The New Year’s Honours List was published last Thursday (30th December) in recognition of the achievements of a wide range of extraordinary people right across the United Kingdom.
Hundreds of sports stars, celebrities, scientists, community champions and politicians have been recognised in the New Year's Honours.
The list consists of 1,197 honours and women statistically making up more than half of those on the list, with 603 earning an award representing just over 50% of the total.
Also 9.3% of the successful candidates come from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background, the greatest ever number of BAME recipients in an honours list including a Knighthood, given to Professor Shankar Balasubramanian, Herchel Smith Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, at University of Cambridge for his services to Science and Medicine as well as 322 BEMs, 503 MBEs and 222 OBEs around 10% of the honours are for work in education with Team GB’s Olympic and Paralympic stars making up another 10%.
However yet again the Honours List has attracted much criticism with Jeremy Corbyn voicing his anger at the number of awards that have been handed to Tories and their supporters.
The Parliamentary and Political Service Committee has made a number of recommendations, including knighthoods for Julian Brazier, Conservative MP for Canterbury and Whitstable, David Crausby, Labour MP for Bolton North East, and Steve Webb, former minister and ex-Liberal Democrat MP for Thornbury and Yate.
Overall 14 people are honoured for "political service" - 10 Tory supporters, two Labour and two Lib Dems. Seven members of DWP staff are nominated including for "services to welfare reform".
The boss of the Department for International Development, Mark Lowcock, is made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.
And 12 members of Home Office staff are on the list, including Theresa May's former legal advisor Peter Fish and former Deputy Principal Private Secretary Alastair Whitehead.
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Knighthoods
- Professor Shankar Balasubramanian: Herchel Smith Professor of Medicinal Chemistry. University of Cambridge. For services to Science and Medicine. (Cambridgeshire)
Balasubramanian, 50, is the co-inventor of Next Generation DNA sequencing, considered the most transformational advance in biology and medicine for decades, the citation accompanying his knighthood announcement said.
Born in Madras (now Chennai) India in 1966, Shankar Balasubramanian moved to the UK with his parents in 1967. He grew up in a rural area just outside Runcorn in Cheshire and attended Daresbury Primary School, then Appleton Hall High School (which has since amalgamated to form Bridgewater High School).
He then went on to study at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, where he did his undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences (1985–88) and continued with a PhD for research on the Reaction mechanism of the enzyme Chorismate synthase supervised by Chris Abell (1988-1991).
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
- Naim Ibrahim Attallah: Publisher. Quartet Books. For services to Literature and the Arts. (London)
- Hardip Singh Begol: Director. Independent Education Safeguarding in Schools and Counter Extremism, Department for Education. For services to Education. (London)
- Professor Kamaldeep Singh Bhui: Professor of Cultural Psychiatry and Epidemiology. Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine Queen Mary University of London. For services to Mental Healthcare. (Amersham, Buckinghamshire)
- Ravindra Pragji Govindia, MBE: Leader Wandsworth Borough Council. For services to Local Government and the community in Wandsworth, London. (London).
Ravibhai was born in Uganda and arrived in the UK in 1972 where he studied Law at Queen Mary College where he also became active in Conservative Party.
In 1982 he became the first Asian Councillor to be elected to Wandsworth Council and went on to hold many key positions before being elected Leader of the Council in 2011.
He was previously awarded MBE for his community service to diverse organisations in arts, community relations and disability rights . His significant past credits include chair of Tara Arts, head of finance at Greater London Association of Disabled People and Treasurer of Friends of Seva Mandir UK.
He played a key role in securing the Northern Line extension to Nine Elms in north Battersea, which unlocked central London’s biggest economic development and home building programme.
- Professor Anita Thapar: Clinical Professor. Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences Cardiff University. For services to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (Cardiff)
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- Abdul Fazal Bhanji: Deputy Chair. University of London Board of Trustees. For services to Education and Young People. (London)
- Imran Gulamhuseinwala: Global Lead for FinTech. Ernst and Young. For services to Financial Services. (London)
- Mrs Poonam Gupta: Chief executive Officer, PG Paper Company Ltd. For services to Business and charity. (Greenock, Renfrewshire)
Poonam Gupta, the multi-award winning chief executive of paper supplier PG Paper in Greenock, received an OBE for services to business and charity.
PG Paper has grown into one of Scotland’s biggest exporters and the company works closely with a number of charities including Action for Children Scotland and Oxfam’s South Asian campaign.
The business, which is owned by Gupta and her husband Puneet Gupta, acquired some of Tullis Russell’s brands after the papermaker collapsed in 2015.
Bookbinding expert Maureen Duke, who has spent a lifetime honing her craft and passing on those skills to others over the course of 70 years, was made a BEM (Medallist of the Order of the British Empire) for services to the craft of bookbinding.
