Queen’s honours highlights: 2015
With 2015 drawing to a close we thought we would take one final opportunity to highlight some inspirational people who received a Queen’s honour over the last year.
Although there is the inevitable media circus surrounding the well-known actors, pop stars and sporting heroes who are awarded gongs, here at AI, we like to highlight the people working under the radar who’s outstanding work is having a positive impact on others.
Helen Dolphin MBE – Helen’s story is quite remarkable. In 1997 Helen lost both her legs and hands after contracting Meningococcal Septicemia. Since then she has devoted her life to helping others in a similar position. Her voluntary work with the charity Meningitis Now has been inspirational as well as her work with Disabled Motoring UK. On top of all this Helen is also one of the best swimmers in the country within her S5 category. I think it’s fair to say that Helen fully deserved the MBE for services to disabled people that she received in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in June.
Charlie Spencer OBE – Founder and Executive Chairman of the Spencer Group, Charlie Spencer was awarded an OBE for his services to business. Charlie set-up the Spencer Group from scratch 25 years ago to become the award-winning engineering company it is today. With projects in the UK and abroad the company turnover has risen to £140 million and employs over 400 people. Following his business success Charlie fully supports a number of community projects which encourage entrepreneurship in young people.
Virginia Beardshaw CBE – Virginia Beardshaw (pictured above) received a CBE in the 2015 New Years Honours List for services to children with special needs and disabilities. She was CEO for I Can, a charity dedicated to improving children’s speech and language. Virginia lead the charity for just over a decade and rightfully received a CBE for her tireless work.
Sir Naim Dangoor KBE – Sir Naim Dangoor was awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for ‘his extraordinarily generous philanthropy to a range of health, educational and religious charities.’ Sir Naim was 101 when he received his KBE, making him the second oldest knight. Sir Naim’s level of philanthropy was quite outstanding giving away millions. After fleeing to the UK as a refugee from Iraq, Sir Naim, built a property empire which enabled him to support many charity and community projects. Interestingly, Sir Naim received an OBE in 2006 and a CBE in 2012 before being made a knight in June 2015. Sadly, Sir Naim passed away only a few months after receiving his KBE.
If these amazing people have inspired you to nominate a friend, family member or business contact for a Queen’s honour, download our free Ultimate Guide to Queen’s Honours now.
Contact us today for a fee assessment of their chances of success. Simply call us on +44 (0)1444 230130 or email enquiries@awardsintelligence.co.uk.
Please note: individuals profiled above are not necessarily clients of Awards Intelligence.
