A WELL-KNOWN Tenby policeman is to be honoured for his 32 years of unstinting service to one of Wales's leading charities, St. John Cymru Wales. Nigel Lewis joined St. John as a young cadet in 1973 and has risen through the ranks to become regional commissioner - one of the highest ranking officers in St. John Ambulance. Mr. Lewis will be promoted to Officer Brother of the Order of St. John during a special ceremony at St. Mary's Church in Tenby on October 1. "I am very pleased to have been given this honour," said Mr. Lewis. "I feel privileged to be part of such a worthwhile organisation. For me it is all about interacting with the community. I thoroughly enjoy my job because I can keep in contact with my community at a local level and that is one of the main benefits of St. John - it touches the lives of so many people." Mr. Lewis, who was appointed as a commissioner in June 2005, has been the driving force behind the recent purchase of three state-of-the-art ambulances for the region. He said: "We now have vehicles which are the envy of the ambulance service, it shows how professional, and organised St. John and its volunteers are. These ambulances are making a real difference to the communities they serve." Around 60 people of all nationalities and walks of life will be invested in October, having adopted the St. John motto: 'In the Service of Humanity'. Many St. John volunteers will be honoured, along with members of the emergency services who have made an outstanding contribution to the organisation, sometimes for many years. The investiture ceremony takes place twice a year. Members will be presented with the Insignia by the Prior of the Order of St. John Cymru Wales, Hugh Thomas. Each award has been approved by Her Majesty The Queen, Sovereign Head of the Order. Keith Dunn, chief executive St. John Wales, commented: "These men and women are being honoured at the investiture ceremony in recognition of their dedicated and exceptional voluntary service in the Order's charitable foundations: St. John Cymru Wales and the St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem." The Order of St. John was founded in the 11th century. The British Order of St. John comprises two foundations, St. John Ambulance and the St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem.
