An Abergavenny woman who has championed the cause of the disabled in Monmouthshire for more than 30 years has been recognised with an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Jenny Barnes of Merthyr Road, Llanfoist, a former newspaper photographer who provided many pictures for the Chronicle, received the honour for her role in improving disabled access to public spaces in Monmouthshire.

Jenny, who is married with two daughters and four grandchildren, is the co-founder of CAIR (Contact, Action, Inform, Represent), launched in 1979, which brings together smaller organisations representing disabled people and their carers on issues that affect them.

She has received several previous awards, including the Service in the Community Award from the Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations (2014).

She says the MBE came as a complete surprise but that she was ‘really chuffed’.