Regional businesspeople and even a clown receive New Year's Honours

From Gordon Sanghera, founder and CEO at Oxford Nanopore Technologies and Ben Francis, founder and CEO of Solihull-based fitness brand Gymshark to Gloucestershire's talented Tweedy the Clown of the unique and glorious Gifford's Circus, and many in between, this year's New Year Honours list celebrates successful and committed people who bring joy, entrepreneurship success and economic benefits to the region.

Dawn Childs, Chief Executive Officer of Pure Data Centre Group (Operations) Ltd, who lives in Gloucestershire has been awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her services to engineering.

She is also Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, the Institute of Civil Engineers, the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Women’s Engineering Society. A former RAF officer, which included being Head of Engineering at RAF Waddington, and Deputy Chief Engineer for the Air Transport and Air to Air Refuelling aircraft fleets, she has also worked for National Grid, Merlin Entertainments Group and Gatwick Airport.

Dawn has an MBA from Cranfield University and was elected to Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2020.

Sally Dicketts, CBE who lives in Oxfordshire has also been made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for her services to education. She stepped down from her role as Chief Executive Officer of Activate Learning in March 2022. Activate Learning, based in Oxford, runs schools, further education colleges and work-based training across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Surrey, and delivers higher-education and international study programmes.

Professor Ian Chapman, Chief Executive Officer of the UK Atomic Energy Authority based at Abingdon, has received a knighthood for services to global fusion energy.

John Crabtree, based in Worcestershire, who chaired the 2022 Commonwealth Games organising committee has also received a knighthood for his services to sport and the community in the West Midlands.

Officers of the Order of the British Empire

Distinguished regional or county-wide role in any field, through achievement or service to the community including notable practitioners known nationally.

Professor Alan Dover, based in Leamington Spa, has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to the automotive industry. He is chairman of the Coventry-based Advanced Propulsion Centre.

Professor John Finnis, based in Oxford, has also been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to legal scholarship.

The Lord Mendoza, commissioner for culture who lives in Oxfordshire, and Louise Mitchell, Chief Executive of the Bristol Music Trust, have both received OBEs for their services to arts and culture.

Founder and chief executive of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Gordon Sanghera, has also been awarded an OBE for his services to the technology sector.

Susie Burrage, managing director of Buckinghamshire-based Recycled Products Ltd has been awarded an OBE for services to recycling and the environment.

Robin Faccenda, formerly chairman of Buckinghamshire-based Faccenda Investments, has also received an OBE for services to the UK poultry industry and education.

Alaric Horridge, Chief Executive of the Cadet Vocational Qualification Organisation has received an OBE for services to further education.

Elizabeth Jackson, Head of Space Exploration at the UK Space Agency in Swindon, has received an OBE for services to the space sector.

Adam Matthews, based in Buckinghamshire and Head of the International Stream of the Centre for Digital Built Britain has received an OBE for services to export growth. The CDBB was a partnership between the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the University of Cambridge, established in 2017 by the government, sought to deliver a smart digital economy for infrastructure and construction, and to transform the UK construction industry’s approach to the way it plans, builds, maintains and the country's social and economic infrastructure for the future.

David Palmer-Jones, formerly CEO of Maidenhead-based Suez Recycling and Recovery, has received an OBE for services to recycling.

Professor Timothy Vorley, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean at Oxford Brookes Business School has been awarded an OBE for services to enterprise, entrepreneurship and innovation.

Members of the Order of the British Empire

Achievement or service in and to the community which is outstanding in its field and has delivered sustained and real impact which stands out as an example to others.

Barbara Beadman, based in Stourbridge in the West Midlands, has been awarded an MBE for services to the glass industry. Barbara is the immediate Past Master 2022 Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers of London. A retired glass industry specialist, she has more than 25 years experience of the hand made sector.

Catherine Belton, author and investigative journalist who lives in Oxfordshire, has been awarded an MBE for services to journalism. From 2007 to 2013, she worked at the Financial Times as the newspaper's Moscow correspondent, having previously written about Russian current affairs for both The Moscow Times and Business Week.

Zoë Bowden, formerly deputy director of operations at ISIS Neutron and Muon Sources, has been awarded an MBE for services to science. ISIS is a world-leading centre for research at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Its neutron and muon instruments give unique insights into the ​properties of materials​ on the atomic scale. ​ ​

Patrick Bradley, CEO at the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership has received an MBE for his services to the local economy and community of Wiltshire.

Anthony Dent, formerly automotive director at the Bristol Port Company, who lives in Gloucestershire, has been awarded an MBE for his services to the automotive sector.

Ben Francis, founder and CEO of Solihull-based Gymshark, has received an MBE for his services to the business sector. Ben lives in Gloucestershire.

Sarah Golding, who lives in Gloucestershire, has received an MBE for her work as a disability employment adviser for the Department of Work and Pensions.

David Handley, who also lives in Gloucestershire, has received an MBE for his services to financial education. David is Financial Capability Lead, Future Skills for HSBC UK.

Bhavena Patel has received an MBE for her services to further education. Bhavena, who is based in Coventry, is Senior Relationship Manager, Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

Professor Rashant Pillai, the Director of Cyber Quarter and Associate Dean at the University of Wolverhampton has been awarded an MBE for services to Cyber Security and to Education, Professor Pillai is based in Solihull.

Joanne Scott, Commercial Lead for the Vaccine Taskforce, who is based in Bristol, has been awarded an MBE for services to public health during Covid-19.

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire

British Empire Medals are awarded for a 'hands-on' service to the local community. 

Tweedy (Alan Digweed) has been awarded a British Empire Medal for his services to the circus and community in Stroud, Gloucestershire

Robert Johnston, technical services manager at the University of Warwick has been awarded a British Empire Medal for his services his services to physics.

James McBride has been awarded a British Empire Medal for his services to businesses in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. James is an area council member for Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.

Tim Rance, production manager at Oxfordshire-based Penlon, has been awarded a British Empire Medal for his services to the Covid-19 response.