Steve Hall – Page 2 – Greater Manchester Lieutenancy

Birthday Honour’s List 2023

Mrs Diane Hawkins the Lord-Lieutenant in uniform outside Manchester Cathedral — Mrs Diane Hawkins JP LLB, the Lord-Lieutenant

The Lord-Lieutenant would like to congratulate all the Greater Manchester recipients of Honours in The King’s Birthday Honour’s List. Honours are a fantastic way of thanking ordinary people doing extraordinary things and this would not be possible without the people taking the time to nominate them, whom she would also like to particularly thank. Should you know of someone who deserves to be nominated then please go to our honours website where you can find out how to do it: http://www.gmhonours.org/. The Cabinet Office have also created a very informative website about the UK Honours System which can be found here: https://honours.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/

The people who live in Greater Manchester and have received an Honour in the Birthday List are as follows:

The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George

The Order of St Michael and St George was founded in 1818. It was originally bestowed solely upon those in high positions in the Mediterranean (Malta and the Ionian Islands) but now recognises service to the UK, overseas or internationally, or in relation to Foreign and Commonwealth affairs. This could be, for example, senior diplomats for exceptional service, outstanding contributions to major International Organisations and the Sovereign’s Representatives in Commonwealth Realms.

Companion of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George

A Companion of the Order recognises prominent and highly distinguished contributions overseas and in international affairs for example exceptional service in the senior international roles.

Geoffrey Charles KNUPFER
A resident of Manchester. Lately Lead Forensic Scientist and Head of Investigation Team, Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains. For Public Service

Order of The British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V.

Officers of the Order of the British Empire

An OBE for a female and other medals of the Order of the British Empire — An OBE for a Female Recipient

An OBE is given to someone who has demonstrated a distinguished regional or county-wide role in any field, through achievement or service to the community including notable practitioners known nationally. The following people have been awarded an OBE:

Jonathan Michael DUTTON
A resident of Wigan. Chief Executive Officer, Rugby League World Cup. For services to Rugby

Suzanne Lisa GRIFFIN
A resident of Bolton. Deputy Director, DWP Digital, Department for Work and Pensions. For Public Service

Graham QUINN
A resident of Bury. Chief Executive Officer, New Bridge Multi Academy Trust, Oldham, For services to Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Nicola Jayne SMITH
a resident of Bolton. Governor, HM Prison Risley. For services to HM Prison and Probation Service

Members of the Order of the British Empire

An MBE is given to a person for achievement or service in and to the community which is outstanding in its field and has delivered sustained and real impact which stands out as an example to others. The following people have been awarded the MBE:

Deborah Jayne BLACKBURN
A resident of Stockport. Assistant Principal, Finance, Aquinas College, Stockport, Greater Manchester. For services to Further Education

Professor Frank BOWLING
A resident of Bolton. Professor of Translational and Experimental Medicine; Departments of Diabetes and Vascular Surgery, Manchester Foundation Trust. For services to Medical Organisations Overseas.

Vanita BROOKES
A resident of Bolton. Fellow, Faculty of Dental Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons of England. For services to the Oral Health of People with Disabilities

Hayley Karen CITRINE
A resident of Trafford. Lately Chief Nurse North West, NHS England. For services to Nursing

Denise EAD
A resident of Stockport. Former Charity Trustee, Helping Uganda Schools. For services to the Education and Health of Children in Uganda and Rwanda

Jonathan Grant EVANS
A resident of Trafford. For services to Association Football in Northern Ireland

Nicola Jean FLEURY
A resident of Salford. Managing Director, Kidzrus Nursery Group, Salford. For services to Early Years Education and to the community in Salford

Peter HART
A resident of Wigan. District Executive Committee Member, Wigan and District Scout Council. For services to Young People in Greater Manchester

Zoe Branka HOLLAND
A resident of Trafford. For Charitable Service, particularly during Covid-19

Dr Rosemary MCCARTHY
A resident of Trafford. Head of Global Workforce, Education and Research, Health Education England. For services to Midwifery and Maternity Healthcare

Michelle Sharon MORRIS
A resident of Salford. Early Years Language and Communication Pathway Lead, Greater Manchester Combined Authority. For services to Speech and Language Therapy

Professor Robert Charles PEARSON
A resident of Stockport. Lately Chair, Clinical Ethics Committee, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Medicine, to Medical Education and to Health Research and Innovation

Petro REWKO
A resident of Tameside. Board Chairman, Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain. For services to the Ukrainian Community

Alison ROSS
A resident of Manchester. Operations and Culture Director, Auto Trader. For services to the Digital and Technology Industry

Mercy Lusungu SHIBEMBA
A resident of Oldham. Speaker and Campaigner. For services to People with HIV

Sandra STRONG
A resident of Stockport. Chair, Customs and Export Licensing Committee, British Exporters Association. For services to British Exporters

Lloyd Justin THOMAS
A resident of Salford. Lead, Apprenticeships and Funded Skills, The Co-operative Group. For services to Food Retail

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire

A British Empire Medal in its box — British Empire Medals

A BEM is awarded to people who have contributed a very hands-on service to the community in a local geographical area. Either sustained commitment in support of local charitable or voluntary activity or innovative work that has delivered real impact in a short period (3/4 years). The following people have been awarded a BEM:

Idris ALI
A resident of Oldham. Provision Contracts Manager, Department for Work and Pensions. For voluntary service to the community in Oldham

Icek Jankel ALTERMAN
A resident of Bury. For services to Holocaust Remembrance and Education

Robert Frank BONNER
A resident of Rochdale. Curator, Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum Trust. For services to Fire and Rescue Heritage

Norman BROWN
A resident of Wigan. Group Scout Leader, 3rd Hindley Scout Group. For services to Young People

