Unsung heroes recognised in The Queen’s New Year’s honours list

Dozens of residents across York North and East Yorkshire have joined celebrities and sporting legends in being honoured for their efforts.

First response volunteer Janet Flint has been made an MBE for her services to the community in her home of Appleton Roebuck, and said she never expected such an honour.

Mrs Flint, 62, said: “I have had to keep it to myself for about six weeks. It’s driven me bonkers although I did tell my children on Christmas Eve.

“I don’t know for sure who has put me forward for it, but I have a suspicion it’s my boss.”

Mrs Flint works for the Department for Work and Pensions in Monkgate, York, but has spent more than 30 years organising and taking part in fundraising events in her community, leading the local Brownie group, as well as sitting on the parish and church councils, as well as the first responder team.

She said: “We had a spate of two or three young men in the village dying of heart problems. A group of us take it in turns to hold on to a pack with oxygen and heart paddles, and the ambulance service keep us well trained. If anyone in the area has chest pains, we are called by the ambulance service as we can get there quicker.

“I’d like to say thank you to whoever has done this. I’m absolutely amazed. I can’t believe that someone thinks I do so much, but obviously they do. It’s a great honour.”

In Whitby, Barbara Benson-Smith was made an MBE for her services to dance and to charity, and Jorvik viking centre designer Colin Pyrah admitted to “blubbing” after finding out he was to receive an OBE for services to the UK heritage industry.

Mr Pyrah, 67, whose Elvington-based business, Paragon Creative, has been behind some of the most impressive tourist attractions in the UK, said his letter from Number 10 got lost in the post and he found out in a phone call from the Prime Minister’s office that he was in the honours list.

“I said ‘is this kosher?’ and they promised me it was,” he said. “I went into the kitchen and I started to blub. I was so overwhelmed that I was blubbing and smiling at the same time. My wife asked what the matter was and I told her I had just received an OBE.”

The Venerable William Noblett, has spent 14 years working in Wakefield, Norwich and Full Sutton prisons to bring a strong, multi-faith chaplaincy to prisoners and staff.

He is a Canon and Prebend of York Minster and Chaplain to The Queen, and the announcement that he will be made a CBE was made on the day he retired from his role as chaplain general and archdeacon to HM Prisons.

He said: “I’m delighted. It’s a great honour and I already have the honour of being chaplain to the Queen, but it’s an additional honour on the day I end this role after ten-and-a-half years.”

For his services to science, University of York professor of electronics Mohamed El-Gomati has been made an OBE.

Harrogate resident and department of health worker Shelagh Morris was made an OBE, while Jacqueline Gant, also of Harrogate, was made MBE for services to the communities of Bishop Thornton and Warsill.

Also in Harrogate, Valerie Nixon was made MBE for services to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Patricia Ann Ross was made an MBE for services to carers through Crossroads Care in Harrogate, Craven and York, and Mary Webster was also made an MBE for her services to music and education in Kirkby Overblow and Harrogate.

Elsewhere in the region, prison officer John Coulson was made an MBE for his work with young offenders in Wetherby, and Stephen Hatcher, deputy head of St. Aidan’s CoE High School, Harrogate was also made an MBE for services to education.

Clive Warcup, 64, described himself as a proud Yorkshireman after being made an MBE for services to the road haulage industry and his charitable work as a long-serving member of the Rotary Club of Driffield. Mr Warcup said he began his lorry business 40 years ago with just himself and one vehicle. Since then Clive Warcup Transport Ltd has grown into a fleet of more than 30 trucks.

Despite his business success, Mr Warcup found time to devote himself to good causes through the Rotary Club, of which he has been a member for 17 years.

Other honours went to the deputy chief fire officer of North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service Christopher Anderson, who was given the Queen’s Fire Service Medal.

He said: “It’s great to be recognised for the work you do. I think it reflects well not just on me, but on the work that has been done by the fire service and the people of road safety partnership 95-Alive, and others we’ve worked with.”

John Rae Lonsdale, of Settle, was made MBE for his voluntary services across North Yorkshire.

Austwick resident Elizabeth Read has been made an MBE for her services to heritage in North Yorkshire, and Caroline Phillips, of East Yorkshire, the head of corporate services for Uganda at the Department for International Development, was also made an MBE.