East Midlands political grandee awarded one of highest-ranking honours in New Year List
Margaret Beckett, the Labour MP for Derby South has been awarded one of the highest ranks in the British honours after being awarded a Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours List. She has been recognised for parliamentary, political and public service.
In the business world, Martin Rigley, the former managing director of Lindhurst Engineering, adds an OBE to his MBE for services to the East Midlands’ Covid-19 response and to the community in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Rigley told TheBusinessDesk.com: “Receiving an honour is a humbling experience and even more poignant when it’s in recognition for supporting the response to the Covid pandemic.
“Without the fantastic businesses across the East Midlands and South Yorkshire who donated PPE (for use by frontline staff), they had and could not use due to furloughing their staff, the campaign would never have got off the ground.
“So, a huge thank you must go out to the business community, local resilience forums and individuals who supported me in the campaign.”
Sarah Armitage
Elsewhere, a Derby woman who has spent more than 20 years volunteering in local schools has been awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours List for her services to education.
Sarah Armitage was chair of governors at Richardson Endowed Primary School in Smalley – the school attended by her children – for eight years. Now chair of the Embark Federation trust board, she has played a key role in helping the multi-academy trust to grow since its inception in 2019; it now serves 23 schools and 8,000 pupils across Derbyshire.
Armitage, who has worked with the University of Derby, Tarmac and Vinci Energies with her leadership business Work Vitality, said: “It is an honour and a surprise to be awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours List.
“I am passionate about fulfilling the potential of young people across Derbyshire, and it is nice to have been recognised in this way for doing something that I feel so strongly about, and also love doing.”
“Governance within Embark is also very much a team effort, I’m hugely fortunate to be part of committed community of trustees and governors who give so much to our schools.”
Christian Horner, team principal and CEO of Northampton-based F1 team Red Bull Racing, adds a CBE to his OBE – for services to motor sport.
Rachel Doyle, Newark-based director of SE2 and Chirpy Heat gets an OBE for services to energy efficiency and diversity and inclusion.
John Everitt, the West Bridgford-based CEO of the National Forest Company gets an OBE for services to conservation, while Paul Heygate, joint MD of the Heygate Group in Towcester, receives the same honour for services to the food industry and charity.
Tajinder Banwait, the founder of Leicestershire-based Urban Apothecary, receives an MBE for services to business and the beauty industry.
Meanwhile, Nottinghamshire and England cricketing legend Stuart Broad has been awarded a CBE for services to cricket, and former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Peter Shilton receives the same honour for services to football and the prevention of gambling harm.
In higher education, Jon Brookes, professor of Physics as the University of Nottingham, is awarded an OBE for services to physics, while Margaret Aderin MBE, the chancellor of the University of Leicester has been made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to science education and diversity .
In politics, Margaret Throup, the Conservative MP for Erewash also gets an OBE for services to political and public service, Eunice Campbell-Clark, the former Nottingham city councillor also get an OBE for services to local government.
Meanwhile, Nicola van der Drift, the chief executive at the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincolnshire, receives an OBE for services to heritage.