Henry FINNEY
A resident of Tameside. Voluntary Boxing Coach. For services to Boxing and to Young People

Carol Janice Veronica GODBY
A resident of Rochdale. Drama Workshop Leader and Agent. For services to Drama and to the community in North West England

Oyovwe Sagbodje KIGHO
A resident of Oldham. Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Widows Empowerment Trust. For services to Bereaved People in Manchester

Anthony MCALLISTER
A resident of Tameside. Football Coach. For services to Association Football and to Young People in Manchester

Mohammad MIRZA
A resident of Tameside. Caseworker, HM Revenue and Customs. For services to Mental Health

Geoffrey Bruce SWORD
A resident of Bury. Lately Chair, Summerseat Players. For services to Drama and to the communities of Greater Manchester and East Lancashire

Retiring Deputy Lieutenant – Mrs Christine Lee-Jones DL MA MIMgt FRSA

Christine celebrated her 75th Birthday on the 13th June and retired her Commission. The Lord-Lieutenant thanks her for her dedication in serving the communities of Greater Manchester for over 30 years in the education and voluntary sectors and for the last 16 years as a Deputy Lieutenant.

Christine was employed in education both in the state and independent sectors moving from London to Greater Manchester in 1991 to become Principal of Eccles Sixth form College in Salford. She was appointed Head Mistress of Manchester High School for Girls in 1998 and retired from that position in December 2008. During her time in the North West she was and remains committed to voluntary service both in the charity and education sectors.

In the education sector she has been a Governor of both the University of Salford and the University of Manchester and a Member of the General Assembly of the latter. In addition she was a Governor of Altrincham Girls Grammar School, a member of the Further Education Funding Council Quality Assessment Committee, Joint Chairman of the HMC/GSA Professional Development Committee and a member of the GSA Council with responsibility for the training of newly appointed Heads.

On her retirement Christine continued her commitment to public service by becoming a Non Executive Director of the Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery, a NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool. She was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant in 2007 and appointed a Justice of the Peace in 2008 sitting on both the Trafford and Manchester Benches. She was High Sheriff of Greater Manchester in 2011-12 and in that capacity became a member of The Greater Manchester Police High Sheriff Trust. In 2012 Christine also became a trustee of Prevent Breast Cancer, a post which she continues to hold.

Thank you from everyone at the Lieutenancy.

Retiring Deputy Lieutenant – Wing Cmdr. Roy Catterall DL RAF VR(T)

Roy, in uniform plants a tree, on behalf of the Lord-Lieutenant, as part of The Queen's Green Canopy. — Roy plants a tree, on behalf of the Lord-Lieutenant, as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy.

Roy celebrated his 75th Birthday on the 4th June and retired his Commission. The Lord-Lieutenant would like to thank him for his dedication in serving the communities of Greater Manchester for over 50 years, voluntarily supporting young people, veterans and those vulnerable in the community through his engagement with the Air Training Corps, SSAFA (The Armed Forces Charity) and through local support charities. He has also served as a Deputy Lieutenant for 16 years.

Roy was born in 1948 in Droylsden, Tameside and was educated at Moorside Primary School and Littlemoss Secondary School before following his father into the Engineering Industry where he became an apprentice with Mather & Platt Ltd.

Following his apprenticeship he was appointed to a variety of positions in the Company culminating in his appointment as the Training & Safety Officer in 1987. Following redundancy in 1996 he joined Skills Solutions (previously Manchester TEC Ltd) and now holds the position of Training Consultant/Assessor responsible for the recruitment and training of engineering apprentices across Greater Manchester.

Roy and the Vice Lord-Lieutenant eating an ice cream during Armed Forces Day in front of an ice cream van where army cadets are queuing — Roy and the Vice Lord-Lieutenant cool down during Armed Forces Day

Roy joined the Air Training Corps in February 1963 as a cadet at 430 (Droylsden) Squadron rising through the ranks until commissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Training Branch as a Pilot Officer in 1978. He was promoted to Flt Lt in 1982 when he assumed command of the squadron later transferring to 317 (Failsworth) Squadron. In 1998 he was promoted to Squadron Leader and joined the Wing Staff as the Wing Training Officer; Roy was promoted to Wing Commander in January 2002 and assumed command of East Lancashire Wing.

He became Chairman of the Greater Manchester branch of SSAFA in 2011; under his direction, it has flourished.

In 2017 he became a Trustee of a newly formed charity, The Shed Dukinfield, an organisation which helps older men to avoid social isolation by teaching them new skills whilst promoting a healthy lifestyle. His knowledge and experience of working as an Engineer until his retirement meant he was able to quickly understand and assist the men in learning new skills in their retirement. Roy also helps out at the local foodbank.

Roy presents a cheque to the Mayor of Tameside for his charities from the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund. He is joined by members of the Lieutenancy District Committee — As District Committee Chair, Roy presents a cheque to the Mayor of Tameside, for his charities, from the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund

He was a very active and respected Deputy Lieutenant, representing the Lord-Lieutenant, visiting many local charities to support, guide and mentor them as an assessor for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and enthusiastically promoting UK Honours as part of the Lieutenancy Honours Committee.

Roy is married to Pat and the proud father of two daughters, Susanne (a clinical scientist) and Emma (a teacher). He is passionate about the provision of facilities for youth in the community and enjoys cooking and fine wines.

Thank you Roy for your service to the Lieutenancy and your continued service to the communities of Tameside and Greater Manchester.

Retiring Deputy Lieutenant – Mrs Susan Craig JP DL

Susan has recently retired her Commission and The Lord-Lieutenant would like to thank her for her dedication in serving the communities of Greater Manchester for several decades including serving as a Deputy Lieutenant for over 15 years.

