The former director general of the Royal British Legion and the chief executive of Carers UK are among the voluntary sector workers to have received honours in the New Year honours list.
Both Chris Simpkins, former director general of the Royal British Legion, and Helena Herklots, chief executive of Carers UK, were awarded CBEs in the New Year honours lists, recipients of which were announced on 30 December.
Simpkins stepped down from the Royal British Legion last summer, having run the organisation for over nine years. He was previously chief executive of the Falkland Islands, and received his CBE for services to the Armed Forces Community.
Herklots joined Carers UK in 2012, having previously been the services director for Age UK. She has worked in the voluntary sector for over 25 years. Alongside her charity work, she has also contributed to a number of Government working groups covering care and support and spent on a year on secondment at the Department of Health.
Herklots is also chair of the NIHR School for Social Care Research Advisory Board and a trustee of the Centre for Ageing Better.
Other CBE recipients with links to the charity sector included Michael Pragnell, former chair of Cancer Research UK; Peter Weissberg, former medical director at the British Heart Foundation; Dr Margo Whiteford, chair of Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland; and Richard Winter, who served as the treasurer of Save the Children for 11 years.
Journalist and Alzheimer’s Society ambassador Angela Rippon also received a CBE for services to dementia care. She became an official ambassador for the charity in 2009, following the death of her mother, after she was diagnosed with the disease in 2004.
Charity workers who received OBEs included Brian Gale, director of policy and campaigns at the National Deaf Children’s Society; Sue Baker, director of Time to Change and Sarah Brennan, chief executive of mental health charity Young Minds.
Sue Farrington Smith, chief executive of Brain Tumour Research, and long-time Samaritans volunteer, Susan Green, were amongst those who received MBEs.
Amongst the recipients of knighthoods was Andy Murray, who received his award for both services to sport and to charity, including his work with WWF UK and Unicef. Ken Dodd also received a knighthood for services to entertainment and his work with his own charity.
Olympic rower Katherine Grainger was made a dame for her services to both sport and charity, while Patricia Routledge received the same honour for services to theatre and to charity.
1,197 people received awards in the New Year’s honour list for 2016/17.
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