Jo Hamilton, Alan Titchmarsh and Eleanor Aldridge named in New Year Honours List 2025
Jo Hamilton, Alan Titchmarsh and Eleanor Aldridge are among those in the South East who have been recognised in the King’s New Year 2025 Honours List, as ITV Meridian's Juliette Fletcher reports.
This year’s recipient, which include 188 people from the South East, have been awarded for their "outstanding contributions across all sectors, but in particular community champions and selfless giving are recognised".
Recipients from South East make up 16% of the total number of recipients receiving honours this year.
Below is a list of some of those from the region who are being honoured for their work and dedication.
Dame/Knighthood
Among those receiving a knighthood are The Right Honourable Nicolas John Gibb from Chichester in West Sussex for services to Education and The Right Honourable Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena from Bramley in Hampshire, lately the MP for North East Hampshire, for Political and Public Service.
Dame Jacqueline Wilson, a children's author from Polegate in Sussex, is now a Dame Grand Cross for services to literature.
CBE - Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Alan Fred Titchmarsh MBE DL - the Horticulturalist, Author and Broadcaster from Alton in Hampshire has been awarded a CBE for services to Horticulture and to Charity. He said he is “thrilled to bits”.
Robert Dennis Harris - a novelist from Hungerford in Berkshire has been awarded a CBE for services to Literature.
Professor Gillian Reid - the Professor of Chemistry at the University of Southampton and has been awarded for services to the Chemical Sciences, and to Inclusion and Diversity.Dr Carol Anita White OBE - the Founder, International Working Group on Women and Sport, Women in Sport, and the Anita White Foundation from Chichester has been awarded for services to Women and to Sport.
Dr Alan Patrick Vincent Whitehead - a former Labour MP for Southampton has been awarded a CBE for Parliamentary and Political Service.
OBE - Officer of the British Empire
Josephine Hamilton is among the leading sub-postmaster campaigners who have been made Officers of the British Empire. The former sub-postmistress from Hook in Hampshire has been awarded for services to Justice. More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts.
Helen Rachel Mary Backshall (Helen Glover) MBE - for services to Rowing.
Commander (Rtd) Robert George Bosshardt RN - the former Chief Executive of the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust from Portsmouth has been awarded for services to Veterans' Welfare.
Dr Madeleine Clare Blackburn - for services to People with Life-Shortening Conditions. (Steyning, West Sussex)
Professor Christine Joyce Britch (Christine Harrison) FMedSci - the Trustee for Blood Cancer UK from Blandford Forum, has been awarded for services to Children with Acute Leukaemia.
Austin Daboh - Executive Vice-President, Atlantic Records UK, for services to music. (Kent)
Heather Mary Freeman - the former Head of Service, Aspire Regional Adoption Agency in Dorset has been awarded for services to Vulnerable Children and Families.
Erin Mairead Kennedy MBE - from Henley-on-Thames has been awarded for services to Rowing and to Breast Cancer Awareness.
Mark John Scott Lawrie - the Chief Executive Officer, StreetGames and Chair of Trustees, Personal Best Foundation. from Thatcham, Berkshire, has been awarded for services to Education and to Young People.
Dr Kay Catherine Sheila Hilary Linnell - Forensic Accountant, Expert Witness and Key Adviser to the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance from Basingstoke has been awarded for services to Justice.
David Louis Mearns - the Oceanographer, Marine Scientist and Wreck Finder in West Sussex has been awarded for services to the Location and Recovery of Historic Shipwrecks.
'It's about how can I invest in the next generation of talent?'
Austin Daboh is one of more than 180 people in the South East to receive an honour this year, as ITV Meridian's Abigail Bracken reports.
A record company boss from Kent has been rewarded for a 20-year career in the music industry.
Austin Daboh, Executive Vice-President, Atlantic Records UK, has been given an OBE for his services to music.
Throughout his career, Austin has helped new artists get their breaks and was the first to put Ed Sheeran on the radio.
He said: "Overall my career has been pretty consistent, and it's been about helping others, it's been about how can I invest in the next generation of talent, how can I help talented creatives inside and outside of the music industry.
"There's a long list of artists and creatives, publicly, and there's an even longer list of artists and creatives, privately, who have benefitted from my help over the years."
'Knowing that you can make a difference to others is amazing'
One of the youngest people on the New Year Honours list has urged others her age to get involved in “rewarding” charitable causes.
Mikayla Beames, 18, has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) after founding Team Mikayla following her cancer diagnosis aged four.
The charity grants the wishes of children suffering from cancer and has raised more than £300,000 to do so.
Ms Beames, from Wantage, Oxfordshire, said she found out when she got home from college, after her mum said there was an important letter waiting for her.
She said: "When I got home, mum had to read it out for me, so mum knew just before I did.
"It's crazy. I still don't think it's absorbed yet. It's a mad moment - and shock."
Since 2014, Team Mikayla has granted 220 wishes to children who are fighting cancer, distributing more than 1,000 Christmas presents.
MBE - Member of the Order of the British Empire
Eleanor Aldridge - the Olympic sailor who won gold following the Women's Kite Final at Marseille Marina during the 2024 Paris Games has been awarded for services to Sailing. (Portland, Dorset)
Lola Anderson - for services to Rowing. (Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire)
Tom Baker - the Doctor Who star who now lives in East Sussex has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his services to television.
