A MIDWIFE who helped teach good practice in remote areas of Eastern Europe and Asia is set to receive an MBE awarded by the Queen.

Gretta Beresford, from Almeley, a safe childbirth coordinator, was given the award for services to improving midwifery principally in Russia, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

Last week residents of Almeley organised a party in their village hall to celebrate her award which she will receive at Windsor Castle next month.

Gretta said: "I'm delighted of course to receive the award, it's amazing and I'm so pleased."

After starting her career working in several hospitals across the country Gretta then spent 16 years teaching at the Royal College of Midwives.

After moving to Herefordshire in 1995 she was given the chance to work overseas for a charity teaching midwifery in the former Soviet Union.

She added: "I thought I would be heading to Africa but it turned out to be Russia.

"Their midwifery practice was very different from Western Europe so they asked a charity in London if they we could come and improve their service.

"Russia had a huge poverty problem and women were giving birth without a sheet on te bed or pillow.

"It was like being in a third world country, however the midwives were highly educated so through an interpreter we taught them through practical books.

"While I was there I got other phone calls which resulted in me going to Afghanistan where conditions were awful along with Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Lahore.

"It was a huge experience and I wouldn't have missed it for anything.

"Under the old Soviet Union all professions had to obey a list of laws and had to do whatever was written in them.

"It was later decided to take no notice of these laws but the midwives didn't know where to start without them. The standards soon improved and were changing while I was there as the staff wanted to change."