to take over its running in 1977.

Sixty-seven-year-old Mrs Hartley came to live in the area in 1961 after marrying Skipton textile mill owner Paul Hartley.

Almost before she had time to unpack, Mrs Hartley was drafted in as a helper at the library at Skipton General Hospital, a role that she enjoyed for the next 19 years.

During the years that followed Mrs Hartley served as the first lady chairman of Water Street Primary School PTA and was PTA chairman for three years at Skipton Girls' High School.

She has been a governor at the high school for 20 years.

Mrs Hartley has also acted as secretary of Upper Wharfedale School PTA, a Pathfinder youth leader at Holy Trinity Church in Skipton for 12 years and has been on the Christian Aid Walks Committee for the past decade.

For the past 11 years, Mrs Hartley, has done a weekly stint helping out at the refectory at Holy Trinity Church.

"In the winter, I can make between two to four gallons of soup," she told the Herald.

Mrs Hartley said that she was overwhelmed to receive the award.

"I feel really quite humble about it. You can never do any of these things if you have not got such fantastic support behind you."

She added: "Whenever anyone receives an award there seems to be lots of people they need to thank. It's such an honour that I've been given this MBE.

"I know I would not be here now without the endless number of people who have supported me whole heartedly and I thank them all and particularly my own family and my children who since my husband's death eight years ago have encouraged me in all my interests and kept me going.

"God gave me a great gift, energy and I would like to hope I have used it wisely."

"Cononley woman Janet Wade, president of the Bradford Diocesan Mothers' Union, has also received an MBE.

Mrs Wade has been a member of the Mothers' Union for 20 years, and president for the last six.

The group provides help and support for young families.

"We do a lot of work, it's basically caring for the family," she said. "That's the basis of our work, supporting the family in all sorts of ways, and especially promoting marriage as a secure family life."

Mrs Wade, 61, said she was very surprised to receive the award.

"I felt overwhelmed. I don't think I do anything more than a lot of people but somebody must have thought so," she said.

As well as her work with the Mothers' Union, Mrs Wade has played the organ at St John's Church, Cononley, for 20 years and is a lay canon at Bradford Cathedral.

"I think the challenge is to be aware of what's going on around us and to hold out the hand of friendship to people that need us," she said.