The New Year's Honours list 2022

Her Majesty the Queen has been pleased to honour 1,278 British citizens for service to society in the 2022 New Year's honours. 

Among those honoured have been a number of people who were heavily involved in the battle to protect the British people against COVID-19 including the Chief Medical officers for England, Scotland, Wales and the CEO of Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland, Chris Whitty, Gregor Smith, Frank Atherton and Richard Pengelly. 

Also recognised are Chief Government Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Jonathan Van-Tam and the former joint holder of that office and current head of the Medical Security Agency Dr Jenny Harries.

However, the honours for fighting COVID-19 have not gone only to senior government advisors. For her work on the vaccine rollout, Emily Lawson receives a Damehood. Others honoured for their response to the pandemic include Alice Jackson, Nicola Perfect and Bridget Stratford who receive BEMs (British Empire Medals) for their community responses to COVID-19.

I was also pleased to see a number of people from Cumbria honoured in this list. They included Mrs Sajdah Perveen Ghafoor who received an OBE (Officer of the order of the British Empire) for services to Cultural Awareness and Integration in Cumbria. Other residents of Cumbria honoured included Mrs Margaret Emma Bravo - Manager, St Peter's Pre-School, Carlisle - for services to Education; and Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd) Timothy Brian Jackson Coombe for services to the community in Brampton, both of whom were made MBE (Members of the Order of the British Empire.)

The Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) included Jonathan Gibson for services to Cricket Coaching and to Youth Development, and Cumbria Fire and Rescue Group Manager, John Craig Wall, for charitable services in the county. Andy Slattery, who recently retired as Assistant Chief Constable of Cumbria Constabulary was among those who receive the Queen's Police Medal.

The people who run the honours system try to make it inclusive of everyone in British society. While reports in the news tend to focus on celebrities and sports people, they do not form the majority of those on the honours list. Of the 1,278 people who receive an award this time:

  • 799 (63%) of the recipients are people who have undertaken outstanding work in their local communities either in a voluntary or paid capacity
  • 612 women are recognised in this list, representing 47.9% of the total
  • 15.1% of the successful candidates come from an ethnic minority background:
    • 8.4% of recipients are from an Asian ethnic group
    • 3.6% of recipients are from a black ethnic group
    • 2.5% of recipients with a mixed ethnic background
    • 0.6% of recipients come from another ethnic background
    • 13.3% of the successful candidates are disabled or have a long-term health condition
    • 25.5% of recipients considered themselves to come from a lower socio-economic background
    • 3.5% of recipients are LGBT
This honours list also recognises a number of fantastic contributions from people of all ages. Tobias Weller and Max Woosey, who are 11 and 12 years old respectively, receive BEMs for their huge fundraising efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and are among the youngest ever recipients of an honour. 

The oldest person on the List is Henry Lewis, who at the age of 102 is Honorary Vice President of magician’s society The Magic Circle and receives an MBE for services to fundraising and charitable causes

A further breakdown of the diversity statistics will be available at the new dedicated honours website honours.cabinetoffice.gov.uk which has been launched to improve accessibility, transparency and inclusivity of the honours system. You can read the full New Year Honours List on GOV.UK.

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