The New Year Honours List 2023 marks the incredible public service of individuals from across the UK.
Recipients in the New Year Honours List have been awarded for their outstanding contributions across all parts of the UK for their work on areas including sustained public service, youth engagement, and community work.
Such recipients include 100-year-old Peter Offord Davies from Macclesfield, who has been awarded a BEM for his work as a reading volunteer at Dean Valley Community Primary School in Bollington, Macclesfield.
Pamela Goldsmith from West Sussex is also being awarded a BEM, for raising more than £1.5 million for Macmillan in 20 years of volunteering. Jade Clarke, who represented the United Kingdom at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and glassblower John Reyntiens, who is most well-known for the bespoke stained-glass window at the North End of Westminster Hall which was gifted to Her Majesty the Queen for her 2012 Diamond Jubilee, receive MBEs.
Jawahir Roble, from London, and who grew up playing football in war-torn Mogadishu, has also been awarded an MBE for services to football, after becoming the first black, female, Muslim, hijab-wearing referee in the UK.
Following her commitment to help children and families fleeing Ukraine, Cambridgeshire resident Louenna Hood has been awarded a British Empire Medal. Her voluntary work has seen more than £170,000 raised to help people fleeing the war-torn country and she has helped to organize the delivery of five container loads of essentials directly to people in need.
Jim Jones, who is also a police officer in Greater Manchester, has also been recognised with a BEM for his work to improve the way police forces work with military veterans. His close work with the veterans community has seen veterans encouraged to consider jobs within the police force and his approach has been followed by many other police forces across the country.
Key members of the England Lionesses football team are also honoured after their outstanding performance in the summer. Squad captain Leah Williamson receives an OBE, while star player Lucy Bronze, golden boot Beth Mead, and England women’s top international goal scorer Ellen White are all awarded MBEs.
A CBE has been awarded to Pat Jennings, for his football and charity service in Northern Ireland. MBEs go to Scotland’s football captain Andy Robertson for his work with young people and to Chris Kamara for his charity and anti-racism work.
At DBE there is an award for Virginia McKenna, for her work in wildlife conservation and amongst the knighthoods is an award for Robin Millar, for his work in music and disabilities and Grayson Perry for services to the arts.
There is a significant breadth of service recognised across the entirety of the UK. Recipients include MBEs for Gee Walker, founder and patron of the Anthony Walker Foundation; Charles Banks, Chair of the NorthWest Users Group and Secretary, Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association; and Judith Backus, the Founder of Hidden Help, a charity helping disadvantaged people in Cornwall.
The youngest recipient in the List is 18-year-old Dara Seamus McAnulty who receives a BEM for his environmental work and for his work with people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
South Asian Heroes:
Asrar Ul-Haq DL was one of the first Asian police officers in Greater Manchester Police and spent his career in policing building a positive relationship between marginalized communities and law enforcement. His work bringing together people from different faiths and backgrounds for a common good has earned him an OBE.
Professor Dasgupta has been recognised with the rare honour of the Knights Grand Cross for his services to economics and to the natural environment.
Former minister Alok Sharma was recognised for his services to tackling climate change with the Order of St Michael and St George and drinks company Diageo’s CEO Ivan Menezes
