Veteran broadcaster Sandy Gall is one of a host of Kent folk named in today's New Year's Honours list.

The writer and TV reporter, who now lives in Penshurst, has been awarded the Order of St Michael and St George for services to the people of Afghanistan.

In an illustrious TV career, he joined ITN in 1963 as a foreign correspondent. He was the first ITN journalist to report the Vietnam War in March 1965.

He returned to Vietnam several times until 1975 when Siagon fell.

He also reported from Cambodia, China, Afghanistan, and Africa, and covered the Six-Day War in 1967.

He reported on Afghanistan many times over its troubled history and became an acknowledged expert on that country, writing several books and making two BAFTA nominated documentaries about the country.

In 1986, he established Sandy Gall's Afghanistan Appeal, a charity which has since supplied artificial limbs and walking aids to more than 20,000 people. He lives with his wife Eleanor in Penshurt.

Speaking today, he said: "The charity is really a family concern. My wife runs it from home, and my daughter has been out in Afghanistan.

"So this honour is for the family, rather than just for me.

"When I found out I was thrilled and honoured."

He is one of more than 20 notable and ordinary Kent folk to be given gongs in the traditional Queen's awards.

Also included are Patricia and David Courtney, of Broadstairs, for services to fostering, who both get MBEs, with Tina Sampson, who is head of the direct communications unit at the Prime Minister's Office, getting an OBE.

Leyland Ridings, lead member for children's services at Kent County Council, is awarded an MBE in a year when the department has been dogged by negative reports into its work.

He responded with astonishment and surprise at the award for services to local government.

Born in Australia, he trained as a chartered account and has been the Sandwich ward representative on the county council since 1997.

"The original letter about the MBE was a bit of a shock and I was really itching to tell someone after it arrived.

"I did tell one of my daughters, but she was sworn to secrecy. Although there is very little you can do to stop married couples talking!"

His new year honour will be celebrated across the world, as Cllr Ridings has five children, a daughter and son in Australia, a daughter in New York and two daughters in England, as well as 15 grandchildren.

His only sadness in being awarded an MBE is that he would have liked to share the announcement with his wife June, who died in 2004.

"I would have loved to have invited her to Buckingham Palace for the presentation by the Queen."

Cllr Ridings served in the Australian Air Force and came to England in 1964. He now lives in Strand Street, Sandwich.

He is a JP, has worked for a number of charitable organisations and is a honorary fellow of Canterbury Christ Church University.

Cllr Ridings added: "Being a county councillor is a full time occupation. I am 73 but not yet thinking about retiring."

Among the ordinary people given an MBE are Robert David, for services to the community in Tatsfield, and Rodney Thomas, chairman of governors at Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School in Ramsgate, for voluntary service to education.

Amanda Cottrell of Challock, who has eight roles in Kent and is the former High Sheriff, has been recognised for her services to the community.

Firstly she is chairman of Visit Kent, the private-public partnership supporting the county's £2.5bn tourism industry, as well as patron of Produced in Kent, the county produce promoters.

Her other roles include Kent Ambassador, trustee and friend of Canterbury Cathedral, and trustee of the Kent Community Housing Trust and the Kent Wildlife Trust.

In addition she is vice president of the Canterbury Festival and chairman of Fairbridge Kent, which supports young people across the county.

Sandra Matthews-Marsh, chief executive of Visit Kent, said: "This honour is no surprise.

"She is one in a million with tremendous energy and drive.

"Amanda has dedicated her life to serving the people of Kent and assisting numerous community groups and organisations in achieving their goals.

"She is a remarkable person and I am delighted that her contribution to our county has been recognised."

Earlier this year Mrs Cottrell was presented with a Kent Invicta Award by Kent County Council, a prize for giving exceptional service to, or acting as a role model for, the residents of Kent.

In that ceremony she was given a £5,000 charitable cheque, which she donated to the Fairbridge Trust.

Mrs Cottrell was High Sheriff of Kent in 2006/07.

She has also served as a magistrates for more than 20 years, been a member and chairman of her local parish council, a school governor, county president of the Kent Girl Guides and president of the NSPCC in Kent.

