Diversity star Ashley Banjo from Essex says he's humbled and proud to be made an MBE
Dancer and choreographer Ashley Banjo has said he is "humbled and extremely proud" to have been made an MBE
The 33-year-old, from Essex, found fame in 2009 as part of Britain's Got Talent winners Diversity. He has been named in the New Year Honours for services to dance.
In September 2020 his group delivered a headline-grabbing routine on the ITV show, in which a man dressed in police uniform knelt on Banjo, echoing the killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in the US.
The performance was later named the Must-See Moment Award at the 2021 TV Baftas
Responding to being made an MBE, Banjo said: "I'm so humbled and extremely proud to be receiving this honour.
"It really is the ultimate accolade. It's something I never saw coming and for my mum and dad to see this moment means the world."
As well as stars of stage and screen many people who've helped their community during the pandemic have been recognised
They include Kathy Parker from Woolpit near Bury St Edmunds who receives a BEM .
At the first Lockdown in March 2020 the 66-year-old contacted every single household in the community asking if they needed help .
She then built a database of vulnerable people and volunteers.
Kathy said: "I got it for a team effort, not for me and I feel very humble about receiving this award. And I very much thank the people who nominated me for this. But the village has come together and all I've done is coordinate all the people together and get this all working. It's been a fabulous honour to do that for people."
Paralympic swimmer Jordan Catchpole has been awared an MBE for his services to swimming.
Jordan, from Beccles in Suffolk, won gold at the Paralympics in Tokyo alongside Jessica-Jane Applegate in the S14 mixed 4x100m freestyle team, which also included Reece Dunn and Bethany Firth.
He said: "You never expect to get something like this out of just doing what you love doing day in, day out. So this is just a huge honor.
"Boris Johnson was the one that recommended us to get the MBE, So this is just a huge honor and a massive dream come true."
His fellow ParaGB member Maisie Summers-Newton was also awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours list.
Diana Staines MBE, from Ormesby Saint Michael in Norfolk, was recognised for her services to People with Disabilities in Norfolk particularly during Covid-19.
She is the driving force behind Centre 81 which helps hundreds of 700 disabled people across Great Yarmouth.
Dennis Barnett MBE, from Colchester, volunteered with the Open Road Charity (Drug and Alcohol Recovery) for the past 12 years primarily through his role as lead volunteer for the SOS Bus project in Colchester town centre every Friday and Saturday night.
This entails long shifts during providing a safe haven for vulnerable people who may have been attacked, sexually assaulted, intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.
Frank Bright from Ipswich gets an MBE for services to Holocaust education. He has shared his story with children across the region.
He was sent to Auschwitz when he was just a teenager and his mother was killed in the gas chamber while he was forced to work as a slave.
Radio personality Mark Murphy wins his MBE for services to Radio and the community in Suffolk. The 57-year-old from Felixstowe has worked for charitable and environmental causes in the county, launching succcessful anti-littering and anti-knife crime initiatives.
Also recognised for his community work is Roger McFarland MBE. The 69-year-old works with the YMCA in the Chelmsford area and has helped set up a number of schemes to help young people.
Similarly Nicholas Rouse from Ridgewell, near Braintree in Essex has been given his MBE for his work in his community. Helping raise over £725,000 to cover the extension and renovation of the village hall and a further £50,000 to provide a wide range of children’s play equipment.
PC Dawn Wood from the Essex Police Marine Unit also receives a BEM for services to Marine Policing and to Conservation.
She's one of a small team based at Burnham on Crouch who patrol the 350 miles of coastline around Essex.
Fund-raising supermo James Mackie from Southend-on-Sea was awarded an MBE for services to the RNLI and Charity.
The 76-year-old has spent 45 years helping the RNLI. He has helped secure more than £1m in fundraised income and he has been attached to around 4,000 service calls.
He supported the introduction of the ‘Boxing Day Dip’ which now raises £40k a year and helped attract younger and more diverse volunteers to the fundraising team.
Also used to working with millions is Vivienne Lennox from Cromer. In 2013, she spearheaded the work on a £3 million construction project, lobbying and planning for the construction of six new classrooms to accommodate the rising numbers of pupils at Paston College, and a major refurbishment of the older permanent buildings which were officially opened in July 2018.
Andrew Waddison receives a BEM, he helped relaunch the Rose and Crown public house in Snettisham during lockdown.
He contacted all of his customers and reassured them that he would continue to work full time for them until they could afford to pay once they fully reopened. He also helped a local homeless charity by organising food donations.
