Queen’s honour for Buckinghamshire residents
The Imam of Chesham, a former Thames Valley Chief Constable, and a community leader from Winslow are among 24 from Buckinghamshire who have been named in the Queen’s New Year Honours.
The list includes Buckinghamshire celebrities, among them politician Iain Duncan-Smith, Tony Hadley, of the new wave band Spandau Ballet, and television sports presenter Gabby Logan.
Imam Arif Hussain (60) has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to the Muslim community in the UK and abroad during the past 35 years.
Mr Hussain, whose work focuses on peace, tolerance and acceptance of one another, became the youngest Imam in the UK at the age of 25 and is the only Imam in the country to have given this length of service to the faith.
Former Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Francis Habgood, has been knighted for his services to policing, and now serves the county as the independent chairman of Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Children Board (BSCB) and the Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Adults Board (BSAB).
Sir Francis, whose role is to ensure all local services work together well to promote and safeguard the welfare of Buckinghamshire’s children and adults, retired from the police force after 32 years.
Winslow community leader Veronica Corben has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the town’s community.
Ms Corben founded The Winslow Big Society Group (WBSG) in 2012 to identify and fill gaps in the provision of services, with the primary aim of combating loneliness.
The charity promotes social inclusion at all age groups and there are now more than 100 volunteers serving on an continually rising number of projects, including a community car scheme and a telephone befriending service .
In 2014, she became Chairman of Aylesbury Vale Child Contact Centre which was about to close.
Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, said: “We have such a rich and diverse county and there are so many unsung heroes doing wonderful things for the good of their community, often without any expectation of reward or recognition. The New Year’s Honours List reflects this and I have sent letters of congratulations to each of them.”
Potential nominees could be involved in charitable or voluntary activity, or be doing innovative work that makes a significant difference in the community. Nominating for a UK national honour is fairly simple using the Government’s nomination website: https://www.gov.uk/honours/nominate-someone-in-the-uk
The complete list of Buckinghamshire residents in the New Year Honours includes:
Knighthood
Francis Habgood (Aylesbury), retired Chief Constable, for services to policing;
Rt Hon Iain Duncan-Smith (Milton Keynes), MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, for political and public service.
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Jonson Cox (Milton Keynes), Chairman Ofwat, for services to the water industry;
Damian Parmenter (Amersham), Chief of Staff to Secretary of State for Defence, for services to defence.
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Timothy Fallowfield (Beaconsfield), Director, Sainsbury’s and Chairman, Disability Confident Business Leaders Group, for services to disability awareness.
Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Sally Preston (Beaconsfield), Founder and Managing Director, Kiddylicious, for services to entrepreneurship;
Nichola Connell (Burnham), Nutrition Technical Director, Eleanor Crook Foundation, for services to emergency nutrition crises abroad;
Kay Maddieson (Princes Risborough), Northern Ireland Office, for public service in Northern Ireland;
Yolande Stanley (Stoke Poges), for service to young people in the hospitality industry;
Lisa Dancer Denham), Adult Education Quality Manager, for services to adult learners with mental health issues in Hillingdon;
Nadiya Hussain (Milton Keynes), for services to broadcasting and the culinary arts;
Barry Middleton (Marlow), for services to hockey;
Anthony Hadley (Aylesbury), for charitable services to Shooting Star Chase Children’s Hospice Care;
Anthony Mallin (Skirmett), for services to young people through sport;
Christopher Bridgman (Milton Keynes), for services to the community in Wolverton and Milton Keynes;
Arif Hussain (Chesham), for services to the Muslim community in the UK and abroad;
Brian Gardner (Aylesbury), lately member, British Association of Spinal Cord Injury Specialists, for services to people affected by spinal cord injuries;
Gabrielle Logan (Penn), for services to sports broadcasting and the promotion of women in sport;
John Chapman (Marlow), for services to the community in Marlow.
British Empire Medal
Theratil Ouseph (Milton Keynes), for services to badminton in Great Britain and the promotion of sport within the British Asian community;
Valerie Symon (Woburn Sands), volunteer, Cancer Research UK, Aylesbury, for services to cancer research;
Dr Sheena Dykes (Marlow), for voluntary service to homeless people in High Wycombe;
Veronica Corben (Winslow), Chairman, Winslow Big Society Group, for services to the community in Winslow;
Colin Higgs (Aston Abbots), for services to the community in Aston Abbotts.