Susan was born in 1948 in Uxbridge, Middlesex. Although originally from the South of England, she has lived ‘up North’ for 39 years, residing in Trafford for 33 years.

After leaving school she worked as a secretary, but later undertook further education in Sales and Marketing and was employed by Unilever and Grand Metropolitan Hotels. Having received an offer of marriage at the age of 24, she joined BOAC as a stewardess, to see the world before saying ‘yes’.

When she first moved to Trafford with young children, she and her late husband were involved with Christ Church, Timperley, writing, producing and choreographing pantomimes, and being involved in other social functions to raise funds for the church.

Since 1993 Susan has served as a magistrate on Trafford Bench, during which time she has taken on the responsibilities of Chairman of Trafford Licensing, Betting and Gaming Committee, Chairman of the Selection Panel, appointing magistrate members to the Greater Manchester Police Authority, Chairman of Trafford Bench for three years, Chairman of the Magistrates’ Area Training Committee, responsible for the training of 1800 magistrates on the ten benches across Greater Manchester for 2005 and 2006.

During her time as a magistrate she has given many talks in schools and for local organisations on the work of the magistracy. Her late husband Mike, spent his retirement, following a career as a BBC producer and comedy script writer, lecturing on cruise ships all over the world about the ‘Golden age of Comedy’ and when accompanying him Susan often gave talks about the role of magistrates.

Susan sits on the committees of ‘Variety the Children’s Charity’, ‘The Royal Society of St. George’, ‘Manchester Rotary’, and is President of Sale (318) Squadron Air Cadets. She also gives many talks for charity entitled ‘Look Back with Laughter’.

Susan was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant in 2007. She sat on the Honour’s Committee and regularly gave talks to community groups about the role of Deputy Lieutenant, the Honour’s System and the Queen’s and King’s Awards. Susan also represented the Lord-Lieutenant on many occasions and was a Queen’s/King’s Award for Voluntary Service Assessor.

Thank you Susan from everyone at the Greater Manchester Lieutenancy.

New Year Honour’s List 2023

The Lord-Lieutenant would like to congratulate all the Greater Manchester recipients of Honours in The King’s New Year Honour’s List. Honours are a fantastic way of thanking ordinary people doing extraordinary things and this would not be possible without the people taking the time to nominate them, whom she would also like to particularly thank. Should you know of someone who deserves to be nominated then please go to our honours website where you can find out how to do it. http://www.gmhonours.org/

The people who live in Greater Manchester and have received an Honour in the New Year List are as follows:

Knights Batchelor

The title of Knight Bachelor is a rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the most ancient sort of British knight. It is given to a person who has demonstrated a pre-eminent contribution in any field of activity (usually, but not exclusively, at national level), or in a capacity which will be recognised by peer groups as inspirational and significant nationally and demonstrates sustained commitment. The following person has been awarded:

Professor James Louis John APPLEBY CBE
A resident of Manchester. Professor of Psychiatry, University of Manchester and Chair, National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group. For services to Medicine and Mental Health

Order of The British Empire

Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire

A Damehood is given to a person who has shown a pre-eminent contribution in any field of activity (usually, but not exclusively, at national level), or in a capacity which will be recognised by peer groups as inspirational and significant nationally and demonstrates sustained commitment. The following person has been awarded a Damehood.

Professor Robina Shahnaz SHAH MBE DL JP
A resident of Stockport. Director, Doubleday Centre for Patient Experience. For services to Patient Care

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

A CBE is given to a person who has demonstrated a prominent national role of a lesser degree, a conspicuous leading role in regional affairs through achievement or service to the community, or a highly distinguished, innovative contribution in his or her area of activity. The following people have been awarded a CBE:

Mr Peter Joseph MCGHEE
A resident of Stockport. Principal, St John Rigby Sixth Form College, Greater Manchester. For services to Further Education

Professor Linda Joyce MERRICK
A resident of Trafford. Principal, Royal Northern College of Music. For services to Music in Higher Education

Officers of the Order of the British Empire

Mr Stuart Roy BENNETT
A resident of Salford. Refugee Resettlement Lead, Universal Credit Complex Needs, Department for Work and Pensions. For Public Service.

Professor Mohamed POURKASHANIAN
A resident of Trafford. Managing Director, Energy Innovation Centre, University of Sheffield. For services to Net Zero Research and to Innovation

Mr Asrar UL-HAQ DL
A resident of Rochdale. For services to the community in Greater Manchester

Members of the Order of the British Empire

Mr Charles Frederick BANKS
A resident of Trafford. Chair, North West Wheelchair Users Group and Secretary, Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association. For services to People with Disabilities in Greater Manchester and North-West England

Mrs Gwynneth BELLMAN JP
A resident of Trafford. Magistrate. For services to the Administration of Justice and to the community in Manchester

Ms Elaine June BOUSFIELD
A resident of Manchester. Founder and lately Chief Executive, Kooth PLC. For services to Children and Young Peoples’ Mental Health

Miss Lucia Roberta Tough BRONZE
A resident of Oldham. For services to Association Football

Miss Jade Bridget CLARKE
A resident of Trafford. For services to Netball.

