Over 1,000 people from across the UK have received honours in HM The King’s Birthday Honours List 2024, published by the Cabinet Office of whom 4.6 per cent are Asian, 3 per cent are black, 1.6 per cent have a mixed ethnicity and 0.4 per cent come from “another” ethnic background.
Women make up 48% of this year’s honourees, with 40% being awarded a CBE or higher. This marks an improvement from the late Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2019, where only 31% of the highest honours went to women. Additionally, 30% of the recipients identify as coming from a lower socioeconomic background, a significant increase from 17.8% in the New Year’s List of 2021 when this metric was first recorded.
The youngest recipient is 20-year-old Shamza Butt, who was honoured with a BEM for her contributions as a Member of the National Citizens’ Service Trust Youth Voice Forum. Rizwan Rehman, the chair of governors at Lapage Primary School and Nursery, also received a British Empire Medal for his services to education.
Additionally, writer Jamila Gavin was awarded an MBE for her contributions to children’s literature. Gavin has authored over 40 novels and short stories over a 40-year career, with her latest work focusing on India’s contributions to Britain’s efforts in World War One.
Alan Bates, founder of the Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance, has been awarded a Knighthood for his services to justice. Tracey Emin receives a DBE for her contributions to art, and Imelda Staunton is honoured with a DBE for her services to drama and charity.
This year's list celebrates individuals who have made an immeasurable impact on people’s lives across the country, through innovative solutions and significant contributions to public life. The honourees include active community champions, innovative social entrepreneurs, pioneering scientists, passionate health workers, and dedicated volunteers.
British Asian Trust Vice-Chairs honoured
In recognition of their philanthropic services , British Asian Trust’s Vice-Chairs , Asif Rangoonwala and Shalni Arora, have been awarded CBE and OBE respectively by His Majesty King Charles III in the Birthday Honours list 2024.
Asif Rangoonwala CBE received the honour for services to Charity and Philanthropy. As a prominent business leader and philanthropist, Asif has been a driving force in the philanthropic landscape for many years, with a focus on creating positive change within communities both in the UK and South Asia. Through the Rangoonwala Foundation, he has championed numerous projects aimed at improving the quality of life for disadvantaged individuals.
The Foundation's work includes providing scholarships for underprivileged students, funding medical research and facilities and supporting community development programmes. Asif said, "I am deeply honoured and humbled to receive this recognition. I will strive to further our mission of creating a more equitable and compassionate world."
Shalni Arora OBE received her award for Social Cohesion and Philanthropy. She has dedicated decades to supporting numerous charitable causes. As a philanthropist and social entrepreneur, she has been actively involved in numerous charitable initiatives that address critical social issues. One of her notable achievements includes founding the Savannah Wisdom Foundation, which supports a range of projects aimed at empowering disadvantaged communities.
Shalni said, “This award is a testament not just to me but to the incredible work of so many partners. Together, we strive to create a more inclusive and compassionate society, and I share this award with everyone who has supported our mission.”
In their roles at the British Asian Trust, Asif and Shalni have been instrumental in advancing the Trust's mission to tackle poverty and inequality. Their efforts have significantly contributed to the Trust's programmes which have impacted the lives of millions of people across South Asia.
Excellence of British Sikhs celebrated
Several distinguished individuals of Sikh and Sikh heritage have been honoured in the King's Birthday Honours List, celebrating their exceptional contributions across various fields, including community service, arts, education, and public service.
Among the recipients is Jasvinder Kaur Sanghera CBE, a human rights campaigner and founder of the charity Karma Nirvana, which supports victims of forced marriages and honour-based abuse. She has been extensively recognised for her courage and dedication to justice. She receives a Damehood for services to victims of child, forced marriage, and honour-based abuse.
Upon hearing about her honour, Jasvinder said, "As I receive my Damehood, the legacy of Karma Nirvana lives on, and I will persist in speaking out on issues that silence many individuals within our communities. Currently, I am working on various campaigns, and I will utilise this honour for the greater good, as there is still much work to be done. I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have collaborated with me over the years. I thank you for providing platforms and believing in the causes I have campaigned for. I reflect on the fact that many have perceived me as being without honour. I believe that my honour is their shame."