Restaurateur Tyrone Harold BEM from Great Yarmouth, cooked and delivered meals for vulnerable and homeless individuals in the local area. The 54-year-old provided more than 200 meals a week.
Frinton's Donald Smith gets a BEM for services to the community particularly during Covid-19. He developed a project to supply food and prescriptions to all local residents.
County by County guide to honours in the region
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
CBE
Jenny COLES - Director of Children's Services, Hertfordshire County Council. For services to Children's Social Care (Dunstable) OBE
Deborah Mary INSKIP - For services to the community in Bedfordshire particularly during Covid-19 (Bedford)
James JAMIESON - Chairman, Local Government Association. For services to Local Government (Bedford)
MBE
Professor Alan Michael COTTENDEN - Emeritus Professor of Incontinence Technology, University College London. For services to Sufferers of Incontinence (Bedford)
David JONATHAN - Director, Grassroots Programme, Luton Council of Faiths and Near Neighbours Programme. For services to Community Cohesion and Interfaith Relations in Luton, Bedfordshire (Luton)
Paul Francis John MACKIN - Town Councillor and Mayor, Shefford Town, Bedfordshire. For services to Local Government (Shefford)
Charan Kanwal Singh SEKHON - Senior Environment Officer, Environment Agency and Founder Chairman, SEVA Trust UK. For services to Charity, Diversity and the Environment, particularly during Covid-19 (Bedford) BEM
Muhammad Kamil ALI - Volunteer Tutor, BPCD Trust, Luton. For services to Education (Luton)
Rosemary Margaret GEORGE - For services to the community in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire during Covid-19 (Leighton Buzzard)
Nikki Anne ILES - For services to Music (Bedford)
Cathryn Joanne LEGG - For services to the community in Luton, Bedfordshire particularly during Covid-19. (Dunstable)
Nicola Rachel PERFECT - For services to the community in Risley, Bedfordshire particularly during Covid-19. (Risley)
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
KNIGHTHOOD
William Anthony Bowater RUSSELL - Lately Lord Mayor of London. For services to Financial Innovation, Culture, and Wellbeing in the City of London particularly during Covid-19 (Thriplow)
CBE
Professor James DIGGLE - Emeritus Professor of Greek and Latin, University of Cambridge. For services to Classical Scholarship (Cambridge)
Mark Richard LLOYD - Chief Executive, Local Government Association. For services to Local Government and to Charity (Cambridge)
OBE
Francis BUTTERFILL - Head of Integrated Services, Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group. For services to the Royal Air Force (Cambridge)
Dr Ian William CAMPBELL - Lately Interim Executive Chair, Innovate UK. For services to Innovation (Spaldwick)
Dr Ruth Eleanor MARCH - Senior Vice President, Precision Medicine and Biosamples, AstraZeneca. For services to UK Science and the COVID-19 response (Cambridge)
Catherine Lynne MCCLURE - Director, Cambridge Mathematics. For services to Education (Cambridge)
Sonia WALSH - Governor, H.M. Prison Wayland. For services to H.M. Prison and Probation Service (Ely)
MBE
Luke Berenger COLLET-FENSON - Senior Private Secretary to the Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health and Social Care. For Public Service during Covid-19 (Ely)
Danny Lewis NEWLAND - Custodial Manager, H.M. Prison Littlehey. For Public Service (March)
Lynne RADBONE - Principal Paediatric Dietitian, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Sick and Premature Babies (Huntington)
Lorna Havard WESTON - Managing Director, Thera East Anglia. For services to People with Learning Disabilities (Wimblington)
BEM
Lesley Margaret RAWLINSON - Laboratory Manager, Imperial College London. For services to the Covid-19 Response (Cambridge)
Irene Mary RICHARDS - For voluntary service to Safeguarding and to the community in the London Borough of Enfield (Cambridge)
Essex
Essex
CBE
Robert Chad MCCRACKEN MBE - Performance Director, British Amateur Boxing Association. For services to Boxing (Brentwood)
OBE
Joy Michelle BROWN - Lately Senior District Crown Prosecutor, East of England, Crown Prosecution Service. For services to Law and Order (Chelmsford)
Obumneke Ndudirim EKEKE - For services to Computing and Artificial Intelligence Education, and to Championing Diversity and Inclusion in the Technology Sector (Chelmsford)
Dr Andre Jan IMICH - Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Professional Adviser, Department for Education. For services to Children and Young People (Leigh-on-Sea)
