Malcolm Hayday, founding chief executive of Charity Bank, and Caroline Mason, chief operating officer at Big Society Capital, were both awarded CBEs in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Hayday, who stepped down from his role at Charity Bank this year, was given the award for services to charities and social enterprise.

George Blunden, chairman of Charity Bank, said the honour was “a fitting recognition for [Hayday's] work and dedication in establishing Charity Bank and leading it for its first ten years”.

Mason was recognised for services to social investment.

In addition, Jim Clifford, trustee of the Centre for Public Scrutiny and partner at Baker Tilly, was given an OBE for services to social investment.

Meanwhile David Hutchinson, chief executive of Social Finance, was given an OBE for services to finance and Marie Marin, chief executive of Employers for Childcare Charitable Group, was given an OBE for services to social enterprise, as was Claire Dove, chair of Social Enterprise UK and a new Charity Commission board member.

In another nod to the social enterprise movement, Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, received a knighthood for services to business.

Figures from the world of social investment and social enteprise have seldom, if ever, featured so frequently in the Honours.  Their inclusion can be intepreted as a clear inference of how such models are becoming more mainstream.

Other sector figures awarded CBEs include:

• Pamela Chesters, lately chair of Action for Children, for services to vulnerable children
• John Farmer, chairman of the Royal British Legion, for voluntary services to ex-servicemen
• Dr Carol Homden, chief executive of the Thomas Coram Foundation for services to children
• Pauline Leeson, chief executive of Children in Northern Ireland, for services to children
• Neil McIntosh, former chief executive of the CfBT Education Trust, for services to children
• Dr Jennifer Dixon, chief executive of Nuffield Trust, for services to public health
• Anthony Tomei, former director of the Nuffield Foundation, for services to education

Those receiving OBEs include:

• Gareth Owen, emergency director, Save the Children, for services to emergency crisis response abroad
• Michael Phillips, chair, Keep Britain Tidy, for services to the community and local environment
• Andrew Ross, lately chief executive of the Children’s Trust, for services to children
• Saleh Saeed, CEO, Disasters Emergency Committee, for services to humanitarian work
• Srabani Sen, chief executive, Contact a Family, for services to children and family
• Catriona Williams, chief executive of Children in Wales, for services to disadvantaged children young people and their carers

The director of the Tate, Sir Nicholas Serota, was made a Companion of Honour and the director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Michael Stratton, was knighted for services to medical science.

Arts philanthropist Michael Hintze was knighted and philanthropists Phyllis Somers and Janet Wolfson de Botton were made dames.

In total 1,180 people recieved an award, with women making up 47 per cent of recipients.