Ms Samantha DAVYS
A resident of Rochdale. Equality and Future Talent Manager, TalkTalk. For services to Young People and to Inclusion in Digital Industries

Mr Robert Colin ELSTONE
A resident of Stockport. For services to Sport

Mrs Stephanie HART
A resident of Oldham. End User Compute Lead, Network Rail. For services to the Railway and to Children’s Education

Mr Mohammed Wakkas KHAN DL
A resident of Manchester. Founder, Young Interfaith. For services to Charity, to Young People and to Interfaith Relations

Mr Richard James George MCAVOY
A resident of Manchester. Armed Forces Champion, Department for Work and Pensions. For Public Service

Mrs Mary MCCOURT
A resident of Wigan. Campaigner for Helen’s Law and Support After Murder and Manslaughter Merseyside. For services to Families of the Victims of Unlawful Killing

Mrs Teresa Michelle MCLAUGHLIN
A resident of Stockport. Student Engagement and Student Voice Lead, Trafford College Group, Trafford, Greater Manchester. For services to Education

Mrs Elizabeth MORLEY
A resident of Bury. For services to the community in Bolton and Bury

Mrs Shelly Jayne QUINTON-HULME
A resident of Trafford. For services to the community in Stretford

Ms Elizabeth SCOTT
A resident of Manchester. Client Engagement Director, Tech Nation. For services to the Technology Sector

Professor Charlotte Anne SKITTERALL
A resident of Trafford. Group Chief Pharmacist, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Pharmacy

Mr Robert Thompson SPLAINE
A resident of Wigan. For services to the community in Atherton, Greater Manchester and the North West

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire

Mr Christopher Paul ASHWORTH
A resident of Tameside. Estates Manager, Ashton Sixth Form College. For services to Further Education

Mr Martyn James DAVIES
A resident of Salford. Care Home Manager, Urmston Manor. For services to Care Home Residents in Manchester

Mr John Patrick HOLT
A resident of Bolton. Committee Member, Bolton Olympic Wrestling Club. For services to Wrestling and to the community in Bolton

Mr Liam MANTON
A resident of Manchester. Co-Founder, Didsbury Gin. For services to the community in Greater Manchester during Covid-19

Mr Michael Anthony NEWMAN
A resident of Bury. Founder, Speed of Sight. For services to People with Disabilities including Visual Impairments

Mr Peter Gordon NICOL
A resident of Bury. Chair of Governors, Bury College, Bury, Greater Manchester. For services to Education

Miss Alison Jean PEEK
A resident of Salford. Co-Founder, Women’s Institute Wanderers. For services to Women’s Health in Greater Manchester during Covid-19

Mr Mark SMALLWOOD
A resident of Trafford. Co-Founder, Didsbury Gin. For services to the community in Greater Manchester during Covid-19

Investiture Ceremony December 2022

The Monastery Manchester

In a ceremony at The Monastery, Manchester, on the 15th December 2022, 8 Honour’s Recipients received their medals from The Lord-Lieutenant. The Vice Lord-Lieutenant and all the recipients’ home town Mayors were also in attendance to help and to congratulate them all.

There were 7 recipients of the BEM and also a recipient of an Honorary MBE who attended with friends and family to celebrate their fantastic achievements in the wonderful setting of the Great Nave at The Monastery.

The recipients and their guests from across Greater Manchester listened to the citations which were read out by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant and broke into applause as each of the stories were revealed and each walked forward to receive their medals from the Lord-Lieutenant.

The recipients and their stories are as follows:

Helen Caroline Victoria BEDFORD-GAY – Trafford Borough – British Empire Medal

Helen has been committed to the Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) community since receiving the devastating news that her son was diagnosed with the condition in 2009. FOP is one of the rarest, most disabling genetic conditions known to medicine imprisoning the body in a second skeleton.

Along with her husband, they set up and manage FOP Friends the only UK charity of its kind. When parents receive the diagnosis, they are often advised by the medical professionals not to search online as the results can be overwhelming and alarming, especially when first coming to terms with the news. Instead, families are signposted to Helen, recognising how much she is valued, trusted and respected. Helen then directs FOP patients and their families to the services which can help them.

Helen has worked with schools and health authorities, on behalf of families, spending hours creating individual Educational, Health and Care Plans. She liaises with teachers across the country ensuring that the condition is understood and FOP children are not disadvantaged during their educational journey. Due to its rarity, patients from across the world often get in touch with Helen to seek her advice due to her knowledge and dedication to help as many people as possible. In 2016, she founded the creative #FunFeet4FOP campaign to raise awareness and help prevent misdiagnoses. She also instigated and organised the first Family Respite Weekend dedicating a great deal of time securing funding to ensure no cost to the families. Through her charitable activities, she has led by example to build a highly connected and supportive community that has raised over £750,000 for research into the condition.

When her son was diagnosed, there was no charity, no treatment and no hope. Helen has irreversibly changed that.

Dorothy Margaret BOWKER – Wigan Borough – British Empire Medal

Dorothy had a vision for a community café and social supermarket and has been the driving force behind the Bridge at Leigh for over 5 years. It is run by thirty volunteers along with five paid staff, and provides a community café, social supermarket, wellness rooms as well as Just the Job, a programme supporting women into work.

The café opens five days a week and provides a valuable drop-in centre for people who are disadvantaged or lonely and in need of an affordable cup of tea or coffee. It has an activities programme teaching art and crafts and also provides valuable counselling services and mental health support classes.

The larger part of the charity’s work is the provision of the social supermarket. Set somewhere between a foodbank and a supermarket. For a payment of a £2 per week membership fee, people can come and buy their groceries from a very wide range of products for approximately 20% of the price of a regular supermarket. This helps many families with very little income whose children are living in food poverty. It is a source of inexpensive food with choices of what to buy offered in a non-judgemental and dignified way. Almost nothing is wasted. Through the Too Good to Go programme, surplus food can be bought for about 5% of the supermarket price to ensure very little is thrown away.

During lockdown the group packed and delivered around 100 food hampers per day both to their members and others who were in need. The 30 volunteers contribute over 20,000 hours per year to the programme and The Bridge was honoured with a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service award in 2021.

Dorothy has worked tirelessly to ensure the success of this critical community resource.

Pamela Ann DUXBURY – Bolton Borough – British Empire Medal

Pamela has a background in counselling and volunteered for Age UK Bolton for 5 years before volunteering at Beacon Bolton Counselling Service. She has lived in Bolton all her life and has served the community as a counsellor for over two decades. For 11 years she volunteered as Co-ordinator, leading Beacon completely unpaid. It is only latterly that she has taken on a paid role at the organisation.

