Dozens of South West residents named on New Year's Honours list
It's the first such list since Charles became King
Dozens of people from all across the South West have been recognised in the King's first New Years Honours list since ascending to the throne.
Damehoods, CBEs, OBEs and other awards have been handed out for things including services to arts, to rugby and to the space sector.
Among the recipients is Dawn Elizabeth Childs, the President of the Women's Engineering Society, who from Gloucestershire is the only person in our region to receive either a Damehood or Knighthood this time around.
Dame Dawn is a former Group Engineering Director of Merlin Entertainments Group, looking after more than 100 theme parks worldwide, having also spent 23 years in the Royal Air Force.
The Chair and Chief Executive of Exeter Chiefs Rugby Football Club Anthony Rowe has been given a CBE, the highest award below a Knighthood, for services to rugby and the community in Exeter, while the Chief Executive of the Bristol Music Trust, Louise Mitchell, has been given the same award.
Libby Jackson, who is from Swindon and is Head of Space Exploration at the UK Space Agency, has been given an OBE, as has Dr Jane Townson Philpott from Somerton.
She is Chief Executive of the Home Care Association and has been recognised for services to domiciliary care, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Among the MBE list is Judith Backus from Truro in Cornwall, who is the founder of charity Hidden Help and Pauline Barker from Plymouth, who is the founder of Devon and Cornwall Wild Swimming.
Alongside them on the MBE list is 30-year-old Ben Francis from Gloucestershire, who founded the active wear company Gymshark that is now valued at more than $1 billion.
Louise Mitchell, the chief exec of the Bristol Music Trust who's been given a CBE, tells us she's thrilled.
“I’m delighted that this award can help to raise the profile of the arts in Bristol," she said.
"None of us work alone, it takes a variety of skills to make special things happen and I’m proud of the excellent spirit of team working at Bristol Beacon.”
Libby Jackson, the Head of Space Exploration at the UK Space Agency who is now an OBE, says it is "wonderful".
"Nothing happens in isolation and it’s only because I have worked with such an outstanding and talented set of people through the years that this has happened," she said,
"I would like to thank them and pay tribute to their work."
A full list of those from our region, recognised in the New Year's Honours, is below:
Knighthoods
- N/A
Damehoods
- Dawn Elizabeth CHILDS FREng President, Women's Engineering Society. For services to Engineering (Gloucestershire)
Commander of the British Empire (CBE)
- Madeleine Lola Margaret THE COUNTESS OF BESSBOROUGH OBE Founder, New Art Centre. For services to Art, to Art Education and to Salisbury Cathedral (Salisbury, Wiltshire)
- Rebecca Gay GEORGE OBE Lately Past President, British Computing Society. For services to Diversity in the Technology Profession (Taunton, Somerset)
- Peter William KYLE OBE Lately Chair, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. For services to Cultural Heritage (Bath, Somerset)
- Louise Catherine MITCHELL Chief Executive, Bristol Music Trust. For services to the Arts in Bristol (Bristol, City of Bristol)
- Anthony George Edward ROWE OBE Chair and Chief Executive, Exeter Chiefs. For services to Rugby Union Football and to the community in Exeter (Exeter, Devon)
- Eve Coulter SALOMON Chair, Horniman Museum and Gardens. For services to the Arts and Heritage (Bath, Somerset)
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
- Dr Ross HEMINGWAY Civilian Medical Practitioner, Commando Training Centre Royal Marines. For services to the Royal Marines (Exeter, Devon)
- James Patrick HEPBURNE SCOTT Director, Forest Carbon. For services to Forestry and to the Environment in Scotland (Pewsey, Wiltshire)
- Rachel HICK Deputy Head, Finance Team, Army Headquarters, Ministry of Defence. For services to Defence (Salisbury, Wiltshire)
- Elizabeth Anne JACKSON Head of Space Exploration, UK Space Agency. For services to the Space Sector (Swindon, Wiltshire)
