MP welcomes local ‘MP Hero’ to Parliament

Hemel MP, Mike Penning has nominated Ken Blake as his local ‘MP Hero’ for 2009. Each year MPs are invited to nominate an ‘MP Hero’ who has worked hard to make a difference by volunteering in their community.

The MP Heroes Tea Party was launched by the Experience Corps as a result of the International Year of Volunteering in 2001. Each year the Experience Corps asks MPs to invite an older person from their constituency to the House of Commons to congratulate them on their outstanding work in the community and to celebrate them as older volunteers.

The reception featured guest speaker Lord Brian Rix who spoke movingly about his life of volunteering which started when he was a young boy. Each volunteer was presented with a certificate by their MP.

Mike said:
“I am delighted to welcome Ken Blake to the House of Commons and present him with this certificate. Ken is one of the oldest and most highly decorated members of the Hemel Hempstead Royal British Legion. It is truly a great honour to be in the position of being able to invite him to this event.”

In 1939 Ken Blake was sent to France as part of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force). At Dunkirk, his squad was appointed to provide a defensive shield to protect the rest of the troops who were being picked up by boat from the beaches. When his turn came, it was too late for the boats, so they drove to Le Havre and managed to get on the last destroyer leaving France.

He returned to the war at Malta where he helped defend the island during the siege for which he was awarded the Maltese George Cross. When that was over he was sent first to North Africa and then on the HMS Eclipse to the Aegean Islands. The ship was sunk by landmine during the voyage and he had to swim for 5 hours before being rescued.

During a subsequent battle, Ken was captured by a German commando unit and sent to a hard labour camp in Leipzig. Towards the end of the war he escaped and managed to find some American GI’s on patrol. At this point he was suffering from TB and weighed just 3½ stone.

Ken has spent many years volunteering for the Royal British Legion and still collects for the annual poppy appeal.

Mike Penning added:
“I commend The Experience Corps for their work in recognising the efforts of volunteers from all over the country and this is a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to do something in return.”

Photo: Mike Penning presents a certificate to Ken Blake.