Another recipient is Lakhbir (Laks) Singh Mann. Laks is a Metropolitan Police Officer and the LGBTQ+ lead for South Asian Heritage Month. He is a Mayor of London appointed Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Advisor to City Hall, advocating through an intersectional lens of race, ethnicity, faith, LGBTQ+, and working-class lived experiences.
Laks receives an MBE. When asked about his honour, he said, "I've been at the forefront of national EDI initiatives in UK policing as the first South Asian and Sikh Police Officer to speak openly and publicly about being gay. As a South Asian queer, I'm incredibly proud to be recognised with this accolade—especially given its Pride month and just ahead of South Asian Heritage Month, of which I'm a Trustee. This honour is dedicated to all those who strive for their intersectional identity to be lived to the fullest."
Other recipients of Sikh heritage in the civilian list include Dr Rabinder Kaur Buttar, Balwinder Kaur Dhanoa, and Dr Amrik Singh Mahal.
OBE for Subhash Thakrar
Subhash V Thakrar OBE, a chartered accountant and recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the Institute of Chartered Accountants, is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Over the years, he has held numerous public and private offices.
Notably, he served as Chair of the London Chamber of Commerce, founded the Asian Business Association at the Chamber, and was a Commissioner at the UK Government's Department for International Development. Subhash has led and participated in prime ministerial trade missions to Africa and India.
He is the founding Chair of Charity Clarity and serves as a trustee for charities such as the Jaspar Foundation, 3Rs Trust, and most recently as Chair of the Attlee Centre. Passionate about his family, Subhash is also an avid student of the Bhagavad Gita. He is a non-executive board member of several UK and international companies. He received an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Reacting to the honour, Mr Thakrar told Asian Voice, “This was indeed a pleasant surprise which I accept in all humility. These events happen due to well wishes of family and friends of whom my wife Rekha in most noteworthy. She has to be a joint owner of this honour.”
Anoopam Mission will honour and celebrate Mr Thakrar’s appointment on Friday, June 21, 2024 in the presence of Sadguru Sant Param Pujya Ashvindada.
Shamza Butt: A young achiever
The youngest recipient in HM The King’s Birthday Honours is Shamza Butt, 20, serves as a police officer, and has taken on an array of voluntary roles as well as projects to help her local community, and to combat youth crime.
Shamza was nominated by NCS and has received a BEM in HM The King’s Birthday Honours. Shamza said: “When the headed letter from Buckingham Palace came through the post, I couldn’t have felt more honoured! I had to Google it and double check to make sure it was real!”
She added: “I have done so much work with National Citizen Service, from social action and charitable work to volunteering at the Queen’s funeral and the King’s Coronation. My work with the Peer Action Collective has enabled me to campaign against knife crime.
“I arrived in the UK as a young 16 year old who wanted to learn the language and make some friends. I joined NCS for a summer and it is the best thing I ever did. My confidence boosted up and I have met so many people including friends for life and done so many remarkable things.
“My parents are very proud. I’m the first to do a lot of things in my family, including volunteering and winning an award.”
NHS staff recognised
NHS staff including paramedics, nurses and doctors are among dozens of frontline workers recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours.
The head of the NHS, Amanda Pritchard, has said the awards recognise the dedication and skill of NHS staff, saying, “The NHS is incredibly lucky to have such skilled and dedicated staff, and I am delighted that so many of them have been recognised in the Birthday Honours.”
British Asians recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours include, Professor Jamshed Bomanjo, Pradip Patel, Dr Imran Rafi and Dr Amar Shah.