- Nolan Andrew SMITH Director of Resources and Finance, Office for Students. For services to Higher Education (Portishead, Somerset)
- Catherine Victoria SPENCER Chief Executive Officer, The Seafarers Charity. For services to Seafarers (Pewsey, Wiltshire)
- Toby Jonathan SUTTON Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, Scanning Pens Limited. For services to International Trade and to the Dyslexia and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Community (Warminster, Wiltshire)
- Gareth TAME Expert Meteorologist, Met Office. For services to Forensic Meteorology (Exeter, Devon)
- Professor Geoffrey TILL Professor Emeritus, King's College London and US Naval War College. For services to Defence (Devizes, Wiltshire)
- Dr Jane Karen TOWNSON PHILPOTT Chief Executive Officer, Home Care Association. For services to Domiciliary Care, particularly during Covid-19 (Somerton, Somerset)
Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- Judith Rachel BACKUS Founder, Hidden Help. For services to Disadvantaged People in Cornwall (Truro, Cornwall)
- Pauline Anne BARKER Founder, Devon and Cornwall Wild Swimming. For services to Swimming in South West England (Plymouth, Devon)
- John Henry BISHTON For services to the Preservation of the Historic Buildings in Bruton, Somerset (Bruton, Somerset)
- Patrick Liam BRADLEY Chief Executive Officer, Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership. For services to the Local Economy and to the community in Wiltshire. (Salisbury, Wiltshire)
- Denis Andrew Southerden BURN For services to Charity and to the community in Bristol (Cleeve, Somerset)
- Dr Edson BURTON Writer, Academic and Curator. For services to the Arts and to the community in Bristol (Easton, City of Bristol)
- Susan Anne CROWLEY For services to Public Libraries (Bridgwater, Somerset)
- Martin John Hamilton DOREY Founder, #2minute campaigns. For services to Recycling and to the Environment (Bude, Cornwall)
- Benjamin David FRANCIS Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Gymshark. For services to the Business Sector (Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire)
- Sarah Jayne GOLDING Disability Employment Adviser, Department for Work and Pensions. For Public Service (Stroud, Gloucestershire)
- David Geoffrey HALL-DAVIES Chief Executive Officer and Company Secretary, Cornwall YMCA. For services to Young People and to the community in Cornwall (St Just, Cornwall)
- David Philip HANDLEY Financial Capability Lead, Future Skills, HSBC UK. For services to Financial Education (Upper Rissington, Gloucestershire)
- Julie HAWKER Joint Chief Executive Officer, Cosmic. For services to the Economy (Exeter, Devon)
- Meryl Ann HAYWARD Director, Corporate Services, Historic England. For services to Heritage (Swindon, Wiltshire)
- Dr Keith HISCOCK Marine Biologist. For services to Marine Conservation (Plymouth, Devon)
- Alexander HORE-RUTHVEN Chair, South West Committee, BBC Children in Need and Chief Executive Officer, Creative Youth Network. For services to Young People in Bristol (Bristol, City of Bristol)
- Ian JONES Chief Executive, Volunteer Cornwall. For services to volunteering in Cornwall (Truro, Cornwall)
- Edward David KERSEY For services to Young People and to the Bideford Boxing Club, North Devon (Bideford, Devon)
- Jeffrey Ronald LIDDIATT For services to Nuclear Test Veterans and to the community in Bristol (Portishead, Somerset)
- Penelope Lewis McKISSOCK For services to the community in Somerset (Bath, Somerset)
- Nicholas John MILLINGTON Director, Safety Task Force Network Rail. For services to the Railway and to the NHS during Covid-19 (Exmouth, Devon)
- Susan Katriona SAYER Founder and Director, The Seal Research Trust. For services to Wildlife Protection and Conservation (Hayle, Cornwall)
- Joanne Claire SCOTT Commercial Lead, Vaccine Taskforce. For services to Public Health during Covid-19 (Bristol, City of Bristol)
- Richard Charles Barrington STEVENS DL Managing Director, Go South West. For services to Transport and to the community in Plymouth, Devon (Plymouth, Devon)