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Wheelchair tennis star appointed MBE

Daisy Stephens & Neranjana Elapatha
BBC News, Berkshire
Getty Images A man wearing black shorts and a green T-shirt, playing wheelchair tennis.Getty Images
Andy Lapthorne has won 16 doubles and one singles Grand Slam titles

A Paralympian who has won 17 Grand Slam wheelchair tennis titles has been honoured in the King's Birthday Honours.

Andy Lapthorne, from Maidenhead, told BBC Radio Berkshire it was "a massive shock" to be appointed an MBE for services to tennis.

Lapthorne, who has won three silver medals and a bronze at the Paralympics, said he hoped his achievement would show others that "anything's possible".

"Tennis is known as a sport that is for more of the upper classes... and I'm someone from a working class background," he said.

"I'm hoping that this will inspire people from similar backgrounds to me to pick up tennis," the 34-year-old said.

In 2024 he played in front of a full crowd at the Paralympics in Paris, something he said showed "how far the sport has come".

"I'm travelling the world, playing tournaments, being able to earn a living from a disability sport," he said.

"I'm hoping that I've left the sport in a better place than when I found it when I do finally [retire]."

University of Reading A man with grey hair and wearing a white blazer and black glasses, smiling at the camera. There's a brick wall and a large bush behind him.University of Reading
Prof Andrew Charlton-Perez has been made OBE for services to climate science and education

Also honoured was Prof Andrew Charlton-Perez, a meteorology professor at the University of Reading, who has been appointed an OBE for his services to climate science and education.

The professor said he felt the honour was recognising all of his colleagues' work as well as his own.

"To be recognised in this amazing place with so many different colleagues who do wonderful things... it feels unreal," he said.

"All of the work that we've done on climate education in particular has been done with huge teams of people... it really feels like it's recognising all of those contributions, all of those positive things that we're doing together."

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Peter Francis, a bearded man with glasses and wearing a suite and a sunhat, reading from a paper programme. He's standing in front of rows of white graves and it's a sunny day.Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Peter Francis has worked at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for nearly 30 years

Another on the list was Peter Francis, chief of staff at the Maidenhead-based Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which maintains the graves of those who died in both World Wars.

Mr Francis, who was appointed OBE for his services to global commemoration, said getting the "official-looking letter" was "a massive surprise".

"My initial reaction was 'is it a tax return":[]}