- Naseem Aslam Khan: Managing director. Jennings Motor Group. For services to the Economy and charity. (Stockton on Tees, Durham)
- Dr Brinder Singh Mahon: Chief executive Officer. Nishkam School Trust. For services to Education. (Birmingham, West Midlands)
- Professor Ghulam Jeelani Mufti: Professor of Haemato-oncology. School of Medicine King's College London. For services to Haematological Medicine.
- Avtar Singh Purewal: Regional head of Learning and Skills. HM Prison Service Yorkshire. For services to Prisoners.
- Jasvir Singh: Founding Chair. City Sikhs. For voluntary service to Faith Communities and Social Cohesion.
- Mohammad Taj: President. TUC. For services to Trade Unionism. (West Yorkshire)
- Dr Hakim Yadi: Chief executive Officer. Northern Health Science Alliance. For services to Healthcare Technology and the Economy. (London)
Members of the Order of the British Empire
- Councillor Mohammed Aikhlaq: Chair of Governors. Leigh Primary School Birmingham. For services to Education. (Birmingham, West Midlands)
- Imran Amed: Founder and chief executive Officer and Editor-in-chief. The Business of Fashion. For services to Fashion. (London)
- Mrs Anjana Purnawaty Appiah: Foster Carer, Islington Council. For services to Children. (London)
- Krushnah Appiah: Foster Carer. Islington Council. For services to Children. (London)
- Surjit Singh Chowdhary: Vice-president. Central Gurdwara Singh Sabha Glasgow. For services to the Sikh Community and charity. (Glasgow)
- Parkash Singh Dhami: President. Telford Gurdwara. For services to charity and Community Cohesion. (Telford, Shropshire)
- Arjuna Gihan Fernando: Investor and Entrepreneur. For services to the Digital Economy. (Sevenoaks, Kent)
- Mrs Sharan Ghuman: Higher Officer, Outbound Detection Heathrow, Border Force. For services to the Safeguarding of Vulnerable People. (Colnbrook, Buckinghamshire)
- Mrs Sunita Golvala: For services to South Asian Dance in the UK. (London)
- Mrs Uzma Johal: Festival director, Frequency Festival and Co-founder and director, Threshold Studios. For services to the Digital Economy in the East Midlands.
- Mrs Sarbjit Kaur: Detective Sergeant, Merseyside Police. For services to Policing. (Wirral, Merseyside)
- Javid Khan: For services to the Prevention of Forced Marriage and Honour Based Violence. (Blackburn, Lancashire)
- Massa Singh Nandra: For services to charity and the community in South London. (London)
- Shezad Arif Nawab: Co-founder and chief Operating Officer. Sfhere. For services to Business and Diversity. (Solihull, West Midlands)
- Inayat Omarji: For services to Built Heritage and the community in Bolton. (Bolton, Greater Manchester)
- Priyesh Patel: Managing director. Cofresh Snack Foods. For services to the Economy in Leicestershire and to Exports. (Leicestershire).
As the boss of the UK's top Asian snack company Priyeshbhai was named Leicester Mercury Business Executive of the Year 2015. He was also named Business Executive of the Year for a medium-sized company.
Cofresh makes more than 200 products ranging from Bombay mix to potato snacks which sell in chains such as Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons. The family business has 100 staff and is anticipating a UK turnover of around £25 million this year – up from £22 million last year, with further growth planned after moving into new premises in Menzies Road, off Abbey Lane.
Speaking to Asian Voice he said: I am grateful for the leadership and support of my parents, my family and the team at Cofresh who are the heart of this recognition. I am humbled and deeply honoured to be recognised to receive a MBE in the Queen’s New Year 2017 Honour List’
- Mrs Vanita Patel: Anti-Slavery Ambassador, Worldwide Eradication of Slavery. For charitable services to Human Rights. (London).
Vanitaben lives in Kingston-Upon-Thames. She balances family life with her husband, children, grandchildren and cares for older relatives whilst supporting her family business interests.
For the past 22 years Vanita has found the time to devote her energy into a cause that she is most passionate about – the end of modern slavery – and has managed to fundraise £1.5 million for a range of anti-slavery projects both here in the UK and abroad.
Her passion for the cause and persistence is contagious not only is she brilliantly diligent, she has the ability to motivate people into giving the charity their products, time and services for nothing. This is what marks her out as a truly incredible charity fundraiser, as well as in applying encyclopedic event supplier knowledge.
- Ms Indhu Rubasingham: Artistic director. Tricycle Theatre. For services to Theatre. (London)
- Mohammed Abid Saleh: Detective Constable. CSE Team Lancashire Constabulary. For services to Policing and the community in East Lancashire. (Blackburn, Lancashire)
- Mohamed Karim Sbihi: For services to Rowing. (Kingston upon Thames, Surrey)
- Mukesh Shah: For charitable and community service in the UK and Abroad.
