'Santa Claus of Holyhead' presented with BEM following New Years Honours List

Richard Burnell, 80, who was named on the in the New Year Honours List 2021 for his services to young people and the community of Holyhead, was given the BEM Edmund Bailey, the Lord-Lieutenant of the Preserved County of Gwynedd, at a ceremony in Caernarfon Castle.

Mr Burnell has been involved in organising youth activities at Holyhead Maritime Museum and the Port of Holyhead for more than two decades.

As a museum volunteer he visited primary schools as part of an educational programme which later involved school trips to the Port of Holyhead, where pupils had tours of the Stena Line ships and met their captains.

Richard Burnell proudly holds his British Empire Medal letter of confirmation.

As director of the not-for-profit South Stack Ynys Lawd Co Ltd, he also played an instrumental role in ensuring the Holyhead lighthouse remained open to the public after the end of its lease between the Anglesey County Council and owners Trinity House.

But he is perhaps best known as the Holyhead Santa Claus for the last 20 years, donning the red suit on the Holyhead Round Table’s Christmas float and grotto.

He belongs to an organisation called the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas and shaves his beard once a year on Boxing Day.

Upon being told that he was included in the New Years Honours List in January, Mr Burnell said he felt "complete surprise and shock".

“I am obviously very pleased and proud to have been awarded this honour," he said.

“With all the problems we have with this Coronavirus and the work our NHS staff are doing I would have thought that I would have been the last person to have been considered.

“I believe I was motivated to do what I have done by the young people themselves."