The King’s Birthday Honours List 2026 has been published, celebrating dedicated individuals from across the North East who have served their communities and country. The awards recognize exceptional achievements, with a particular focus on community change-makers.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the awards, stating: "Across the UK, people are quietly changing lives and strengthening their communities. This Honours List is a chance to recognise them. Their dedication shows how lasting change is built - through compassion, resilience and a commitment to others. It speaks to the decent, hopeful country we are proud to be, and on behalf of the whole nation, I want to say thank you."
Awards including MBEs, CBEs, OBEs, and BEMs have been handed to community champions in areas such as Northumberland, County Durham, and Tyne and Wear. Below is the full list for the North East, with recipients' names and award details.
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Tyne and Wear
Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)
- Helen Christine Gordon. Chief Executive Officer, Grainger plc (based in Newcastle). For services to the Property Industry. (London, Greater London)
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
- Dominic Robin Crofts Llewellyn. Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AchieveGood. For services to the Impact Economy. (Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear)
- John Michael Pearce. Lately Director of Children's Services, Durham County Council. For services to Children and Young People. (Tyne and Wear, Tyne and Wear)
- Dr Ian Ritchey FREng. Director, Connect Northumberland. For services to Engineering. (Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear)
- Alyson Lynn Scurfield. Chief Executive, TEC Services Association. For services to Technology Enabled Care. (Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear)
- Alice Witherow. Chief Executive Officer, Cheviot Learning Trust, Northumberland. For services to Education. (North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear)
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- Nigel Frederick Coates. Lately Director of the Business Clinic, Northumbria University. For services to Higher Education and to Business. (Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear)
- Alison Dunn. Chief Executive Officer, Citizens Advice Gateshead and Executive Director, Society Matters CIC. For services to the community in the North East of England. (Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear)
- Thomas Patrick Fennelly. For services to Search and Rescue. (South Shields, Tyne and Wear)
- Paul Anthony Mackings. For services to Business and the community in the North East of England. (Sunderland, Tyne and Wear)
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
- Richard Anderson. Customs Control Framework Risk and Controls Lead, Borders and Trade, HM Revenue and Customs. For services to Charity. (Gateshead, Tyne and Wear)
- Lynn Hope. Lately Head Coach and Manager, Northern Hope Gymnastics Club. For services to Inclusive Gymnastics. (Washington, Tyne and Wear)
- Debra Jayne Padgett. Pathology Network Operational Lead and Clinical Pathology Lead, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Biomedical Science in the NHS. (Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear)
King's Fire Service Medal (KFSM)
- Stewart James Nicholson. Chief Fire Officer, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue. (Tyne and Wear)
Northumberland
Knights Bachelor
- Christopher John Mullin. Former Sunderland South MP. For Political and Public Service. (Alnwick, Northumberland)
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- Samantha Jane Allen. Chief Executive, NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board. For services to the NHS. (Morpeth, Northumberland)
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
- John Philip Birkett Marshall. Lately Chair, Newcastle Gateshead Initiative. For services to the Local Economy in the North East. (Morpeth, Northumberland)
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- The Reverend Canon Glyn Evans. For services to the community in Morpeth, Northumberland. (Morpeth, Northumberland)
- Margaret Anne Lester. County Adviser and lately County Commissioner, Girlguiding Durham North and Northumberland. For services to Girlguiding. (Bambugh, Northumberland)
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
- Barbara Scrimshaw. Fundraising Organiser, The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals. For Charitable Service. (Alnwick, Northumberland)
County Durham
Knights Bachelor
- Professor Carlos Silvestre Frenk CBE FRS. Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics, Durham University. For services to Astrophysics and Cosmology. (Durham, County Durham)
- David Alan Sproxton CBE. Durham University graduate. Co-Founder and Trustee, Aardman Animations. For services to the Animation Industry, the Creative Industries and to Charity. (Bristol, Bristol)
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- Rhiannon Jane Hiles. Chief Executive, Beamish Museum. For services to Museums and to the Culture and Heritage of North East England. (Durham, County Durham)
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
- Dr Martin Raby. Principal and Chief Executive, The Northern School of Art, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool, North Yorkshire and County Durham. For services to Higher Education. (Cleveland, County Durham)
- Dr Colin Mark Richardson. Assistant Professor, Northumbria University. For services to Firefighter Safety. (Lanchester, County Durham)
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- Graeme Michael Black. Risk Advisory Assurance Lead, Department for Work and Pensions. For services to Young People in the community of Durham. (Chester Le Street, County Durham)
- Brenda Gillian Bland. For services to Swimming in Great Britain. (Hartlepool, County Durham)
- Sundas Khalid. Co-Founder and Director, Association of South Asian Midwives. For services to Charity and Healthcare. (Darlington, County Durham)
- Shirley Kathryn Smith. Founder and Trustee, If U Care Share Foundation. For services to Suicide Prevention. (Chester-Le-Street, County Durham)
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
- Geoffrey Hill. Chair, RAF Middleton St George Memorial Association. For voluntary services to Aviation History. (Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham)
- Faye Marsh. Peer Mentor Manager, Darlington Borough Council. For services to Children and Young People in County Durham. (Spennymoor, County Durham)
- Adrian Richards. Police Community Support Officer, Durham Constabulary. For services to the community in Chester-le-Street, County Durham. (Ferryhill, County Durham)
- Caroline Tyerman. Lately Lead Practitioner, SEND and Inclusion, Brougham Primary School Hartlepool. For services to Education. (Durham, North Yorkshire)
- Allison White. Founder, Great Aycliffe Cancer Support Group. For services to Supporting People with Cancer. (Aycliffe, County Durham)
King's Fire Service Medal (KFSM)
- Amanda Jane Dixon. Temporary Group Manager, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service. (County Durham)
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