Beacon provides therapeutic counselling to anyone over the age of 16 years irrespective of race, religion, gender, or sexuality. Beacon’s volunteers are very diverse in terms of age, gender and race, reflecting the diverse community it serves. Volunteers undertake a variety of roles from Counsellors, administration support, receptionists and Trustees tirelessly led by Pamela as the Service Manager. When Beacon’s new counselling suite doubled their capacity, the former Leader of Bolton said ‘Resources are stretched across our health services and the voluntary sector is stepping up to take a lot of the pressure. The work Beacon is doing shines brighter than ever for those in need and seeking support.’

Alongside the general therapy that Beacon offers, it also provides a Sexual Abuse Victims and Survivors Group giving survivors of childhood sexual abuse aged 16 or over the opportunity to work within support groups facilitated by qualified counsellors trained in sexual abuse.

In 2021 Beacon was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and were specially recognised for their work throughout the Covid Pandemic.

Pamela has had a remarkable impact in Bolton both through her counselling and leadership of Beacon by offering a lifeline to many people with nowhere to turn whilst also providing an opportunity for people to experience and consider the field of counselling as a career.

Ann Denise LONSDALE – Bolton Borough – British Empire Medal

Committed to tackling inequality in the pursuit of justice and fairness, Denise has devoted her time to the people of Bolton. She has advised, fought and campaigned for people with a wide range of problems such as poverty, homelessness, unemployment, debts and mental health.

Originally seeking help from Bolton Advice Centre 40 years ago, she became a volunteer, subsequently helping thousands of people with their benefit claims, disability claims, housing problems and more. In an unpaid managerial role, she became the driving force behind the centre and became widely known and admired in the community and by leading figures in the town, including MPs, councillors, local officials as well as charity sector and statutory body leaders.

Due to her resourcefulness and determination, she kept the centre open with meagre funding and donations, despite it facing closure many times. When it lost core funding in 2019 she worked to successfully achieve charitable status, without which, the Centre would have closed. During the pandemic it was one of the few places where disadvantaged people were still able to get help. In addition, the Centre also distributed PPE and ran a vaccine awareness program for the community and Denise also volunteered, with a small group, making scrubs for healthcare workers who desperately needed them during the pandemic.

After securing funding to employ a full-time manager, she stepped back from the role but still dedicates her time as a volunteer to those who need her most. Over the last few years, she has lost her husband through a long painful illness, for which she is now trying to raise awareness of. She has also lost friends and other volunteers.

A true community hero, it is no wonder that the Centre is referred to by many as Denise’s Centre.

Michelle Angeline MCHALE – Trafford Borough – British Empire Medal

Michelle is a long-time volunteer and Trustee at Bridging The Gap, a traditional face-to-face food bank service for the communities of Hulme, Moss Side, Whalley Range and Old Trafford.

During the Covid Pandemic this service was no longer viable, but Michelle knew that people in the community would require more support during this incredibly difficult period. She took steps to adopt a food delivery model for the food bank, enabling them to continue to serve those most in need throughout the pandemic and increase the levels of assistance to meet the unprecedented increase in demand.

During the first four months of the crisis up to July 2020, the food bank provided 1343 parcels, feeding 1903 adults and 1153 children. This represented an increase of 345% over the same period in 2019. This expanded emergency response required considerable amounts of food and Michelle worked tirelessly to ensure increased supply and coordinated and encouraged support from individuals and organisations in the community. She coordinated partnerships with a number of different local authority response hubs and local organisations including churches, homeless shelters and schools, to not only secure support for the food bank but also to provide support for other organisations in need. This included helping a newly established homeless shelter to access the same support that her food bank had been afforded.

Michelle also established a school holiday programme as part of the food bank’s offering, providing school holiday parcels including food, activity packs, educational resources and reading books, to 174 local families.

Despite the Pandemic easing, demand remains exceptionally high, and Michelle continues to go above and beyond to look after those in need in her community.

Victoria SNELL – City of Salford Borough – British Empire Medal

When she was twenty Victoria broke her leg and despite numerous surgeries it did not heal. Six years later, she asked doctors to amputate it so that she could get on with her life. After learning how to walk again she celebrated her first-year amputee anniversary by running a 5k; this is the same woman, who also held a Let’s Get Vicky Legless Party, days before her amputation. This sums up her strength of character and determination.

Since then, she has been a one-woman powerhouse, determined to succeed in life and to support others along the way. In her job as a Customer Relations Manager for Transpenine Express she constantly helps customers who have not had the best experience with the service. She leads the relationship with key industry partners and helps to manage a busy appeal process and caseload volumes, making sure customers’ appeals are resolved correctly.

The rail industry’s reputation has taken quite a pummelling. It has also had to meet many challenges head on, ranging from major timetable changes, extreme weather conditions, the impact of the Manchester Terror Attack and not least the Covid Pandemic, affecting customers and their travel plans. Victoria has, almost single-handedly at times, managed to keep everything afloat and regularly delivers over and above to help both customers and colleagues.

Alongside this she is heavily involved in supporting others, not only throughout the wider rail industry, but also via her social media networks. Following the years of pain that she endured, she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety but despite this, is passionate about inspiring and helping others through the many talks, presentations and media interviews that she has been involved with.

Victoria has been instrumental in providing wellbeing and mental health support throughout the business and externally.

Vincent John THOMPSON – Tameside Borough – British Empire Medal

As a founding member and Co-Owner of F.C. United of Manchester, Vincent committed himself to serve the club and the wider community. He is the Community Liaison Officer for the club and assists as part of the matchday workforce. Since the club’s inception he has worked on various projects to improve the community. In his role within the club, he has established projects designed to enhance mental welfare, social inclusion, employability and reduction of social isolation.

