A total of 25 people from across Cambridgeshire have been recognised for their work in the New Year Honours List 2025. People who have contributed to heritage, to cyber security, and to charities are among those from across the county to be awarded gongs.
Nationally, famous names making the list include author Jacqueline Wilson, who has been awarded a GBE for services to literature. Leading subpostmaster campaigners have been made Officers of the British Empire for services to justice, vowing they will “never give in” in their fight to help fellow Post Office scandal victims receive full and fair compensation.
Lee Castleton, Seema Misra, Chris Head, and Jo Hamilton were awarded gongs, after Sir Alan Bates was knighted earlier this year. Mr Castleton told the PA news agency it was ‘wonderful’ to be recognised alongside his fellow campaigners, adding: “Sometimes you have to step forward and shout as loud as you can because some of our group aren’t able to do that.”
Other household names making the list include actor Stephen Fry, former England manager Gareth Southgate, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Team GB athletes have also received honours after the Paris Olympics this year, including runner Keely Hodgkinson, who was named the 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and mountain biker Tom Pidcock.
View the full list of the 25 people from Cambridgeshire who are receiving an honour this year.
Order of the British Empire
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)
Professor Sir Leszek Krzysztof Borysiewicz FRS FRCP FMedSci. Lately Chair, Cancer Research UK. For services to Cancer Research, to Clinical Research, to Medicine and to Charities. (Cambridge)
Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)
Professor Ijeoma Florence Uchegbu FMedSci. President, Wolfson College, Cambridge. For services to the Chemical Sciences and to Inclusion and Diversity. (Cambridge)
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Christopher Badger. Executive Director of Adult Care Services, Hertfordshire County Council. For services to Adult Social Care. (Cambridge)
Poppy Clare Veronica Baroness Gustafsson OBE. Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Darktrace. For services to the Cyber Security Industry. (Cambridge)
Dr Roger Farrant Bland OBE. Curator, Numismatist and Chair, Treasure Valuation Committee. For services to Heritage. (Cambridge)
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Professor Gillian Clare Carr. Professor of Conflict Archaeology and Holocaust Heritage, and Fellow, St Catharine’s College, University of Cambridge. For services to Holocaust Research and Education. (Cambridge)
Professor Rachel Angharad Oliver FREng. Professor of Materials, University of Cambridge. For services to Materials Engineering. (Cambridge)
Professor Shahina Pardhan. Founding Director, Vision and Eye Research Institute, Anglia Ruskin University. For services to Optometry and Preventing Blindness. (Cambridge)
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Dr James Biddulph. Lately Headteacher, University of Cambridge Primary School, Cambridge. For services to Education. (Cambridge)
Tessa Gillian Howard. Founder, Inclusive Sportswear CIC and Hockey Player. For services to Inclusive Sportswear for Women and Girls. (Cambridge)
George Edwin Ridley Kelly. President, St Ives Branch, The Royal British Legion. For voluntary services to the Royal British Legion and to Royal Air Force Veterans. (St Ives)
Alastair John Kingsley. Chair of Trustees, Hampton Academies Trust, Cambridgeshire. For services to Education. (Peterborough)
Dr Lam Lei Bonnie Kwok. Headteacher, London Hackney Chinese Community School, London Borough of Hackney. For services to Education. (Huntingdon)
Daniel Schunmann JP DL. Founder, VIVA Theatre. For services to Community Theatre in Cambridgeshire. (Newmarket)
John Dudley Watkinson. Chair, Vistage International. For services to Business. (Huntingdon)
Beatrice Dorothy Wilson. Food Writer and Journalist. For services to Food Writing and Food Education. (Cambridge)
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
Richard Howard Astle. For services to Charity and to the Environment. (Peterborough)
David Richard Chambers. For services to Music and to the community in Somersham, Cambridgeshire. (Huntingdon)
Paul Michael Fellows. Chair, Cambridge Astronomical Association. For services to Astronomy. (Cambridge)
Malcolm John Fletcher. Lately Secretary, Ely Military Band. For services to the community in Ely, Cambridgeshire. (Ely)
Emily Halban. Co-Founder, A Space Between. For services to Tackling Isolation, Loneliness and Anxiety through Art. (Cambridge)
Benjamin Lee Thomas Hawkins. Emergency Dispatcher and Community First Responder, East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust. For services to Emergency Care, Staff Wellbeing and Mental Health. (Peterborough)
Mark Long. Founding Team Member and Producer, Sawston Youth Drama. For services to Musical Theatre for Young People in Cambridgeshire. (Cambridge)
Knights Bachelor
David Warren Arthur East CBE FRS FREng. Lately Chief Executive, Rolls Royce. For services to the Economy and to Net Zero. (Cambridge)
Order of St Michael and St George
Companion (CMG)
Professor Ashley Moffett. Professor of Reproductive Immunology, University of Cambridge. For services to Women’s Reproductive Health and, to Clinical Research and Practice in Africa.