A radio presenter from Felixstowe will be recognised for her contribution to the church community in the area.

Lesley Dolphin, who presents the afternoon show for BBC Radio Suffolk from Monday to Thursday, will be honoured along with seven other Lay Canons, at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, on Sunday November 21.

Two special services will be held St Edmundsbury Cathedral to honour eighteen men and women for their contributions to the life of the cathedral, the diocese and the wider community in Suffolk.

Six senior clergy and eight lay people will be recognised as canons of the cathedral in an afternoon service.

The title of canon is given to individuals, both clergy and lay, who have given particular service to the Diocese.

This year new canons are being recognised for their services to education, health services, the media, music and the charity sector.

"It is a delight to recognise the contributions of these wonderful people, who represent a diversity of skills and experience," said the Very Reverend Joe Hawes, Dean of St Edmundsbury.

Lesley lives in Felixstowe with her husband, BBC Suffolk's breakfast producer, Mark Murphy and their rescue dog Wolfie.

Those also becoming Lay Canons are

Joanna Gunn has been involved in education for 20 years, 10 of these as a Primary Head Teacher. Currently head of St Margaret's CEVA Primary School in Ipswich, Jo has recently led the school to an 'Excellent' rating from the Church of England Regulatory Body, SIAMS; and a National Schools Well-being Award, all rooted in the schools vision 'Transforming lives by living and learning in God's love'.

Jonathan de Bernhardt Wood has been the National Advisor for Giving and Income Generation for The Church of England since January 2019. Jonathan's team are responsible for supporting churches and dioceses in encouraging giving and generosity. He has worked in fundraising and managerial roles within the charity sector for over 30 years, and most recently was Generous

Roger Wright is Chief Executive of Britten Pears Arts which is based at Snape Maltings and The Red House in Aldeburgh. He was previously Controller of BBC Radio 3 and Director of the BBC Proms.

In addition to his BBC roles, Roger has worked as a freelance writer and broadcaster and in USA as Artistic Administrator of The Cleveland Orchestra and in Germany as Vice President, Artists and Repertoire at Deutsche Grammophon. Roger received CBE in 2015 for services to music.

Mark Sheard. Mark lives in Worlingworth with his wife, Lois, and two dogs. He serves as a member of the Archbishops' Council holding a number of different roles and is Chief Executive of World Vision, the UK arm of the world's largest childrens' charity.

Stephen Singleton is the founding CEO of Suffolk Community Foundation which was established in 2005 as a grant giving charity. It is now the largest independent funder to Suffolk's charitable and community sector. The Foundation is an authoritative voice on local deprivation and social need across Suffolk and uses that information to make the case for local philanthropic giving which is channelled to grassroot organisations across the county. Stephen was recognised with an MBE in The Queen's 2020 Birthday Honours' List.

Judi Newman. After reading Religious Studies at King's College London and more than twenty five years in the charity sector, Judi has been the CEO of St Elizabeth Hospice since May 2021. She has a particular interest in community development and the hospice's relationships with the wider community, including promoting awareness of the hospice's bereavement service "LivingGrief" and the Compassionate Communities movement, building cultural confidence in talking about death and grief.

Afrika Green is an internationally renowned drummer currently playing for Pet Shop Boys, Becky Hill, and DJ High Contrast. Whilst touring she completed her memoir which she hopes will give a candid look into the struggles and successes she experienced during her musical career. She is also a columnist for the Bury Free Press writing articles for her local Black lives group and works closely with BBC East helping write content for broadcasts which is more representative of the community.

At 10.30 am, on Sunday November 21, at the Bury St Edmunds cathedral, the Eucharist service will include the presentation of the Order of St Edmund, the highest accolade the cathedral can bestow which is awarded to those who have demonstrated 'exemplary and unusual service'.

Four members of the cathedral community will receive this award: Susan Cockram, Liz Steele, Stewart Alderman and Stephen Dart.

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