At the onset of the first Covid Pandemic lockdown, Vincent identified that many households were having difficulty accessing food. He gained permission from the club to use the football ground as a food hub for the collection of food and other essential household items, as well as the picking and packing of these for delivery. He formed a partnership with the City Council and the North Manchester Business Network and amassed a team of over 40 volunteers all within the first 2 weeks. Volunteer packers assembled the food parcels and a separate team of volunteer drivers delivered the food parcels and made regular check-ins on those who were using the service. Vincent worked most days of the week at the Food Hub and it was also utilised to support other food banks in the surrounding areas.

In addition to food deliveries, he also arranged support for more vulnerable individuals and families who had been particularly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. This included the sourcing and delivery of items such as bedding and winter clothing.

Vincent’s passion for helping others and doing community work including anti-racism, youth engagement and combatting homelessness is second nature to him. He continues to forge relationships with other organisations to help him achieve all his goals.

Marie Margaret STOCK – Stockport Borough – Honorary Member of The British Empire

As Assistant Principal for Student Support and Experience at Manchester College, Marie faces the immense challenge of supporting 20,000 students across 9 sites, many of whom are disadvantaged and vulnerable. She plays an integral role in supporting these students daily by leading 90 members of staff in the student support team.

Marie identified problems in the college and implemented strategies to wrap services around the most vulnerable pupils in incredibly complex situations, often involving foreign national students, refugees and asylum seekers. She has developed personalised strategies for young people considered very high risk, such as organising the timetables for those that are vulnerable to gang crime so that there were no members of rival gangs on the campus at the same time. This helped to re-engage some of the highest risk young people in the college, including students that have been involved in counter-terrorism offences.

The success of Marie’s work is exemplified by the improved Ofsted rating to ‘Good’ commending the “strong focus on ensuring that students are safe” and providing “highly effective support for those students who are most at risk”.

Acknowledging her work, she was offered the Education Lead role in a newly established Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit. Starting in 2019, it involved looking at how to reduce serious violence across the education sector in Greater Manchester. In a relatively short space of time, Marie made a real impact developing an after-school programme aimed at keeping young people away from community-based violence and developing protocols for schools to deal with fixed term exclusions, ensuring young people remain safe whilst excluded.

Marie has had a hugely positive impact on the communities of Greater Manchester.

Retiring Deputy Lieutenant, John Willis

John Willis CBE DL DLitt BA(Econ) CPFA

The Lord-Lieutenant would like to thank John who has recently retired from his commission. He has given 16 years of exceptional service to the Lieutenancy and communities across Greater Manchester. Thank you for your service John.

John was Chief Executive of Salford City Council from 1993 until his retirement in 2006. In this capacity he was also Clerk to the Greater Manchester Police Authority.

Prior to being appointed Chief Executive, he was City Treasurer at Salford for seven years.

John studied at the University of Manchester and gained the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Economic and Social Studies and subsequently qualified as an accountant in 1971. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and was an examiner of the institute for many years.

John led the Council officer team that secured funding for the Lowry, one of the twelve Landmark Millennium projects and the National Millennium Project for the Arts. He oversaw much of the development of Salford Quays and the regeneration of Salford.

In 2002 he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters honoris causa from the University of Salford and in 2006 was appointed a Commander of the British Empire for services to local government in Salford.

Formerly, he was a Trustee of the Lowry and a Council Member of the University of Salford. He is currently Deputy Chair of Salford Royal NHS Hospital Trust and a Trustee and Distributor of the Booth Charities in Salford.

John was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester County in 2006. John has given 16 excellent years of service to the Lieutenancy retiring on 13th December 2022.

Commander (SCC) Janet Evans MBE DL RNR

The Lord-Lieutenant was deeply saddened to hear that Janet had sadly passed away whilst she was being treated at hospital on Thursday 3rd November. Janet was a valued and active part of the Lieutenancy and will be sorely missed by everyone who knew her, especially her colleagues and friends from the Lieutenancy Tameside District Committee.

Born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Janet was educated at Broadoak Primary, then Heartshead Secondary School before starting work for the Co-operative Insurance Society in 1975. She undertook a variety of roles culminating in that of Team Manager and Business Analyst before retiring in 2009 to devote more time to the Sea Cadets.

Janet pictured at the opening of the Macmillan Centre at Tameside Hospital with the Mayor of Tameside — Janet representing the Lord-Lieutenant at the opening of Tameside Macmillan Centre in 2021

Janet joined the Sea Cadets, at Tameside, in 1975 rising to Third Officer where, in 1980, she was appointed in command of the Girls Nautical Training Contingent of the Sea Cadets. Moving on to the North East Lancashire District in in 1987, she was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 1994 on her appointment as District Officer. In 2006 she became the Senior Staff Officer for the North West of England and was promoted to Commander in 2009.

In addition to her routine responsibilities with the Sea Cadets, Janet assisted with the organization of and led the Sea Cadet arena displays at the Manchester Military Tattoo. She later went on to support the Commonwealth Games in Manchester where she took an active part in coordinating the various Sea Cadet elements involved in the welcoming and opening ceremonies and in particular the flag raising.

Janet presents a Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund Cheque to the Mayor of Tameside for her charities. — Janet presenting a Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund cheque, on behalf of the Lord-Lieutenant, to the Mayor of Tameside for her charities in 2021

Janet was made a Deputy Lieutenant in 2012 and received an MBE in 2013. She was a very active Officer of the Lieutenancy, representing the Lord-Lieutenant, across Tameside. She served a term as the District Committee Chair helping the Lord-Lieutenant in her duties by promoting Honours and Queen’s Awards across the Borough amongst many other duties. Janet described herself as “not very photogenic” but always looked fabulously smart in her uniform, which she was always very proud to wear.

