Geraint Thomas, who received a BEM in the Birthday Honours

A mountain rescuer is among outdoors luminaries recognised for their service in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Western Beacons Mountain Rescue Team member Geraint Thomas received the British Empire Medal in the awards announced at the weekend.

Mr Thomas, of Swansea, received the honour for his services to the Samaritans, mountain rescue and disadvantaged young people in south-west Wales.

The Western Beacons team said: “The team are very proud to have one our members recognised for his hard work and commitment shown to helping others, we send him our warmest congratulations on his well deserved award.”

Climber Jake Meyer also received the BEM for his services to mountaineering, young people and charity. In 2005 he was the youngest Briton to summit Everest, aged 21 years four months.

He has worked with the charity Walking With The Wounded, which helps ex-service men and women in civilian life.

He posted on Twitter: “Completely overwhelmed to have been awarded a British Empire Medal in today’s #Honours2020 list. Hugely honoured, and a fair amount of imposter syndrome considering the achievements of a) others on the list and b) so many others not (yet) recognised.”

A third of recipients of honours in this year’s list received their awards for work during the coronavirus pandemic.

Hazel Bound of Exeter received the BEM for voluntary service to walking in south-west England. She is a volunteer with Cornwall and Devon Long Distance Walkers Association.

The LDWA Tweeted: “This is brilliant news, and richly deserved – Hazel is a dedicated LDWA volunteer who has devoted countless hours to planning and running events. And she clearly has no intention of stopping yet, having already signed up to run checkpoints on future 100s! Many congratulations.”

Geoff Yeadon of Kirkby Lonsdale received the BEM for services to cave diving.

Mr Yeadon is president of the Cave Diving Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. He and his colleague Oliver Statham starred in the 1979 television documentary The Underground Eiger, which charted the pair’s record-breaking 1,800m (6,000ft) dive from West Kingsdale Master Cave in the Yorkshire Dales to Keld Head.

The release of the Queen’s Birthday Honours list this year was delayed to allow the inclusion of people who played crucial roles during the early months of the Covid-19 crisis. There were 1,495 recipients altogether.