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Jasvinder Kaur Sanghera
Founder, Karma Nirvana and Human Rights Campaigner
For services to the Victims of Child, Forced Marriage and Honour-Based Abuse
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Monica Ali
Writer
For services to Literature
David Krishna Menon
Head of Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge
For services to Neurocritical Care
Asif Rangoonwala
Chair, Rangoonwala Foundation
For services to Charity and to Philanthropy
Dipesh Jayantilal Shah
Lately Chair, National Highways
For services to Transport
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Shalni Arora
Founder Trustee, Belong and Founder, Savannah Wisdom Charitable Foundation
For services to Charity and to Philanthropy
Jamshed Bomanji
Head, Clinical Department, Institute of Nuclear Medicine, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
For services to the NHS and to Global Nuclear Medicine
Rabinder Kaur Buttar
Senior Enterprise Fellow, Strathclyde University
For services to Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership in Business, and to Life Sciences
Sonya Naiken Byers
Chief Executive Officer, Women in Transport and Patron, Women on the Move Against Cancer
For services to Diversity
Shruti Kapila
Professor of History and Politics, Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge
For services to Research in Humanities
Rosh Mahtani
Founder, Alighieri Jewellery
For services to Jewellery Design and to Philanthropy
Hannana Siddiqui
Head of Policy, Complaints and Research, Southhall Black Sisters
For services to the Prevention of Violence Against Women
Rajesh Vasantlal Thakker
Lately President, Society for Endocrinology
For services to Medical Science and to People with Hereditary and Rare Disorders
Subhash Vithaldas Thakker
Lately Chair, London Chamber of Commerce
For services to British Trade and Investment in Africa
Members of the Order of the British Empire
Saima Ashraf
Senior Finance Auditor, Merseyside Police
For services to Policing
Hari Bahadur Budha Magar
Adventurer, Campaigner and Charitable Fundraiser
For services to Disability Awareness
Namir Rahim Chowdhury
Regional Representative for Europe and the Americas, Commonwealth Youth Council
For services to Young People in the UK and Abroad
Zia Us Samad Chowdhury
For services to the Bangladeshi Community in the West Midlands
Archana Rao Dannamaneni
Customer Compliance Group, HM Revenue and Customs
For services to Tax Compliance
Balwinder Kaur Dhanoa
Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Progress Care Group, West Midlands
For services to Children with SEND and their Families
Bharati Dwarampudi
Advanced Customer Support Senior Leader, Department for Work and Pensions
For Public Service
Jamila Elizabeth Gavin
Writer
For services to Children's Literature
Shobna Gulati
Actor, Writer and Dancer
For services to the Cultural Industries
Syed Nasir Jaffri
For services to Integration in Glasgow
Samina Khan
Director, Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, University of Oxford
For services to Higher Education
Rakesh Kumar
Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist, Hergest Unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd
For services to the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities
Tariq Mahmood
Founder, Feed the Needy and Vice-Chair, Havering Inter Faith Forum
For services to Charity and to Interfaith Relations
Lakhbir Singh Mann
Founder, Gaysians
For services to Charity, Integration and to LGBTQ+ Communities
Shiraz Master
Founder and Managing Director, Simply Doughnuts
For services to the Promotion of Food and Drink, to Business and to Philanthropy
Furqan Naeem
Founding Organiser, Greater Manchester Citizens
For services to Interfaith Relations and to the community in Greater Manchester
Nevita Pandya
Headteacher, Townley Grammar School, Bexleyheath, London Borough of Bexley
For services to Education
Pradip Patel
Lately Chair, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
For services to the NHS
Hassan Christopher Pillai
Volunteer
For services to Fundraising and to Cancer Support
Amar Shah
Chief Quality Officer, East London Foundation Trust and National Clinical Director for Improvement, NHS England
For services to Healthcare Improvement
Kiran Jethalal Shah
Stuntman and Scaledouble
For services to the Film Industry
Tanvi Bakul Kumar Vyas
Member, Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee
For services to Transport
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire
Sellathurai Chandrakumar
Postmaster
For services to the community in Notting Hill, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Amrik Singh Mahal
Global Head of IT for Research, AstraZeneca
For services to Science and the Covid-19 Response
Jaysukhlal Shantilal Mehta
Director and OneJAIN Panel Coordinator, Institute of Jainology and OneJAIN UK
For services to Faith, Integration and Humanitarianism
Supriya Nagarajan
Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Artistic Director, Manasamitra
For services to Music
Rizwan Rehman
Chair of Governors, Lapage Primary School and Nursery, Bradford, West Yorkshire
For services to Education
Chandulal Hirji Rughani
Chair, Lohana Social Club
For services to the community in North London
