A GWENT woman who set up a life-line group for families of disabled children will be honoured by the Queen for her hard work.

Cynthia Beynon of Pontypool is awarded the MBE for services to the community of Torfaen.

"I was just gobsmacked when I had the letter. I am very pleased and I want to thank all the people who nominated me. It's wonderful," she said.

Cynthia is best known as the founder of TOGs, the Torfaen Opportunities Group, which she set up in 1990. She was running Torfaen's PHAB club at the time in Llantarnam leisure centre.

"One family came to me with their very young, severely disabled child and I decided to set up a junior PHAB group to help them," she said.

"Within a year we had more than 50 families. My aim was to help parents of disabled children find support. There was nothing at all for them in Torfaen."

In 1992 the group was re-named TOGs, moving to Crownbridge school in Sebastopol before settling in New Inn in 2000.

The centre now offers day care, a creche, and respite care and support for 200 children with special needs and their families.

Cynthia's community work began in the 1980s when she started the Gwent Dragons disabled sports club while working as a community service officer with Gwent Probation Service. In 1997 she co-founded the Torfaen Voluntary Alliance.

"I am no longer involved with the Dragons or TVA but I am very proud of them both. I think TOGs is my proudest achievement though. It has made such a difference to so many people's lives," said the mother of two and grandmother of four who lives in Griffithstown with husband Bryn.

* Other Gwent recipients in the Queen's Birthday Honours List are: CBE: Ms Alison Jane Brimelow, of Chepstow, for services to intellectual property law. OBE: Peter Lyn Howells, of Newport, for services to the police and mountain rescue service. MBE: Michael Robert Henderson, raw materials manager at the Chepstow-based St Regis Paper Company, for services to forestry. Alun Williams, from Cwmbran, manager of Wales' National Professional Qualification for Headship Centre, Wales, for services to education.

EILEEN GOODRICH CAMPAIGNING for road safety measures on the A40 is the latest issue occupying Eileen Goodrich in a life dedicated to serving the community in Monmouthshire.

Seventy-three-year-old Mrs Goodrich has been awarded an MBE for her work over several decades, which has included 13 years as a Monmouth town councillor, including being mayor in 1999-2000.

She has been a fundraiser for many years for the north Gwent branch of the British Heart Foundation, of which husband Terry is chairman, is a trustee of the St Briavel's child development centre and The Senses Trust, a charity for the disabled, and has recently given up the chairmanship of Monmouth's Partnership Against Crime after 15 years.

She was a governor of various schools for 43 years, and last year was elected as a Monmouthshire county councillor.

"Surprised is not the word for this," said mother-of-three Mrs Goodrich, who lives in Osbaston, and whose first charity work was in raising money for the war effort shortly after the beginning of the Second World War."There are so many more people out there who deserve this more than I do."

DEPUTY CHIEF FIRE OFFICER ANDY MARLES ANDY Marles, deputy chief fire officer with the South Wales Fire Service, who began his 28-year career at Maindee station in Newport, was awarded the Queen's Fire Service Medal.

Though he rose through the ranks during almost three decades, he still regards himself as a firefighter.

"I'm over the moon about this. It's a marvellous honour," said Mr Marles, who in addition to his duties in South Wales has also been involved in drawing up national safety and other policies.

CHIEF CONSTABLE MIKE TONGE GWENT'S Chief Constable Mike Tonge is "delighted" to be awarded the Queen's Police Medal. Chief Constable Tonge has overall strategic responsibility for the force in his role. He also leads nationally for Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) on Conflict Management issues, including Police Use of Firearms and Public Order. Mr Tonge is a keen sportsman, having represented the police at seven sports. He plays golf for the Gwent force and also represents the British Police, having a handicap of three. He is also a keen walker and has climbed in the Alps, reaching the summit of Mont Blanc.

"Success in policing is very much down to a team effort and I have been privileged to have worked with many fine teams in Lancashire, Merseyside and more recently here in Gwent," he said.

"I attribute my recognition to the wider contribution of all those who have worked with me and supported me over the last 26 years.

JENNY MACGREGOR JENNY MacGregor receives an MBE for her hard work with horses and ponies.

She runs the Society for the Welfare of Horses and Ponies, a registered charity based in St Maughans, Monmouth, which nurses sick, wounded or abused horses and ponies back to health, then enters them into an adoption scheme to find them good homes.

"It's a great accolade for the whole society and everyone involved in working for the cause including my husband. Everyone works tirelessly," she said.

Mrs MacGregor, 73, who has worked with the charity since it started 30 years ago, said she has seen sad times and good working in the hospital.

"We do see some distressing things but the best part of the job is seeing the injured or abused horses and ponies recover."

Mrs MacGregor has also earned Blue Cross and Horse and Hound welfare awards, a British Society award and life membership with the Welsh and Pony and Cob Society.

"This includes my family and particularly my wife and daughters who have shared in many of the demands policing has on its members."