The following individuals, amongst others, received awards in the New Year Honours List from within our membership and the wider sport and recreation sector.
We at the Alliance would like to congratulate and thank all those honoured for their fantastic service to the sector – and the sheer number of those on the list is testament to the great work that has been performed over the past year right across the sector.
Order of the Companions of Honour
Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour
Dame Mary Peters CH DBE For services to Sport and to the community in Northern Ireland
Order of the British Empire
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Steve Cram CBE Lately Chair, English Institute of Sport. For services to Sport
Michael Sweeney CBE Lately Chairman, Henley Royal Regatta. For services to Rowing
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Brendon Batson OBE For services to Football
Jim Boyce OBE For services to Football to Northern Ireland
David Bull OBE For services to Young People in the UK and Europe through the Scout Movement
Paul Cautley OBE Colonel Commandant, Royal Marines Cadets. For voluntary service to the Cadet Forces
David Collier OBE Lately Chief Executive, England and Wales Cricket Board. For services to Cricket
Jon Doig OBE Chief Executive, Commonwealth Games Scotland. For services to Sport
Edward Gillespie OBE DL For services to Horse Racing in Cheltenham
Jill Gloster OBE Lately Chief Commissioner, ScoutsWales. For services to the Scouting Movement in Wales
Archibald Graham OBE Deputy Leader, Glasgow City Council. For services to the Commonwealth Games 2014 and Local Government
Susan Johnson OBE For services to Ladies’ Golf
Jeanetta Laurence OBE Lately Associate Director, Royal Ballet. For services to Dance
Margaret Souyave OBE For services to Hockey
Adrian Tranter OBE President, British Taekwondo. For services to Martial Arts
Members of the Order of the British Empire
Felicity Aston MBE Antarctic Explorer. For services to Polar Exploration
Patrick [Paddy] Barnes MBE Boxer. For services to Boxing and the community in Northern Ireland
April Barrett MBE For services to Disability Sport
Derek Bearhop MBE Head, Games Delivery Team, Scottish Government. For services to Government and the Commonwealth Games
James Betmead MBE For services to Sport and the community in Fleetwood, Lancashire through Fleetwood Town Football Club
Andrew Blundell MBE Volunteer, Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, Kent. For services to Young People
Edward Bowler MBE Chair, Crewe Alexandra Football Club. For services to Football
Alan Boyle MBE For services to Swimming and Water Polo
Margaret Brennand MBE For services to Guiding and to the community in Skerne and Driffield, East Yorkshire
Euan Burton MBE Athlete. For services to Judo
Anthony Byrne MBE For services to Gymnastics in Northern Ireland
Rochelle Clark MBE Prop, England Women’s Rugby Union Team. For services to Rugby
Christine Davenport MBE For services to Guiding and to the community in Ashford, Middlesex
Ann Eden MBE For services to Scouting and to the community in Macclesfield, Cheshire
Carol Falconer MBE President, Durham North County Guide Association. For services to Young People
Elizabeth Ferrier MBE Vice-President, Girlguiding Dunbartonshire. For services to Young People
Jasmine Flatters MBE Athletics Volunteer. For services to Triathlon
Hazel Geach MBE For services to Young People through the Scouting Movement
David Gerrard MBE For services to Young People in Cardiff through the Scout Movement
Jean Gough MBE For services to Children and Sport through the Sir Stanley Mathews Foundation in Staffordshire
Samuel Harris MBE For services to Recreational Sea Angling
Derek Hayward MBE For services to Sport and Young People in Shropshire
Alastair Hislop Hume MBE For services to Fisheries Management and Angling in North East Scotland
Sarah Hunter MBE Vice-Captain, England Women’s Rugby Union Team. For services to Rugby
John Jenkins MBE President and Chair, SportsAble. For services to Disability Sport
Denis MacGregor MBE For services to The Boys’ Brigade and to the community in Nottingham
Malcolm Mackay MBE For services to Football in Glasgow
Diane McLafferty MBE Deputy Director, Commonwealth Games, Scottish Government. For services to Government and the Commonwealth Games
