TWO women from Westcliff were honoured by the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

Jan Hodges, former principal of South Essex College, got an OBE and Katherine Kirk, the former chairman of the South East Essex Primary Care Trust, who got an MBE, were both recognised for services to their professions.

Echo:

Katherine Kirk

Mrs Hodges is now chief executive of the education charity Edge Foundation, which campaigns to promote practical and vocational education.

She was appointed chief executive in July 2011, following a 25-year career which saw her teaching at home and abroad in secondary schools, then lecturing and managing in further education.

After returning to the UK following teaching English abroad, she trained as a secondary schoolteacher and taught across Essex, before moving on to further education.

She spent nine years as principal at South Essex College, before stepping down in 2011 to take on the role at Edge.

Mrs Kirk, who recently helped to open a new health centre in North Road, Southend, has been synonymous with health services and local government in south Essex for more than 25 years.

As chairman of the PCT she led it to become one of the highest performing trusts in the East of England.

She also championed the PCT’s development of its primary care premises through the NHS Lift scheme, resulting in the opening of purpose-built primary care centres in Leigh, Canvey and Westcliff.

Following her lead, Southend PCT was consistently one of the highest-performing PCTs in Essex, delivering key national targets in relation to reducing waiting times Jan Hodges and improving GP access.