Matthew Leon JONES - Executive Principal, ARK Globe Academy, London. For services to Education (South Woodham Ferrers)
Keith Andrew MEADE - Assistant Head, Physical Security Policy, Ministry of Defence. For services to Defence and to Diversity (Harlow)
Max Antony WHITLOCK MBE - For services to Gymnastics (Bulphan)
MBE
Ashley BANJO - For services to Dance (Bicknacre)
Dennis Morris BARNETT - For services to Vulnerable People in Essex (Colchester)
Sushma BHANOT - For services to Wellbeing and the community in Chigwell, Essex, particularly during Covid-19 (Chigwell)
John Frederick Leonard CAIGER - Cadet Executive Officer, Essex Army Cadet Force. For services to Young People in Essex (Colchester)
Brian CHENIER - Support Officer, Prosthetics, Blesma. For services to Disabled Veterans (Colchester)
James MACKIE JP - Chair, Lifeboat Management Group, Southend-on-Sea Lifeboat Station. For services to the RNLI and to Charity (Southend-on-Sea)
Roger Colin MCFARLAND - For services to the community in Chelmsford, Essex (Chelmsford)
Valerie METCALFE - Lately Councillor, Essex County Council. For Political and Public Service (Loughton)
Nicholas George ROUSE - For services to the community in Ridgewell, Essex (Halstead)
Mitesh Puspakkant SHETH - Chief Executive Officer, Redington. For services to Diversity and Inclusion in the Financial Services Sector (Loughton)
BEM
Julia Evelyn BAXTER - Personal Secretary to Commander, 16 Air Assault Brigade. For services to the Army and the community in Colchester, Essex (Colchester)
Jayne Beverley CHAPMAN - Councillor, Tendring District Council. For services to the community in Brightlingsea, Essex particularly during Covid-19 (Brightlingsea)
Linda May DUTAUT - For services to the community in Maldon, Essex, particularly during Covid-19 (Maldon)
Michael George KING - For services to the Ethiopia Hope charity (Southminster)
Sharon Marie MCLAUGHLIN - Business Support Manager, Community and Children’s Services Department, City of London Corporation. For services to the community in the City of London (Chelmsford)
Florence OSBORNE - For services to Vulnerable People and the community in Harwich, Essex particularly during Covid-19 (Harwich)
Martin Graham PALMER - Manager, Children's Burns Club, Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford. For voluntary and charitable services to Injured Children and their Families (Billericay)
Reverend Donald Edgar SMITH - For services to the community in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, particularly during Covid-19 (Frinton on Sea)
Ralph Charles SPRINGETT - For services to the community in Maldon, Essex particularly during Covid-19 (Maldon)
Laura Amy THURLOW - Chief Executive, Community Foundation for Surrey. For services to the community in Surrey, particularly during Covid-19 (Leigh-on-Sea)
Anne Katherine WILSON - For services to the community in Great Leighs, Essex (Chelmsford)
Dawn Marie WOOD - Marine Constable, Essex Police. For services to Marine Policing and to Conservation (Burnham on Crouch)
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
DAMEHOODS
Dr Vivienne COX CBE - Independent Non-Executive Director and Workforce Engagement Director, GSK and Chair, Rosalind Franklin Institute. For services to Sustainability, and to Diversity and Inclusion in Business. (Hemel Hempstead)
Sara KHAN - Lately Lead Commissioner, Commission for Countering Extremism. For services to Human Rights and Counter Extremism (Watford)
Dr June Munro RAINE CBE - Chief Executive, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. For services to Healthcare and the Covid-19 Response (Bishops Stortford)
CBE
Jenny COLES - Director of Children's Services, Hertfordshire County Council. For services to Children's Social Care (Dunstable)
Dr Steven John GAMBLIN FRS - Director of Scientific Platforms, The Francis Crick Institute. For services to Scientific Research (Radlett)
Professor Russell Mardon VINER - Professor in Adolescent Health, University College London. For services to Child and Adolescent Health, particularly during Covid-19 (Harpenden)
OBE
Dr David BENTLEY - Vice-President and Chief Scientist, Illumina Cambridge Ltd. For services to Expertise and Leadership in Human Medical Genomics (Harpenden)
Sharon Tracey DAVIES - Chief Executive, Hertfordshire Care Providers Association. For services to Social Care in Hertfordshire (Stevenage)
Sally DEBONNAIRE - Director of Production, ITV. For services to Television and voluntary service to Skills through ScreenSkills (Berkhamstead)
