Queen's Birthday Honours 2019: MBE for Jayne Ludlow

Wales women's football manager Jayne Ludlow has been made an MBE.

Ludlow, 40, has been recognised for her contribution to the sport from grassroots to international level.

The 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours list also includes Anne Kelly for her support for survivors of modern slavery and Pamela Evans for her work educating children about peace.

Ludlow, from Barry, said her role was a "far wider project" than just the senior national team.

She joins a number of people from Wales recognised on the list, including former Olympic athlete and rugby player Nigel Walker, who was awarded an OBE for his services to elite sport.

Comedian, writer and actor Griff Rhys Jones also received an OBE.

Former world record marathon holder Steve Jones, from Ebbw Vale, has been appointed an MBE for services to sport.

Sarah Waters, the Pembrokeshire-born author of novels including The Fingersmith and Tipping the Velvet, is made an OBE.

Meanwhile 64-year-old Wayne Gruba, a campaigner for IRA victims of Libyan explosives, was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to victims of terrorism.

Rachel Clacher, who founded telephone answering company Moneypenny with her brother, was awarded a CBE.

Ludlow, who gained her first international cap when she was 17, said: "For us, the women's teams' projects is about growing the game, it's about inspiring youngsters to take up the game.

"It's actually from a female perspective too, growing confidence levels in young females and developing more leaders - female leaders - in the future, and just giving girls an opportunity to step on the pitch and compete or step into the football arena and be a part of it."

She finished her playing career in 2012 with 61 caps - part of an elite group of footballers to reach more than 50.

She has played for Reading and Arsenal, and was part of the Arsenal team which won a domestic triple - Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup - before winning an unprecedented quadruple which includes the UEFA Champions League.

She was awarded the BBC Wales Sports Personality coach of the year in December 2018.

Speaking of receiving an MBE, Ms Ludlow said: "It's a bit mind-boggling if I'm honest... people who generally get this kind of accolade, they've invested lots of time and effort into something they're passionate about and that's what this project is for me - football's always been a passion of mine.

"For me, it's life. Football is my life."

Anne Kelly, 78, was honoured with a BEM. She said her anti-slavery drive came about "by accident" in 2006 after she organised an evening to celebrate the bi-centenary of the abolition of slavery.

She said: "It was just going to be a social event, cheese and wine evening... but just a few weeks later I had a phone call from a friend in Tenby who told her about a case of young African girls who had been trafficked into the area and all over the country.

"So we were absolutely amazed that it was happening on our doorstep and decided something should be done to raise awareness."

She worked with Dyfed-Powys Police and Barnardo's Cymru to research the extensiveness of problems related to trafficking and slavery.

"In the beginning people didn't believe it could happen to anyone living in this country, now we find the majority of cases is people from this country."

"It's a dreadful crime, there are lots of people working on it now thankfully and Wales has led the field in this."

Dr Kelly, who lives in Pembrokeshire, added the project was still continuing and work still being done.

"I wasn't expecting it [the BEM] in the least but it is an honour, it's more about increasing awareness... that's more important to me than any gratification I would get out of it on a personal level," she added.

Pamela Evans, 69, from Swansea, was awarded an MBE for services to the promotion of peace and interfaith understanding for setting up a group called Peace Mala, which promotes tolerance.

She was teaching religious studies when the 9/11 terrorist attacks took place in the US in 2001, and witnessed Muslim, Sikh and Chinese children being bullied in the aftermath.

"It was horrid, it was terrible... I've never heard such hateful things being said about the Muslims in our town... name calling, bullying."

Ms Evans said the day after the attacks, another teacher asked her if she was still going to teach about Islam.

"If you've got a university graduate, an intelligent teacher being alarmed by what the media is saying then I knew we were in for trouble. What I did point out to him very quickly was the guys that did that yesterday were not Muslims... they've hijacked Islam."

Ms Evans developed educational packs for schools, youth and community groups designed to instil the message of treating others as you would wish to be treated.

Of receiving the MBE, she said: "It's an incredible honour, I'm thrilled, I'm especially thrilled for Peace Mala and everybody who's involved... especially the children in the schools."

In the arts world, there are knighthoods for David Pountney, who is stepping down as director of Welsh National Opera, and philanthropist Ian Stoutzker, who gave £500,000 to fund a building at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.

The Dora Stoutzker Hall is named after his mother, who was a music teacher in Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent.

Chair of National Theatre Wales, Clive Jones, is also to be knighted for services to humanitarian crises.

Meanwhile Elan Closs Stephens, the member for Wales on the board of the BBC and a former chair of S4C, is made a dame.

In total, 1,073 people have received an award. A full list of those honoured is available on the UK Government website.