Blackburn heads raft of honours for business leaders

BT North West director Mike Blackburn heads a group of prominent business leaders Queen’s Birthday Honours awards from the region.

Blackburn, who receives an OBE for his services to the North West economy, is also chair of Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), an organisation formed to help business and local authorities grow the local economy.

He is also a trustee of the Lowry Theatre in Salford and of NYAS, a UK charity providing socio-legal services offering information, advice, advocacy and legal representation to children, young people and vulnerable adults through a network of dedicated paid workers and volunteers throughout England and Wales.

“I’m thrilled and humbled to have been recognised in this way,” he told TheBusinessDesk.com. “Getting involved in Manchester and the wider North West is hugely satisfying because you can have a positive impact.

“But that impact is also down to the quality of the wider team in this area. I’m so fortunate to be working alongside some really inspiring and collaborative people, to whom I extend my thanks.”

Also receiving an OBE – for services to business and charity –  is Mark Adlestone, the Hale-based managing director of Beaverbrooks the Jewellers. His company contributes 20% of its post-tax profits to organisations through the Beaverbrooks Charitable Trust and the retailer facilitates its staff’s desire to give back by a offering a workplace giving scheme through salary sacrifice.

Their net donations are matched by the trust and the company also pays administration fees.

Oldham Council leader Jim McMahon will also receive an OBE for services to the community. He was awarded Council Leader of the Year in 2014 in recognition of the leadership given to create a council delivering great services. He has also been involved in a number of projects to make Failsworth, where he lives, a better place.

The 34-year-old said: “The OBE is a very humbling experience – to be honest I’m slightly overwhelmed by it.”

Meanwhile, the chief executive of Manchester International Festival, Alex Poots has been awarded a CBE for services to the arts.  He is standing down after 10 years to move to New York, where he will fulfil a similar role for the newly-created organisation Culture Shed.

Chester charity boss Norman Goodwin, chief executive of Adoption Matters, also receieved a CBE for services to social work.

Meanwhile, PR agency founder Sandy Lindsay, chair of Castlefield-based
Tangerine Public Relations and project director of the Juice Academy, was recognised for services to young people and business.

She is the first ever ambassador pioneering social media apprenticeships to honoured by the Queen.

Founded 13 years ago Tangerine now has 60 staff.

A surprised and delighted Lindsay said: “Our ambition for The Juice Academy is to continue to grow and we’re also keen to gain funding to introduce a much needed graduate model, so that we can start offering quality careers to graduates as well as school leavers.

“I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved at Tangerine – it was very important to me to prove an ethically run PR consultancy could be successful and I count myself very fortunate that I’m surrounded by so many people – clients and colleagues – who agree.”

Among the other North West recipients were Lancashire and England cricketer James Anderson and Frank Lampard,  the former England footballer who ended his career in England with Manchester City.