David Hugh JOHNSTON - Head, Digital Trust and Evidence Group. For services to Law Enforcement (Letchworth Garden City)
Dr Julia Elizabeth THOMPSON - Senior Director R&D, AstraZeneca. For services to the COVID-19 response (Thriplow)
Sarah Jane WREN MBE - Chief Executive Officer, Hertfordshire Independent Living Service. For services to Older and Disabled People in Hertfordshire (Hitchin)
MBE
Matthew Philip BOLSHAW - Member, Secretariat for the General Aviation, All-Party Parliamentary Group. For services to Aviation Safety (Letchmore Heath)
Jonathan COGGAN - For services to Wheelchair Rugby (Hertford)
Pretty NKIWANE - Social Care and Service Manager, Hertfordshire Children Services. For services to Children's Social Care during Covid-19 (Hatfield)
Rosalind Mary PAUL - Chief Executive Officer and Artistic Director, Scene and Heard. For charitable services to Theatre, to Young People and to Families in Somers Town, London Borough of Camden (St Albans)
Stewart Colin POWELL - For services to People with Polio in the UK and to the Criminal Justice System (Bushey)
Elizabeth Jane PRYOR - Chief Executive Officer, The Anne Robson Trust. For services to End of Life Care (Stevenage)
Paul REES - Chief Executive, Royal College of Psychiatrists. For services to Mental Health and to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (Kings Langley)
James Penry ROBERTS - For services to Wheelchair Rugby (Hertford)
Christopher RYAN - For services to Wheelchair Rugby (Welwyn)
Natalie Charlotte SHAW - Director, Employment Affairs, International Chamber of Shipping. For services to Seafarers during the Covid-19 Pandemic (Borehamwood)
BEM
Gerald Victor MILLINGTON - For services to Local History in Devon and Hertfordshire (Budleigh Salterton, Devon)
Gillian Mary WILLIAMS - President, Watford Premier Netball Club. For services to Netball in Watford (Watford)
David John WILSON - For services to the community in Stevenage, Hertfordshire (Stevenage)
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
MBE
William John GRIFFITHS - Director, Milton Keynes Museum. For services to Museums and to the community in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire (Milton Keynes)
Marilyn HUBBARD - Chair of Trustees, Inspiring Futures through Learning Multi-Academy Trust, Milton Keynes. For services to Education (Olney)
Andrea VINCENT - Chair MK-Act, Milton Keynes. For services to Victims of Domestic Abuse (Milton Keynes)
Peter John WILSON - Trustee, Milton Keynes Special Needs Advancement Project. For services to People with Educational Disabilities (Milton Keynes)
BEM
Terence Michael BROMILOW - Chair, Marshall Milton Keynes Athletics Club. For services to Athletics in Buckinghamshire (Milton Keynes)
Vinodkumar Mashri Jeram PANKHANIA - For services to the community in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire (Milton Keynes)
Ruth PANTHER - For services to the community in Great Linford, Milton Keynes during Covid-19 (Milton Keynes)
Khadijah SAFARI - Chief Executive Officer, Safari MMA. For services to Inclusion and Diversity in Martial Arts (Milton Keynes)
Norfolk
Norfolk
MBE
Darren BARKER - Principal Conservation Officer, Great Yarmouth Borough Council and Managing Director, Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust. For services to Heritage (Catfield, Norfolk)
Dr Vivienne Catherine LENNOX - Chair of Governors, Suffield Park Infant and Nursery School, Norfolk. For services to Education (Cromer, Norfolk)
Mark LITTLE - For services to Victims of Modern Slavery (Norwich, Norfolk)
Dr Beth MOSLEY - Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Thurston Community College, West Suffolk, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Mental Health (Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk)
Diana Jane STAINES - For services to People with Disabilities in Norfolk, particularly during Covid-19 (Great Yarmouth, Norfolk) BEM
Gillian Isabel CREED - For services to fundraising and to the community in Swaffham, Norfolk (Norwich, Norfolk)
Melanie FURNESS - For services to Fundraising and to the community in Thetford, Norfolk (Thetford, Norfolk)
Tyrone HAROLD - For services to the community in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk during Covid-19 (Great Yarmouth, Norfolk)
Nicola Ann MORRIS - For services to the community in the London Borough of Camden, particularly during Covid-19 (Wymondham, Norfolk)
Trevor Wayne SAUNDERS - For services to the community in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, particularly during Covid-19 (Great Yarmouth, Norfolk)
