Unsung heroes recognised in Queens Birthday Honours list

Having an ambivalence to the honours list it’s pleasant to note some deserved awards in the health, disability and charity realm.

A total of 1,163 people are honoured in the list, with women slightly outnumbering men.

Katie Cutler the woman whose internet appeal raised £300,000 for a mugged disabled pensioner has been recognised.

Katie, 22, of Gateshead, has received a British Empire Medal following the appeal in aid of Alan Barnes.

Mr Barnes, 67, also of Gateshead, was mugged outside his home in January. Donations came from across the world.

Alan Barnes has spoken of his delight at Katie Cutler’s British Empire Medal

The oldest recipient is 103-year-old Dr Wiliam Frankland who was honoured with an MBE for his work on allergy research, while the youngest was 17-year-old cerebral palsy sufferer Natasha Lambert, who was given a BEM for fundraising.

James Titcombe is awarded an OBE after exposing the cover-up at Furnes General Hospital following the death of his son Joshua, nine days after he was born in 2008.

The work by James, of Dalton-in-Furnes, Cumbria, led to an independent inquiry into Morecombe Bay NHS Trust.

Pearly King Jimmy Jukes is given an OBE for founding the charity Homes 4 Heroes, which helps homeless ex-servicemen. Clarissa Baldwin, former head of the Dogs Trust, is named a CBE.

Motor neurone disease sufferer Gordon Aikman, who set up GordonsFightback.com and raised almost £300,000, receives a BEM. He said he was ‘thrilled’.

The list: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-queens-birthday-honours-list–in-full-8659792.html

“For those who have unselfishly striven to improve our society – Congratulations”