Katherine O’Neil MBE For services to Guiding
Robert Pettigrew MBE For services to Mountaineering
Marguerite Porter MBE Director, Yorkshire Ballet Summer School. For services to Ballet
Eric Powell MBE For services to Football and charity
Linvoy Primus MBE For services to Football and charity in Portsmouth
Kate Richardson-Walsh MBE Captain, England and GB Women’s Hockey Teams. For services to Hockey
Molly Samuel-Leport MBE For services to Karate
Wendy Sly MBE For services to Athletics
Janet Smith MBE Principal, Northern School of Contemporary Dance. For services to Dance
Peter Smith MBE Project Coordinator, Tour de France, Leeds City Council. For services to Sports Development in Leeds and the Tour de France Grand Depart
Judith Walters MBE International Adviser, Girlguiding Ceredigion. For services to Young People
Joyce Wiggins MBE For services to Guiding in the Lancashire Borders
Peter Winchester MBE For services to Swimming and to charity in Grimsby, North Lincolnshire
Medallist of the Order of the British Empire
Sarah Allan BEM Member, Manchester and Cheshire District, St John Ambulance. For voluntary service to St John Ambulance
Valerie Allen BEM For voluntary service to Rider and Equine Safety
John Atkinson BEM Rugby Volunteer. For services to Rugby in Hertfordshire
Virginia Barnacle BEM For services to Brighton Sailing Club and Brighton Surf Life Saving Club and to the community in Brighton, East Sussex
James Barrow BEM For services to Hockey
Joseph Brown BEM For services to Community Sport in Trafford
Shirley Callaghan BEM Manager and Head Couch, Ladywell Gymnastics Club. For services to Gymnastics
Ann Chalmers BEM President, Renfrew Division, Girls’ Brigade Scotland. For services to the Girls’ Brigade and voluntary service in Johnstone, Renfrewshire
John Davies BEM For services to Cricket in Bishops Cannings and to the community in Devizes, Wiltshire
Patricia Dobbin BEM For services to Riding for the Disabled Association, Hampshire and Surrey Borders
Wilma Erskine-Heggarty BEM Club Secretary and Manager, Royal Portrush Golf Club. For services to Northern Ireland Tourism and to Golf
Elizabeth Glendinning-Smith BEM Treasurer, Sunbury and Walton Unit. For voluntary service to the Sea Cadet Corps
Louise Greer BEM For services to Riding for the Disabled in Coleraine and Meningitis UK
Jessica Gripton BEM For services to Sport in Cradley Heath, West Midlands
Janice Hendrie BEM Athletics Coach, Inverclyde Athletic Club. For services to Sport and Wellbeing in Inverclyde
Elizabeth Longhurst BEM Chair, Tring Squash Rackets Club. For services to Squash in Tring
Margaret Lovett BEM For services to Guiding
Robert Madine BEM For services to Swimming in Northern Ireland
David McQuigg BEM Secretary and Director of Youth Football, Fivemiletown United Football Club. For services to Sport in Northern Ireland
Lawrence Murphy BEM For services to Sport and to the community in Northern Ireland
Paul Murphy BEM For services to Rugby Union
Doreen Oatham BEM For services to the Guiding and Brownie Movement and to the community in Palmers Green, North London
James Owens BEM For services to Badminton in the West of Scotland
Terence Parker BEM For services to Disability Tennis in Gloucestershire
Alison Purkins BEM Guide Leader. For services to Guiding in Edinburgh
Alan Rowling BEM For services to Athletics in Cornwall
Leslie Shiels BEM For services to the Scout Movement and to the community in Northern Ireland
Fauja Singh BEM Marathon Runner. For services to Sport and charity
Reginald Smith BEM For services to Matlock Water Polo Club
Donald Swanson BEM For services to Rugby in Peebles
Lesley Turner BEM For services to Young People through the St James’ Church Lads’ and Church Girls’ Brigade
Robert Watson BEM Member, Lisburn Rugby Club. For services to Sport in Northern Ireland
Michael Williamson BEM For services to Winscombe Rugby Club and to the community in Winscombe, North Somerset
Mark Wylie BEM For services to Sport in the Shetland Isles and to charity abroad
As 2024 concludes and as we look ahead to 2025, the Alliance has published a message to members and partners.
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Sport and Recreation Alliance responds to Active Lives Children and Young People report.
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