The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the Lieutenancy are with her husband, Mark, and all her family at this extremely sad time.

Retiring Deputy Lieutenants

The Lord-Lieutenant would like to thank the following Deputy Lieutenants who have recently retired from their commission. All have given exceptional service to the Lieutenancy and communities across Greater Manchester. Thank you for your service.

Colonel Martin Newman MBE DL FCIPR

Born in 1947, Martin Newman was educated at North Manchester Grammar School and Ashton School of Art. He has spent his career in marketing and public relations, is a Fellow and former regional chairman of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and former associate lecturer in PR at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is presently a freelance PR Consultant specialising in the defence industry and charity and not-for-profit sectors.

Martin started his parallel military career as an officer with Greater Manchester Army Cadet Force, later transferring to the 5th Bn The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers posted to the Army’s media operations organisation. He then returned to the ACF where he founded and commanded the national ACF Public Relations Unit, later moving to the Youth and Cadet Policy Unit at the Directorate of Reserve Forces and Cadets at the Ministry of Defence as a special advisor. He was assigned to help the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and the Government of Gibraltar form a cadet organisation and is now Colonel Cadets of the Gibraltar Cadet Force and has been establishing an Alliance between the cadets in Gibraltar and Greater Manchester.

Elected to the Jewish Committee for HM Forces he became vice chairman in 2007, chairman a year later and served until 2018, also acting as a trustee of its associated charity. During this time, he was instrumental in the re-introduction of military Jewish Chaplains in uniform and the provision of kosher operational rations for Jewish personnel.

He was elected National Chairman of the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen & Women in 2017 and has led the process of rebranding and modernisation of the charity.

He is a member of the Trustees and Management Board of the Fusiliers Museum Collection, Lancashire.

A member of the North West Reserve Forces and Cadets Association he holds the Cadet Forces Medal with four Clasps. He was made an MBE in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours for his voluntary work for armed forces personnel.

Michael Greenwood Esq. CBE DL

Michael graduated from Leeds University in Maths and Philosophy in 1968. He worked in the food industry in quality control before going to Bradford University Management Centre to study for a Masters Degree. There he became interested in local government and joined a small research unit which was looking at the reorganisation of local government which was due to happen in 1974.

In that year he joined Leeds City Council where he held a number of increasingly senior management positions, including working as assistant to the Chief Executive. In 1984 he became Chief Executive and County Treasurer of Powys County Council in Wales and took up the post of Chief Executive of Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council in 1990. Tameside Council achieved excellent status in the Comprehensive Performance Assessment. He left Tameside in 2003 to take up the post of Director of Local Government Practice (North West) for (then) ODPM. This was concerned with improvement and performance across local government in the Region. Since leaving that post in late 2006, Michael has been Chairman of Stockport PCT.

He is a Chartered Public Finance Accountant. He has been a Director of Manchester Training and Enterprise Council, Manchester Enterprises and the Hallé Concerts Society. He was also a Governor of Tameside College of Further Education and a non-executive director of Tameside & Glossop Acute NHS Trust.

Michael was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant in 2007.

Philip J Horton Esq. DL

Phil was born in 1947 and was educated at Xaverian College, Manchester before studying at the then Manchester Polytechnic Law School. He was articled with Wilding Earley and Pegge and qualified as a Solicitor in 1972; he is currently a Partner in Hague Lambert Solicitors.

Phil has a number of interests but is passionate about the Scouting Movement. He became a Scout in 1959 and has held numerous positions in the county such as District Commissioner, County Commissioner and is currently County chairman of Greater Manchester East Scout County, a position he has held since 2002.

Phil is Chairman of the Board of Governors of two Primary Schools in Stockport and Manchester and is a Member of Education The Appeals Panel for Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council dealing with admissions and exclusions from schools.

Phil has been married to Maureen since 1972 and he was made a Deputy Lieutenant in 2004.

Ms Susan K. Hodgkiss CBE DL

Sue was born in Bolton in 1950 and is currently the Managing Director of the family owned Steelwork Fabricator, William Hare Group Limited. Her company has an annual turnover of £180M, with 1300 employees that include the India Office and UAE fabrication facility.

William Hare Limited is a significant supporter of the Arts, Healthcare, Homeless, Education, military and ex-service people’s charities and the disabled.

Sue has made a significant contribution to the life of the community over the years. She is currently President of Emmaus, Bolton and Patron of the Association of Emmaus North West; she has been a member since 1999 having served on the committee for three years. Sue is Patron of the Octagon Theatre in Bolton and served as the Appeals Director of the rescue package that ensured theatre remained operative. For three years she served on the Board of the Royal Exchange and for the past two years as a member of the Board of Chetham’s School of Music. Sue has also served as a member of the Standards & Remuneration Committee for Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council and has been a Director Bolton Training Group, a Governor and the Director of the Bursary Appeals at Bolton School.

Sue was made a Deputy Lieutenant in 1999, High Sheriff of Greater Manchester in the year 2003 – 2004 and was honoured with a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2009.

Amongst her interests Sue lists the Theatre, sailing, game and clay pigeon shooting, skiing, music, tennis and salmon fishing. From 1981 – 83 she represented Great Britain in Clay Pigeon Shooting in the European Championships in Moscow, and the Grand Prix in Belgium, France, Spain.

Platinum Jubilee Tree of Trees Gifting Ceremony

The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a UK-wide tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. The QGC initiative has been extended to the end of the planting season in March 2023, to give people an opportunity to plant trees to honour Her Majesty.

Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the QGC “Tree of Trees” sculpture sought to put the importance of trees at the heart of this historic milestone to celebrate Her Majesty, who planted over 1,500 trees all over the world throughout her 70-year reign.

