St. John Coombes receives MBE for ‘outstanding service to the British community

St. John Coombes has received the honour of being made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s first Birthday Honours list.

An MBE is bestowed upon individuals who have made a significant and long-term impact through “outstanding achievements or services to the community and this award acknowledges his contributions and commitment to the British community in Cyprus”.

St. John serves as the chairman of the Cyprus International Financial Services Association (CIFSA), a voluntary position within an association aiding financial services firms in meeting regulatory requirements and delivering professional services to clients.  In this capacity, St. John serves as the chairman of the Cyprus Residents Planning Group (CRPG), a collaborative initiative established with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the British High Commission to provide assistance to UK nationals living in Cyprus.

St. John, a financial adviser and director of EWMT Insurance Advisers and Agents Ltd, has played a vital role in assisting individuals with an extensive range of personal, financial and technical challenges.

Throughout the years, St. John has worked to help ensure that UK nationals were not adversely disadvantaged by changes in legislation in Cyprus and the UK. He helped UK nationals maintain access to government pensions during the financial crisis and negotiate a protocol enabling UK government pensioners to elect to continue to be taxed in Cyprus.

Many people have attended seminars organised by St. John in partnership with the BHC, which have kept UK nationals across the Island informed about current affairs in Cyprus. Moreover, he has played a significant role in assisting the Anglican church in Cyprus in the registration of British cemeteries, securing the long-term future for the burial sites for UK nationals in Cyprus.

St.John has said that he is “humbled and honoured to receive the award, which is as much about a recognition of the extraordinary endeavours by all those who selflessly work to improve matters for the British community in Cyprus as it is about my efforts”