Michelle Mitchell OBE, Chief Executive at Cancer Research UK (CRUK), shared a post on LinkedIn:
“What does it take to make a country fairer and kinder? Exactly one month ago, I saw the answer.
On a frosty morning in Whitehall, on the 29th December, I had the privilege of co-chairing the New Year Honours 2026 press briefing with Tariq Shah OBE – a member of the Public Service Honours Committee. It was a moment to pause and celebrate the people who make our communities stronger – often quietly, without fanfare.
This year, 1,157 people were recognised for their extraordinary contributions. Behind those numbers are stories of passion, resilience, and creativity. Here are a few milestones worth noting:
- 50/50 gender split for the first time since 2023
- 10% of recipients from ethnic minority backgrounds, meeting our target
- 67% live outside London and the South East, proving that change happens everywhere
- Growing socio-economic diversity across all levels of honours
I had the joy of meeting seven incredible recipients – from the Western Isles to Cornwall – each with a story that left me inspired. People like Carl Portman MBE, who uses chess to support prisoners, and Sandra Igwe MBE, who champions better maternity care for women facing complex challenges. Their determination and humour reminded me why this system matters: it shines a light on those who quietly transform lives.
When I joined the Community and Voluntary Honours Committee last year, it was because I believe recognition is powerful – not just for the individual, but for the communities they serve. We’re working hard to make the honours system reflect the UK in all its diversity.
If you’d like to learn more about the honours process or how nominations work, visit.
Recognition starts with awareness – and together, we can make sure these stories are told.
Congratulations to all seven inspiring people who I had the pleasure of meeting. Details of their incredible work is below:
Ryan Riley – BEM for founding Life Kitchen, a not-for-profit cookery school for those experiencing changes to taste and smell after the death of his mother from cancer.
Carl Portman – MBE for services to prisoners for his voluntary work bringing chess into prisons.
Ffion Mitchell-Langford BEM – BEM for services to the Natural Marine Environment and to the communities in North Wales.
Ben Towers MBE – MBE for services to the Startup Business Community, Excellence in Innovation and Enterprise.
Hilary Alba – MBE for her service as a community midwife and leader of the Special Needs in Pregnancy Service (SNIPS) team, in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Sandra Igwe MBE – MBE for her work as a maternal health advocate and founder of the The Motherhood Groupa social enterprise that supports Black and ethnic minority mothers and their maternal experience.
Serena Wiebe – BEM for her work as a knife crime campaigner, boxing coach and mentor at Empire Fighting Chance.
Read the full list of recipients here․”
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