28 Essex people honoured in New Year list

28 Essex people honoured in New Year list

28 people Essex people have been honoured in King Charles III’s New Year honours list.

The wide variety of contributions to public life by people from Essex has been recognised once again. Four CBEs, four OBEs, ten MBEs and ten BEMs have been awarded by The King in the New Year’s Honours List 2026 to individuals in the county. These contributions include excellence in the fields of housing, defence, national security, public safety, education, culture, sport, women’s rights, nature conservation, young people and local community service. They also include services involving medical research and for sufferers of hard-to-treat diseases, for example:

Hilary EVANS-NEWTON has been awarded a CBE for her services to charity as CEO of Alzheimer’s Research UK

James IRVINE has been awarded an MBE for his services to the Epidermolysis Bullosa Rare Disease Community as immediate past Chair of DEBRA

Robert Anthony MAYS has been awarded a BEM For services to Parkinson’s Disease Sufferers and Charitable Fundraising

It also gives us great pleasure to note the award of an MBE to Martin Dennis Solder, who although living outside Essex has done great service to the young people of Essex through his work with the Essex Boys & Girls Clubs, of which he is the County Director.

Commenting on the list of recipients, Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, Lord-Lieutenant of Essex, The King’s personal representative in the county, said: “I am proud of all the recipients of national honours in our county who have been recognised in the list. Their achievements are truly outstanding, and I would like to congratulate each one of them.

“I would encourage anyone who knows someone, who is making a big difference to others in their community, to nominate them for a national honour and to help them achieve public recognition at the highest level for their contribution to society.”

Full list of 2026 King’s New Year Honours: 

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

Dr John Martin BAGSHAW  – For services to Quantum Science in the Aerospace and Defence Sectors – Chelmsford

Ms Hilary May EVANS-NEWTON – Chief Executive Officer, Alzheimer’s Research UK. For services to Charity – Saffron Walden

Mr Richard Haworth FARNES – Conductor. For services to Music – Colchester

Mrs Catherine FRANCIS – Director of New Towns, Infrastructure and Housing Delivery, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. For Public Service – Buckhurst Hill

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Mr Jeffrey David ASSER – Assistant Director, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. For services to the North Sea Transition – Grays

Ms Jane Louise HUBERT – Head of Quality for Acute Specialised Commissioned Services, Direct and Specialised Commissioning Quality Team, South East Region, NHS England. For services to cancer patients – Colchester

Mr Paul LEWIS – Firmwide Managing Partner, Linklaters LLP. For services to the community in Newport – Ingatestone

Mrs Vivien SANDERS – Principal Officer, Cabinet Office. For Public Service – Chelmsford

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) 

Mrs Olusola Oluronke Anike ALABI – Director, Exam Success Education Centre. For services to Education – Purfleet

Professor Michael Kevin ALMOND QVRM VR DL – Professor, Veterans and Families Studies, Anglia Ruskin University and Chair, Essex Reserve Forces and Cadets Association. For services to Service Personnel and Veterans – Billericay

Mr Richard Stewart AUSTIN – Fundraiser. For services to Charitable Fundraising and Rugby – Brentwood

Mr Alexander GIBSON BEM – Founder and Chair, Challenging Motor Neurone Disease. For Charitable Service – Brentwood

Miss Aileen HENDERSON – Hand Embroidery Supervisor, Wyedean Weaving Ltd. For services to Defence Ceremonial – Canvey Island

Mr Roger Charles HIRST – Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Essex. For services to Policing and to Community Safety – Brentwood

Mr James Francis IRVINE – Lately Chair, DEBRA. For services to People Living with Epidermolysis Bullosa – Colchester

Mrs Valerie Tarere LOLOMARI – Founder, Women of Grace UK. For services to the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls – Bishop’s Stortford

Mr Ronald Charles MILLS – Trustee, Jack Petchey Foundation. For services to Young People in London and Essex – Billericay

Mr Paul RAYMOND – For services to the English Shotokan Karate Association in the South East – Great Dunmow

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)

Mr Dean Ron James APPLETON – Community First Responder, East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust. For services to the community in the East of England – Colchester

Mrs Joan Eilleen BARFIELD – For services to the community in Colchester, Essex – Colchester

Mrs Christine June FOY – Leader, Girlguiding. For services to Young People in Epping, Essex – Epping

Mrs Maureen Alice Rhoda GEDDES – For services to the community in Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex – Hatfield Broad Oak

Mr Leslie John HAWKINS – Community Special Constable Co-Ordinator, Essex Police. For services to Policing and to the community in Essex – Leigh-on-Sea

Mr Robert Anthony MAYS – For services to Parkinson’s Disease Sufferers and to Charitable Fundraising – Leigh-on-Sea

Mrs Angela Patricia O’CALLAGHAN – For services to Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace – Colchester

Mrs Judith Ann PICKESS – Leader, Girlguiding. For services to Young People in Essex – Chelmsford

Mrs Julie TAYLOR – For services to the community in Maldon, Essex – Chelmsford

Mr Valentine Freeman WEST – For services to Charitable Causes and to the Gurkha and Afghan communities in Colchester, Essex – Colchester