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King Charles awards OBEs, 2024 (Alamy)
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King Charles awards OBEs, 2024 (Alamy)
World News

Unsung Christian heroes make Honours list

by Lydia Davies

The New Year Honours list, which marks Sir Keir Starmer's first as Prime Minister, predominantly acknowledges achievements in sectors like sport, education, and healthcare, notably diverging from a focus on religious contributions seen in previous years.

Among over 1200 honorees, direct references to church services are scarce, with interfaith efforts gaining more visibility.

Prominent figures like Sir Leszek Krzysztof Borysiewicz and Dame Jacqueline Wilson were recognised for their contributions to cancer research and literature.

Other notable recipients include actor Stephen Fry, for mental health advocacy, and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan for public service.

Also included are some of Britain's unsung heroes - one of them being Pastor Stephen Redman from Ark Church in York who's been awarded an MBE for his work with families of children battling cancer.

He told Premier Christian News that he "got a mystery envelope from 10 Downing Street printed paper." He originally thought that it "must be a scam," but it proved not to be.

Pastor Stephen was inspired to start his charitable work due to the death of his son, Rocky, to cancer in 2002. He said: "Rocky has left his mark on our lives, when we lost Rocky I felt that I had to put something back into the system".

The list also honours individuals for their work in faith and integration, including John Bateman-Champain of the Faith and Belief Forum and Hina Bokhari of the Naz Legacy Foundation.

Meanwhile, efforts in justice saw recognition with OBE awards to campaigners in the Post Office Horizon IT scandal.

Among those awarded MBEs were Roger Evans for ecclesiastical heritage preservation and several clergy for services to policing, education, and palliative care.

Contributions to music were acknowledged with an MBE for Michael Harris of St Giles’ Cathedral.

Interfaith relations proponents Moawia Bin-Sufyan and Lucien Gubbay received MBEs for their community cohesion efforts.

Additionally, trustees of the Association of Jewish Refugees and other figures supporting Jewish community welfare were honoured.

The honours extend to individuals across various fields including education, scouting, animal welfare, and services to vulnerable populations.

The British Empire Medal (BEM) recognised contributions towards tackling homelessness, supporting prison services, and enhancing community welfare.

 

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