- Mrs Sangeeta Rajesh Shingadia: Field Force Officer, HM Revenue and Customs. For services to Debt Collection and charitable service in the UK and India. (London)
- Professor Sital Singh Sitara: For services to Sikh Heritage and Culture. (London)
- Miss Manisha Tailor: For services to Football and Diversity in Sport. (London)
- Jatinder Verma: Co-founder. Tara Arts. For services to Diversity in the Arts particularly Drama.
Born in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania and grew up in Nairobi, Kenya. Migrated to Britain in 1968. Co-founded Tara Arts in 1977 and remains its Artistic Director, developing a unique “Binglish” cross-cultural theatre style, where Asian theatre sensibilities meet European drama.
In 1990, Jatinder became the first non-white director at the National Theatre, staging his own adaptation of Molière’s Tartuffe. This was followed by the first-ever staging at the National of the Sanskrit classic The Little Clay Cart.
Since 2010, has been leading on the renovation of Tara’s home in south London to create Britain’s first multicultural theatre, fusing Edwardian brick and Indian wood. Due to open in September 2016.
Jatinder holds Honorary Doctorates from the universities of Exeter, York and De Montfort, Leicester and is an Honorary Fellow of Rose Bruford College.
- Mrs Mira Vyas: Senior Executive Officer, Universal Credit Programme, Department for Work and Pensions. For services to Welfare and the community in London. (London)
Miraben has worked for the DWP for 33 years and is one of 11 department staff members to be given the award this year. She was described by colleagues as a “stalwart” of the Barnet community, known for founding a breakfast and after-school club in the area to help new parents get back into work.
- Dr Premila Nalini Webster: Director of Public Health Education and Training. Nuffield Department of Population Health University of Oxford. For services to Public Health. (Oxfordshire)
- Mrs Riffat Perveen Young: Head of Corporate Services, Department for International Development Nepal. For services to International Emergency Response. (London)
British Empire Medal
- Miss Trudi Jeannette Abadi: Manager. National Confidential Unit North of England, National Crime Agency. For services to Law and Order. (North Yorkshire)
- Mohammed Farooq: For services to Fundraising and Providing Meals to Disadvantaged Children in Peterborough. (Peterborough, Cambridgeshire)
- Mrs Habidah Glass: School Volunteer, Clayton Village Primary School, Bradford and Gladstone Primary School, Scarborough. For services to Education. (Bradford, West Yorkshire)
- Emrul Islam: Chairman. Newark Youth London Limited. For services to Sport and the community in East London. (London)
- Pirthipal Singh Kang: For services to Fire and Rescue Awareness and Community Cohesion in North Kent. (Gravesend, Kent)
- Ms Davinder Kaur: Chief executive Officer. SWEDA and Chair Sandwell Consortium. For services to Women's Enterprise and the community in Sandwell, West Midlands. (West Bromwich, West Midlands)
- Gurcharan Mall: For services to British Asian Music and Performing Arts. (Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands)
- Siraaj-ul-Haq Nadat: Senior Quality of Life Facilitator. Changing Our Lives. For services to People with Disabilities in the West Midlands. (Walsall, West Midlands)
- Sewa Singh Nandhra: For services to the community. particularly in Woolwich. London. (London)
- Mrs Carmen Patel: Formerly head of Year 11, Oasis Academy Coulsdon, Croydon. For services to Education. (Crawley, West Sussex)
- Mrs Parita Paritaten Patel: For voluntary and charitable services to Poverty Reduction in India. (London)
- Ms Indu Popat: Hindu Priest. Ashton under Lyme Hindu Temple. For services to Asian Women in the North West.
- Baljinder Singh Rana: Chairman. Guru Nanak Football Club. For services to Football and Inclusion in Kent.
- Mrs Vijey Rattan: Chair, Naree Shakti. For services to Interfaith Relations in Enfield. (London)
- Miss Nadia Fauzi Saba: For services to Triathlon in Bristol. (Cliftonwood, Bristol)
- Miss Qurratul Annie Zaidi: For services to Football Coaching. (Nuneaton, Warwickshire)
Diplomatic Service and Overseas List
These are for those who live and work overseas but have made a significant contribution.
OBE
- Professor Ram Prasad (Robin) Sengupta: Chairman. Institute of Neuroscience Kolkata. For services to people with neurological disease in the UK and India, and to the UK/India relationship.
MBE
- Shehzad Charania: Formerly First secretary. The Hague Netherlands. For services to international law and legal diplomacy.
Queen’s Police Medal for England and Wales
- Jagdev Singh Atwal: Chief Superintendent. Derbyshire Constabulary.
