Cornwall Olympian Helen Glover is among many Cornwall people to have received a gong in this year’s New Year Honours list. The gold medallist who came out of retirement to land a rowing silver medal in the women’s four at the Paris Olympics this summer, was among several British sports personalities to make it onto the Honours list.
Glover, from Penzance, who is married to TV adventurer Steve Baskshall, won gold medals at the Olympics in London and Rio. She was coaxed back for the Paris 2024 Olympiads after giving birth to twins in January 2020.
She told the PA news agency: “It’s such an honour to be awarded an OBE. I was determined that this Olympic journey would lead to winning a medal in front of three children and I felt supported by the parenting community. It makes me very proud to be recognised for trying to make a difference within this space.”
Also among the famous people to receive a gong this year are former England manager Gareth Southgate who was knighted in the New Year Honours. Southgate led England to two consecutive European Championship finals and the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, making him the most successful incumbent since Sir Alf Ramsey.
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The 54-year-old, who left the role shortly after England’s defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July, becomes the fourth former England manager to receive a knighthood, after Ramsey, Sir Walter Winterbottom, and Sir Bobby Robson.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, was also made a knight after securing a record third term as mayor of London. Sir Sadiq, the son of a bus driver in the capital, said he was “truly humbled” to receive the honour. He said: “I couldn’t have dreamed when growing up on a council estate in south London that I would one day be mayor of London. It’s the honour of my life to serve the city I love and I will continue to build the fairer, safer, greener and more prosperous London that all of the capital’s communities deserve.”
Below is the list of the Cornwall people who have been honoured this year:
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
- Dean Ashton. Chief Executive Officer, Reach South Academy Trust, South West England. For services to Education. (St. Austell, Cornwall)
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- Helen Rachel Mary Backshall (Helen Glover) MBE. For services to Rowing. (Maidenhead, Berkshire)
- Geoffrey Greaves. Cinema Proprietor. For services to the Cinema Sector. ( Redruth, Cornwall)
- Leslie Lipert. For services to the Jewish Community in Cornwall. (Penzance, Cornwall)
- Barbara Ann Sharples. For services to Charity in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ( Looe, Cornwall)
- Dr Malcolm David William Tozer. Author and Adviser, Physical Education. For services to Physical Education and Sports. (Truro, Cornwall)
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
- Jeremy Norman Brown. Coordinator, Culture on Scilly. For services to the Arts and Culture on the Isles of Scilly. (Isles of Scilly, Cornwall)
- Sonia Clyne. Lately Volunteer Chair, Par Bay Big Local. For services to Community Development in Cornwall. (Par, Cornwall)
- Janet Elston. Founder, Triggshire Wind Orchestra and Co-Founder, Cornwall Youth Wind Orchestra. For services to Young People and to Music. ( Bodmin, Cornwall)
- David John Haines. former Lifeboat Operations Manager, Looe Lifeboat Station, Royal National Lifeboat Institution. For services to Martime Safety. (Looe, Cornwall)
David, who was recognised with a special Rotary Award for his vocational and voluntary work in 2018, and the RNLI’s 30-year Long Service Award in 2022, said: “I was so surprised when I received the letter saying that I was going to receive an honour, it took a while for the news to sink in. I feel incredibly proud, and humbled, to have been recognised in this way but I couldn’t have achieved anything without the support of the Looe RNLI family – from the operational crew to the many fundraising, shop and boathouse guide volunteers, and the local community who have supported Looe RNLI so well over the decades.
“On a personal note, I’m also very proud that my family have been influenced by my volunteering and have all been involved in the RNLI and maritime in one way or another. I’d like to thank everyone who has made my time with the RNLI so memorable, and for my family who have been so supportive. My 32 years as a volunteer has been immensely rewarding and I feel privileged to be part of such a fantastic organisation.”
- Christopher Trewern. For services to the community in Ponsanooth, Cornwall. (Truro, Cornwall)
King’s Police Medal (KPM)
Mike said: “I am truly honoured and humbled to be recognised in the King’s New Years Honours List. It has been a privilege to have worked alongside the dedicated and professional officers and staff that I have met throughout my career, and to witness at first hand the quality of the care, compassion and expertise that they seek to deliver to victims, families and communities that have been affected by major crimes and tragic events.
“The counsel and support that I have received from colleagues, friends and particularly from my family, who have been so understanding when I have worked extended hours away from home for days, weeks and sometimes months, have made my policing career an incredibly varied and rewarding experience, and I would like to pass on my sincere thanks to them.”
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