An MBE was also presented to Littlebourne parish council chairman Cllr Vivienne Spratt in recognition of her services to the community.

Grandmother-of-three Cllr Spratt, who lives in Jubilee Road with husband Howard, has served as a parish councillor for more than eight years, and chairman for the past five.

She is also on committees for the Littlebourne Children's Centre, the city council's Play Providers Steering Group and the Four Village Post Office Shop and runs the village youth group.

She said: "My husband and I moved to Littlebourne 15 years ago and I initially got involved with the parish council as I was interested in planning issues.

"My other main interest in the village is children and young people, so I spend a lot of time working with them and raising funds for facilities.

"I played a large part in getting the Children's Centre, the youth shelter, new play equipment and mini BMX track for the village.

"I was also instrumental in getting the village's outdoor gym and refurbishing the facilities at the village hall."

Cllr Spratt also carries out a lot of fundraising for breast cancer charities, after her daughter-in-law Jane died aged 28 from the disease.

She said: "Jane had two daughters with my son Paul, Samantha-Jayne, now aged 19, and Kirsty, 17, and they have always helped me raise money for charity in memory of their mum.

"Paul is now remarried to Eve, and they have an eight-year-old daughter, Erin, who also helps with my charity work."

Despite her huge body of community and charity work, however, Cllr Spratt says she was shocked to hear she had received the honour in November.

She said: "I was quite emotional when I read the letter, as it was such a surprise.

"You beaver away but you don't expect to get any recognition. I didn't do it with that in mind.

"I told Paul and my daughter Marisa on Christmas Day, swearing them to secrecy of course, and they couldn't believe it either!

"It will not change the way I work. I will carry on exactly as before."

Awarded an OBE was Colin Carmichael, chief executive of Canterbury Council, for services to local government.

Colin Carmichael became the chief executive of Canterbury City Council in 1996 and lives in Canterbury with his wife and two children.

Oxford-educated Mr Carmichael, worked in London in the 1980s and early 1990s in Hackney and Camden.

Mr Carmichael is also a member of the governing bodies of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University. He chairs the Corporation of Canterbury College.

Beyond his professional commitments, Colin has a keen interest in gardening, the environment, and walking and cycling through Canterbury district's beautiful countryside. He also sings with the Canterbury Choral Society.

Lt Cdr Donald Davies, RNR (Retd), was rewarded for voluntary service to the Sea Cadet Corps in Dartford.

He told KentOnline: "I couldn't believe it, I was over the moon... I just had a phone call from my daughter actually in France. She saw it online, so she congratulated me - word's got round!"

Lt Cdr Davies built the membership of the Sea Cadet Corps in Dartford from six to more than 80 when he was Commanding officer there.

He has since moved to Lydd and helped turn around the New Romney unit, where he is chairman of the executive committee.

Paul Murray, from Maidstone, was awarded an MBE for services to education.

The 56-year-old started teaching in 1975 and is now head of community cohesion at the Isle of Sheppey Academy.

Audio: Ruth Banks interviews award winner Paul Murray

He said: "I'm very shocked. It's been quite difficult to come to terms with. There's lots of other people that are deserving."

Mr Murray has spent his whole career working on the Island - at the former Danley and Cheyne middle schools and now at the Academy's West site in Sheerness.

He added: "The kids are the best thing about the job - they are just brilliant.

"There's lots of people I work with that are better teachers than I am. There's lots of people that do lots of brilliant stuff with the kids - there's so many, I just happen to have been mentioned."

He said the award made him think of Daniel Holkham, the 19-year-old rifleman, from Sheppey, who died in March after a suicide bomber detonated a device near his patrol in an area to the east of Sangin in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

"I didn't know the lad but my kids talk about him," he said. "I think he was a real hero, a young lad with such courage and it's hard to put yourself in the same category as someone like that."

Also honoured is former chief executive of The Royal British Legion Industries John Barrington Quin, who lives in Kingsdown.

He has been awarded a CBE for services to ex-Servicemen and Women.

He said: "I received a letter and I was astonished. I just was very humbled really, and very honoured to think that I had been nominated and chosen."

Mr Quin was the chief executive of the Royal British Legion Industries for almost 15 years - from November 1995 to March 2010.

