South West business leaders recognised in New Year’s Honours

The founder of Bristol-based medical manufacturing company Limbs & Things, Margot Cooper, has received an OBE in the 2025 New Year’s Honours.
Margot Cooper was TheBusinessDesk.com’s Ambassador of the Year at the 2023 South West Business Masters awards
The entrepreneur set up her company Limbs and Things in 1990 with a vision that clinical education should be as realistic as possible.
Limbs & Things now has 170 staff around the world as their products are used internationally to teach people to take blood, administer injections, deliver babies, learn about wound repair and carry out keyhole surgery.
Nick Hull, who took over from Cooper as managing director of the company last year, said: “We are delighted that Margot has been honoured in The New Year Honours List. For over 30 years Margot has been at the forefront of developing innovative medical teaching simulators that enable clinicians at all levels to build procedural confidence and competence, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
Fiona Pollard
“Trained as a medical artist, Margot identified a critical need for hands-on training equipment to enhance the learning experience. With the support of her family, she founded Limb & Things in 1990 starting from her kitchen counter. From there the business has flourished, designing and manufacturing simulators in our Bristol factory that are helping to teach clinical techniques in over forty countries.
“There is no doubt that Margot’s pioneering work has made a significant impact improving, and in many cases, saving lives around the world.”
Nicola Beauman, Persephone Books
Tourism and heritage specialist Fiona Pollard has been awarded a CBE. After a career in the city, she moved into the events sector and ran her own events company before becoming chair of the Roman Baths Foundation and is currently a member of the VisitEngland advisory board.
James Hygate, Firefly Green Fuels
There are OBEs for Firefly Green Fuels founder James Hygate, who has been a leader in the biofuels and low carbon sector for two decades, and publishing entrepreneur Nicola Beauman, who is the founder of Persephone Books.
Peter Clegg, Feilden Clegg Bradley
Architect Peter Clegg, the senior partner at Bath-headquartered practice Feilden Clegg Bradley, has received an OBE for services to architecture. His career has seen him lead projects acorss the UK, including Yorkshire Sculpture Park, London’s Southbank Centre, Brighton Dome, and work internationally on projects such as the Leventis Gallery in Cyprus and Green City Kigali in Rwanda.
MBEs have been awarded to Science Creates founder Dr Harry Destecroix, planning and heritage specialist Timothy Cantell, historic conservationist Sally Strachey, creative network Create Gloucestershire founder Pippa Jones, and managing director of bus operator Go South Coast Andrew Wickham.