In the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours List, National Chairman, June Robinson, has received the British Empire Medal for her services to the community in Surrey.
For the past 6 years June has been and is currently Chairman of the Leatherhead Community Association (LCA), a charity based in the Institute, gifted to the people of Leatherhead by a Victorian benefactor – with no bequest to sustain it. To mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Olympic cycle races which passed the building and the 120th anniversary of the Institute in 2012, she led the design of a superb wall sculpture commissioning the Fire & Iron Gallery and with local young people involved in its creation. This was funded by the LCA, Leatherhead Society of NADFAS and Surrey County Council.
A member of Mole Valley District’s Heritage Open Days committee for 15 years, in 2015 the Team won national recognition by the Civic Society with an award as “Star Organisers”.
June founded the Leatherhead Decorative & Fine Arts Society in 1997. During her Chairmanship the Society sponsored arts opportunities for children including the creation of a school mosaic, a workshop on stage design and a photographic project in the local primary school. She is now President of the Society.
As Chairman of NADFAS East Surrey Area she negotiated a partnership with the National Trust property at Polesden Lacey for NADFAS volunteers to create reproductions of Edwardian costumes to be worn by stewards and volunteers at themed events. These costumes and the skills of over 30 volunteers are valued highly by the Trust and visitors to the property.
For the Leatherhead Theatre, which has no local authority or similar funding, she has promoted a number of events. In 2013 there was a NADFAS lecture to complement screening of the film “Summer in February”, raising £3,500 towards the fund for equipment to stream live events. Then in 2014 a lecture and screening of the film “Mr Turner”, raised a further £3,000.
In her spare time, she is also a Trustee of the Friends of Leatherhead Parish Church, a non-denominational charity dedicated to raising funds for the maintenance of a beautiful mediaeval building, which “just swallows money”.
June says: “I've lived in Leatherhead for 45 years and am so lucky as I've always enjoyed being involved with the wider community. I am honoured and delighted to receive this award, particularly in the Queen's 90th birthday year.”