During that time he helped develop the organisation substantially. When he started it supported around 600 hundred ex-servicemen and women, by the time he retired it was more than 15,000.

Martin Duffell, who is chief dealer at the UK Debt Management Office of HM Treasury, is made an OBE. Father-of-two Mr Duffell has lived in Yalding near Maidstone for some 15 years.

A stalwart who has helped change young people's lives for the better for more than three decades, has been made an MBE.

Mrs Linda Chapman has worked with hundreds of young people aged 14 to 25 in the Tonbridge area to help them achieve their Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

Mrs Chapman, pictured, was given the honour for her services as a field officer for the organisation, a job she has done for the past 30 years.

During that time, Mrs Chapman, who is married with two grown-up children and lives in Tonbridge, has been coordinating and steering young people to help them gain their awards.

Other organisations have also kept her busy over the years, she has also been a secretary and tournament organiser and coach for the Tonbridge Lawn Tennis Club.

Last year she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award after 28 years dedication to the club.

She also previously taken part in The Queen's Golden Jubilee Baton Relay through Tonbridge.

Mrs Chapman said: "I feel very honoured, it was very unexpected - you just don't believe it when you first find out.

"I'm sort of accepting it for all the volunteers who give their time to the scheme.

I will celebrate with friends on New Year's Eve and I really do feel honoured and I'm really grateful for the support I've been given."

Another woman from the area to be made an MBE is Mrs Caroline Elliott, for her voluntary service to the Trinity Theatre in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Mrs Elliott, pictured here in character during St Georges Day and 400th anniversary celebrations of Tunbridge Wells in 2006, acts alongside her husband, Michael.

The pair who have been married for more than 40 years, have acted together on many occasions, and have even played husband and wife on stage.

Mrs Elliott has also directed productions at the theatre including an adaptation of Babe, Dick King-Smith's famous children's novel.

Dr Peter Cullum, chairman of the Towergate Partnership, was awarded for services to business and charity.

Born in 1951 in Norfolk, Mr Cullum became the youngest person to pass the Chartered Insurance Institute fellowship examinations at the age of 21.

He started his career with the Royal Insurance Group, and moved through Commercial Union, ITT, Economic Insurance and Hiscox before founding the Towergate Underwriting Group in 1997.

He merged the company with the Folgate Partnership to create Towergate Partnership in 2005.

A billionaire, Mr Cullum is a noted fan of Norwich City FC, where he once played in the club's boys team.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate of science in entrepreneurship by the Cass Business School in 2007.

He estblished the Towergate charity along with the company, which has made many charitable donations especially to the hospice movement, including a £500,000 donation to the Norfolk Hospice, Tapping House. He lives in Sevenoaks.

Professor Ian Walsh, of Bower Mount Road, Maidstone, has been named an MBE in recognition of more than 20 years' service to highways engineering.

The 67-year-old spent the majority of his career working for Kent County Council's laboratory, ensuring the quality of materials used for roads were of high standard.

He retired in December of last year but still offers advice to councils and also acts as a visiting professor for highways engineering at the University of Ulster in Belfast.

Prof Walsh said: "I was completely surprised when I was told I had been made an MBE. I have no idea of who nominated me but I am very grateful."

The father-of-three, who lives with his wife of more than 40 years, Francine, plans to celebrate the honour tonight with his family and a glass of champagne.

Simon Southworth, a manager for the Kent Drug and Alcohol Action team, has been honoured for his services to healthcare.

Mr Southworth, of Tonbridge, has been named an MBE for his work across Kent and Medway as the leader of the team’s substance misuse management.

Throughout his career, the manager has worked with a variety of people dealing with alcohol or drug issues and is often placed in difficult, and sometimes volatile, situations.

Gillian McKinnon, of Marden, Maidstone, has been made an MBE for her work at the HM Treasury.

During her career, Ms McKinnon has worked as a senior personal assistant and a diary secretary for the Chris Martin, director of public service and environment.

Also honoured is a pillar of Romney Marsh and head of a Kent diabetes charity which serves more than 50,000 patients.

Former New Romney town councillor Gary Fagg, who chairs the Paula Carr Trust, was awarded an MBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours list for his services to the town.