Sharon Ann THOMPSON - For services to the community in Thetford, Norfolk, particularly during Covid-19 (Thetford, Norfolk)
Andrew WADDISON - For services to the community in King’s Lynn, Norfolk during Covid-19 (King's Lynn, Norfolk)
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
CBE
Alison Jane DUCKLES - Head, Learning and Development, Laing O'Rourke. For services to Education (Wellingborough)
OBE
Yvonne Dawn BAKER - Chief Executive, STEM Learning. For services to STEM Education (Rushden)
Catherine Margaret KITCHEN - Chief Executive Officer, Skylark Partnership Academy Trust and Chair, National Association of Hospital Education. For services to Children and Young People (Daventry)
Sandra Jane WHITE - Lately National Lead for Dental Public Health, Public Health England. For services to Dental Public Health and Covid-19 (Northampton)
MBE
Professor Simon David GREGORY DL -Deputy Medical Director, Primary and Integrated Care, Health Education England and General Practitioner, King Edward Road Surgery, Northampton. For services to General Practice (Northampton)
Victoria Jane MILES DL - Chief Executive, Northamptonshire Community Foundation. For services to the Community in Northamptonshire during Covid-19 (Daventry)
Kevin MOSELEY - Founder and Chief Executive Officer, SwimFin Ltd. For services to International Trade, to Investment and to Charity (Wellingborough)
Maisie SUMMERS-NEWTON - For services to Swimming (Wellingborough)
Charlotte WORTHINGTON - For services to Bicycle Motor Cross Racing (Corby)
BEM
Timothy James ALDOUS - Works Supervisor, Forestry England. For services to Forestry (Kettering)
Professor Benjamin Charles HODGKINSON - Head of Mechanical Engineering, Mercedes AMG HPP. For services to the NHS during Covid-19 (Kettering)
Vincent Victor JAMES - Employee, Network Rail. For services to Prisoners during Covid-19 (Wellingborough)
Aaron Luke SHRIVE - For services to the Covid-19 response in Leicestershire (Desborough)
Julie WEST - Poppy Appeal Volunteer, Rushden Branch, Royal British Legion. For voluntary service to Veterans in Rushden, Northamptonshire (Rushden)
Rutland
Rutland
MBE
Andrew Michael HAIGH - For services to the Arts (Stamford)
Paul Mayo HOLT - For services to International Trade, to Education, and to the UK's PPE Supply Chain (Ayston)
Suffolk
Suffolk
CBE
Sir Laurence Henry Philip MAGNUS Bt - Chair, Historic England and Member, Culture Recovery Board. For services to Heritage particularly during Covid-19 (Bungay)
OBE
Antony John Peter BOWRING - Lately Secretary and Ship Organiser, Transglobe Expedition Trust. For services to Charity (Saxmundham)
MBE
Frank BRIGHT - For services to Holocaust Education (Ipswich)
Jordan Michael CATCHPOLE - For services to Swimming (Beccles)
Margaret DAVENPORT - For services to Arts in the community in Suffolk (Stowmarket)
Dr Beth MOSLEY - Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Thurston Community College, West Suffolk, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Mental Health (Bury St Edmunds)
Mark Glenn MURPHY - For services to Radio and to the community in Suffolk (Felixstowe)
George William PAUL - For services to British Horseracing Heritage (Ipswich)
BEM
Darren William AITCHISON - For services to the community in Felixstowe, Suffolk during Covid-19 (Felixstowe)
Paul Edward BOOKER - Special Superintendent, Suffolk Special Constabulary. For services to Policing (Lowestoft)
Susan COLLINS - For services to the community in Bungay, Suffolk during Covid-19 (Bungay)
Averil Selina GIBBINS - Lately School Cleaner, Whitehouse Community Primary School, Ipswich. For services to Education (Ipswich)
Franstine Cassandra Blandel JONES - Volunteer and Trustee, National Black Police Association. For services to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities in Suffolk (Kesgrave)
Kathryn Linda PARKER - For services to the community in Woolpit, Suffolk during Covid-19 (Bury St Edmunds)
Adria PITTOCK - Chartered Environmentalist and Chair, Suffolk Pride. For services to the Environment and the LGBTQ+ community in Suffolk (Ipswich)
Crystal Jayne STANLEY - Creator, The Rainbow Trail. For services to the Covid-19 response (Ipswich)
Lorraine Alexis STONE - For services to the community in Moulton, Suffolk (Bury St Edmunds)
John Gillespie TILLOTSON - Detachment Commander, Suffolk Army Cadet Force. For voluntary service to Young People in Suffolk (Bury St Edmunds)
Krystal Ann Joan VITTLES - Head of Service Delivery, Suffolk Libraries. For services to Public Libraries (Stowmarket)