A KINGSWOOD firefighter from Yate has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list.
Lee Ralph, 45, was awarded a British Empire Medal “for services to Mental Health, Wellbeing, and Resilience in the Fire and Rescue Sector”.
Lee, who is a member of Red Watch at Kingswood fire station has been working for years to champion mental health initiatives. At the start of this year, he and and fellow Avon Fire & Rescue Service firefighter Warren Shepherd launched a podcast called Ignite the Conversation, aimed at supporting those in the emergency services and beyond, helping to break down the stigma that can still exist around mental well-being.
Based around conversations and shared experiences, it stresses the importance of opening up about how being a firefighter can affect people.
Lee has been a firefighter for 22 years and spent six years in the Royal Marines before that.
He says he couldn’t believe the news when he received the letter notifying him about the BEM.
Lee said: “Being ex-military and in the fire service, I’m quite a royalist and proud of it, so that part of it was as good as the actual award itself.
“I don’t do things for accolades so, for me, it’s about the impact on the community and the firefighters because there are so many people out there who are struggling.”
Lee, who lives in Yate with his wife and two teenage daughters, is proud of the impact the podcast is having and how many people have reached out to them.
He said: “It’s sometimes the people you least expect but it’s important people know it’s safe to talk to us.
“The fire service’s well-being team is also breaking the stigma of it and want people to say when they’ve had a few struggles.
“I remember dealing with the suicide of a young girl a few years ago and that really hit me hard for a long time.
“I’m a big guy and covered in tattoos but I think me showing my vulnerabilities seems to really work – people think if a big guy like me can open up about these issues, they can too.”
Chief fire officer Matt Cook said: “I want to congratulate Lee – this award reflects the difference he has made to colleagues across our service and the wider fire and rescue community.
“By promoting openness around mental health and well-being he’s helped create a culture where people feel able to speak up and support one another.”
Lee also runs Commando Boot Camp, a group of Yate fitness enthusiasts which is hosting a 24-hour fitness event in Chipping Sodbury on July 3-4 to buy a wheelchair for a 21-year-old woman who faces having both her legs amputated.
For more details visit bit.ly/4uJwmRC