Children preparing a tree to go onto the Tree of Trees sculpture — Children preparing a tree to go onto the Tree of Trees Sculpture

During the summer, the trees were cared for by Barcham’s Nursery ahead of distribution at the start of the planting season this month.

The trees have been gifted evenly across the UK in proportion to the population, with each county receiving at least one tree. Greater Manchester received 12 trees. Deputy Lieutenants from each Borough suggested worthy recipients from across the County and The Lord-Lieutenant selected 12 groups to receive the special trees. Joined by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant, High Sheriff, the Deputy Lieutenants and the Mayor’s of each Borough, the Lord-Lieutenant gifted them to the groups at a ceremony at the University of Bolton Stadium, the home of Bolton Wanderers FC.

The Lord-Lieutenant opens the ceremony for the gifting of the Tree of Trees — The Lord-Lieutenant opens the Tree of Trees Gifting Ceremony

The Lord-Lieutenant is very much looking forward to attending the tree planting ceremonies at each of the 12 venues.

The fabulous groups were as follows:

Bolton

Fortalice
Fortalice has been providing frontline services since 1977 for those affected by domestic abuse and violence. A well-respected charity, they are proud recipients of QAVS. They have grown from a 2 room Refuge to the current purpose built 22-unit building housing 22 women and their children. They also have an Outreach Support Centre providing advice, counselling, support and training.

Bury

Age UK Bury
This charity provides a lifeline within the communities of Bury. It provides support to those that are lonely, those suffering with age related illness or just unable to apply for grants or services for any reason. During this last year, they supported hundreds of individuals each week, in person or on the phone, helping them sort out problems, or providing much needed activities. Their Information and Advice Service, in the last 12 months alone, has responded to 1,800 calls for help. They have also supported older people to claim over £1.6 million pounds in benefits

The Heathlands Village
The Manchester Jewish Federation, known as Heathlands, is a leading Jewish social care charity. Situated in Bury, Greater Manchester, it serves the local community in many ways. Specialist services include residential and nursing care, supported independent living, hospital discharge, end of life care, a trailblazing dementia unit, adult and family social work. They also offer community care, outreach and support for all ages.

Manchester

Friends of Sackville Gardens
Sackville Gardens is a small park in the heart of Manchester’s Gay Village The Friends Group work with the Council and local communities to keep the Gardens as a green space that all can use and value. The Gardens are laid out with walks, lawns and flower beds for public use. The gardens feature memorials and space to reflect. Memorials include The Beacon of Hope, the UK’s only permanent memorial for people who lost their lives to HIV or AIDS.

Oldham

MAHDLO Youth Zone
Mahdlo provide opportunities for over 3000 young people in a very deprived area, 7 days a week. Supporting the environment is one of the key elements they engage the youngsters in. They have outside garden areas where they grow their own veg. Street parties were held to recognise the Queens Platinum Jubilee and to have a tree planted in the area would be a great boost for this deprived area of Oldham.

Rochdale

Rochdale in Bloom
Rochdale in Bloom is a community based, volunteer led organisation dedicated to brightening up Rochdale for residents and visitors alike.
Since 2010 they have devoted their efforts to building community links, tackling gaps in social infrastructure and creating a green environment for Rochdale residents to take pride and get involved in.

Salford

Buile Hill Mansion Association
Buile Hill Mansion Association is a charity which has put the heart back into Buile Hill Park. The park had no major council funding, and the park and its Mansion had fallen into disrepair. It is located in one of Salford’s most challenging areas. The BHMA have worked hard to restore the community use of the Park which had been abandoned to drug users and vandals. They have built a sculpture trail; organised community events and they have planted 130 trees for the QGC. When they advertised for people to help plant the trees, 150 volunteers from the community turned up.

Stockport

The CMA Welfare Trust
CMA was established in 2004 and were worthy recipients of the Queens Award for Voluntary Service in 2019. Their focus is to serve the Muslim and non-Muslim community in the context of cohesion, interfaith and mutual collaboration to meet the wider needs of a changing population in terms of health, education, mental well-being and social care. The internal and external impact of being awarded a tree will be exceptional and warmly received.

Tameside

Hattersley Community Big Garden Project
In three years, this dedicated group of volunteers have taken what was a rundown and neglected site and transformed it into a little oasis at the heart of their local community. Hattersley is one of the 20% most deprived and unhealthiest districts in England and where health is lower than the English average. The aim of this group of volunteers is therefore, to better the lives of their community through gardening and fresh air, whilst creating a self-sustainable area for all to enjoy.

Trafford

Friends of Worthington Park
The Friends of Worthington Park are a voluntary group established to work with Trafford Council and other partners to safeguard and improve the facilities of this local park. Once again, this year they have been awarded the Green Flag status. This 16-acre park is very much used and loved by members of the public. Three sets of main gates were installed to mark the Queen’s Coronation in 1953.

G-Force
The Broomwood Estate in Greater Manchester ranks in the top tier of multiple deprivation. For 23 years local people have worked together to alleviate hardship, transforming the lives of individuals and families in their community. Led by local couple Paul and Tina Huxley, they are ‘GForce’, a community charity with hundreds of local volunteers. They find education and employment for the socially exclude

Wigan

The Bridgers
This exceptional group of volunteers undertake environmental, pastoral, social and educational initiatives within Howe Bridge, an area of multiple deprivation.
This inclusive group unites all people and groups within the village including residents (all generations), church, school, sports clubs, environmental group, and social clubs for the common good of their community. Formed in 1998 the group took over a derelict piece of land, encouraged volunteers from all walks of life, and turned it into a beautiful and much-loved community garden named Colliers Corner in honour of the village’s proud mining heritage.