Trevor Frank Beattie - the former Chief Executive, South Downs National Park Authority has been awarded for services to the Natural Environment. (Hove, East Sussex)
Judith Anne Boichot - for services to the community in Dorset. (Weymouth, Dorset)
Professor Keith Lawson Brown - the former Independent Chair, Safeguarding Adult National Network has been awarded for services to Adult Safeguarding. (Southampton, Hampshire)
Mark William Fane - the former Chair, The Garden Museum has been awarded for services to Horticulture. (Fordingbridge, Hampshire)
Melanie Louise Ford - County Commissioner, Girlguiding Sussex West and Lead Volunteer, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts has been awarded for services to Young People. (Emsworth, Hampshire)
Dr Elizabeth Clare Kent - the Associate Head, Marine Physics and Ocean Climate, National Oceanography Centre has been awarded for services to Tracking Global Temperatures. (Southampton, Hampshire)
Elizabeth Jane Kerr - the former Director, UK Space has been awarded for services to the Space Industry. (Liphook, Hampshire)
James Murray - the Co-Founder of the Murray Parish Trust and Patron of Friends of PICU, Southampton Children's Hospital has been awarded for services to Children with an Illness and their Families. (Alresford, Hampshire)
Zoe Amanda Packman - Deputy Director, Nursing Service Delivery, Transformation and Resilience, NHS England has been awareded for services to Nursing. (Poole, Dorset)
Sarah Janet Mary Parish - the Co-Founder of the Murray Parish Trust and Patron, Friends of PICU, Southampton Children's Hospital has been awarded for services to Children with an Illness and their Families. (Alresford, Hampshire)
Robert Douglas David Heard - the former road safety policeman from Southampton has been awarded for services to Road Safety after he established and expanded an innovative pilot project to improve road safety amongst older drivers.
Caroline Anne Redman Lusher - the Founder of the Rock Choir has been awarded for services to Music and to Charity. (Farnham, Surrey)
Robert Starr - the Founder of The Starr Trust has been awarded for services to Young People and to Philanthropy. (Hove, East Sussex)
Katy Robena Ware - has been awarded for services to Maritime Safety and Technology. (Southampton, Hampshire)
Carolyn Wheatley - the Founder and Chair, Patients on Intravenous and Naso-gastric Nutrition Treatment (PINNT) has been awarded for services to Patients with Intestinal Failure. (Christchurch, Dorset)
Andrew Rodney Wickham - the Managing Director of Go South Coast has been awarded for services to the Bus Industry. (Wimborne, Dorset)
'Guiding is part of my identity...if you chopped me in half, I'd be blue down the middle!'
Mel Ford from Emsworth has been awarded an MBE for her work leading 2500 guides and 800 adults across West Sussex.
She also travels around the world to run Girlguiding leadership sessions in her role as a volunteer.
The Girlguiding County Commissioner and Lead Volunteer for World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts has been recognised for Services to Young People in the New Years Honours list.
She says: "It all seems a bit surreal, to be honest. It's not something I'd ever really considered because what I do, I get so much fun from it. I think it's sometimes hard to sort of see the impact you can have."
BEM - British Empire Medal
Michael Clews - following a career as a pilot, the 79-year-old from Maidenhead founded The Joystick Club in 2012, with an aim to bring aviation to a wider range of people, young and old. He has been awarded for services to the promotion of Aviation to Young People.
Wilhelmina Nina Cooper - the 82-year-old from Canterbury has been awarded for services to Charitable Fundraising and to the community in Kent. Recently, her fundraising has meant that 250 children (8-10 years old) have started learning instruments in schools in Kent every year.
Marion Veronica Hemsworth - from Haywards Heath has been awarded for services to Wellbeing and to the community in West Sussex.
Christopher Sprules - from Arundel has been awarded for services to Cycling and to the community in West Sussex.
Michael David Bateman - a Volunteer Coordinator and Team Leader of Beaminster Country Car Scheme has been awarded for services to the community in West Dorset.
Vivienne Bateman - a Volunteer Coordinator and Team Leader of Beaminster Country Car Scheme has been awarded for services to the community in West Dorset.
Jennifer Anne Dobson - who for more than 30 years she has been committed to volunteering at and running the local parent and toddler group in our community in Crawley, has been awarded for services to the community in Crawley.
Kenneth Lewis Galton - a Hurdle Maker from Fareham has been awarded for services to Hazel Coppicing and to Heritage Crafts.
Alison Jayne Kay - the Musician, Teacher and Trustee of Poole Society for Young Musicians has been awarded for services to the Arts and to Young People.
Alison Jane Moorey - former Chief Executive of St Wilfrid's Hospice in Chichester has been awarded for services to Palliative Care.
Alexander James Morrice - has been awarded for services to the community in Corhampton and Meonstoke in Hampshire.
Pat Haste Shakespeare - the Superintendent of the Portland Division of St John Ambulance has been awarded for services to Community First Aid in Portland.
Brian Thomas Speight - the President of the Espada Fencing Club in Bournemouth has been awarded for services to Fencing.
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