The grandfather-of-four began community work with 16 years in the Romney Marsh Round Table, a Rotary Club for the under-40s. Since then has been chairman of New Romney Football Club, New Romney Sports Club, Littlestone RNLI and the New Romney Scouts.

Mr Fagg has also been a governor at St Nicholas Primary and Southlands Schools and is on the board at Littlestone Golf Club - but he was modest about his royal gong.

"It's all been with the support of my wife of 37 years, Sue," said Mr Fagg, who worked as a pharmaceutical salesman for 30 years until 2001. "Those around me have put in a lot of hard work."

The NHS business manager, of Blenheim Road, Littlestone, said he plans to give up his full-time job this year to concentrate on charity work.

Mr Fagg joined the Paula Carr Trust four years after it was founded in 1989. The charity, named for an Ashford schoolgirl who died of diabetes complications aged 13, has nearly trebled in size since Mr Fagg became chairman in 2006.

The Kent list

ORDER OF ST MICHAEL AND ST GEORGE
CMGHenderson Alexander (Sandy) Gall, CBE. Formerly Freelance Writer and Broadcaster. For services to the people of Afghanistan. Born Penang, Malaysia, educated Scotland, now lives Penshurst, Kent.

ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE
CBELeslie Thomas Cramp. Deputy chief executive, Insolvency Service, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. (Maidstone, Kent)
Dr Peter Geoffrey Cullum. Chairman, Towergate Partnership. For services to Business and to Charity. (Sevenoaks, Kent)

OBEColin Carmichael. Chief executive, Canterbury Council. For services to Local Government. (Canterbury, Kent)
Mrs Amanda Arianwen Cecilia Cottrell. For services to the community in Kent. (Ashford, Kent)
Robert Cummines. Chief executive, UNLOCK. For services to Reformed Offenders. (Lordswood, Kent)
Andrew Martin Duffell. Chief Dealer, UK Debt Management Office, HM Treasury. (Yalding, Kent)
John Barrington Quin. Formerly chief executive, Royal British Legion Industries. For services to ex-Servicemen and Women. (Kingsdown, Kent)
Mrs Tina Sampson. Head, Direct Communications Unit, Prime Minister's Office. (Dartford, Kent)

MBEMrs Linda Mary Chapman. Formerly Tonbridge Field Officer, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award. For services to Young People in Kent. (Tonbridge, Kent)
David Courtney. Foster Carer, Kent County Council. For services to Families. (Broadstairs, Kent)
Mrs Patricia Courtney. Foster Carer, Kent County Council. For services to Families. (Broadstairs, Kent)
Robert Allen David. For services to the community in Tatsfield, Kent. (Westerham, Surrey)
Lt Cdr Donald William Wallace Davies. R.N. (Retd). For voluntary service to the Sea Cadet Corps. (Lydd, Kent)
Mrs Caroline Margaret Elliott. For voluntary service to the Trinity Theatre in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. (Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent)
Gary John Fagg. For services to the community in New Romney, Kent. (New Romney, Kent)
Peter Joseph Martinelli. For services to Smithfield Market, City of London. (Sevenoaks, Kent)
Ms Gillian McKinnon. Senior Personal assistant, HM Treasury. (Marden, Kent)
Paul Murray. Head of Community Cohesion, Isle of Sheppey Academy, Kent. For services to Education. (Maidstone, Kent)
Ms Caroline Reeson. Formerly managing director, Brokerage Citylink. For services to Disadvantaged People in London. (Sevenoaks, Kent)
Leyland Bradshaw Ridings. Lead Council Member for Children's Services, Kent County Council. For services to Local Government. (Sandwich, Kent)
Simon Charles Southworth. Service manager, Kent County and Medway Council Substance Misuse Care Management Service. For services to Healthcare. (Tonbridge, Kent)
Mrs Vivienne Nancy Spratt. For services to the community in Littlebourne, Kent. (Canterbury, Kent)
Rodney Mackie Iven Thomas. Chairman of Governors, Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, Ramsgate. For voluntary service to Education. (Ramsgate, Kent)
Professor Ian Douglas Walsh. For services to Highway Engineering. (Maidstone, Kent)