Fareham residents receive New Year honours
By Connor Steel
FIVE Fareham residents have been named in the annual New Years Honours List which was released yesterday (December 31), joining over over one thousand UK awards for services completed in 2021.
The first was Stephen Park, who is the British Cycling Director based in the town. He was awarded an OBE for services to the sport after a successful summer at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
The team saw 12 medals in the Olympics and many more in the Paralympics to top the table in the sport; despite a lack of supporters in the velodrome due to Japan’s coronavirus restrictions.
Secondly was Joanna Rowland who was given the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in recognition for her work during the Covid-19 pandemic, being made interim manager in August 2020.
In her role the senior civil servant has overseen and helped secure many of the Chancellor’s support packages to businesses over the UK, alongside offering job protection under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Similarly Owen Abbott, from Titchfield, has been awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to Census and Population Statistics; with data collected daily during the pandemic alongside the ongoing analysis of statistics from the 2021 census held in March last year.
He joins Arron John Maspero who was awarded an MBE in the list for his services to the successful Census, with results likely to be released in late spring 2022. The field operation leader was crucial in conducting the first-digital only data collection in trying circumstances of lockdowns and Covid-19 restrictions.
And finally twelve-year-old Seren Killpatrick has been named in the Honour’s list for her fundraising achievements earlier this year, paddle boarding from Gosport to the Isle of Wight to secure life-saving treatment for her father.
The youngster completed the five mile journey in mid-September and raised more than £100k, which meant her dad could have poton-beam treatment on his brain this winter and return home for Christmas.
Although it is not known whether she got an award, the twelve-year old Is one of the youngest names on the list alongside Tobias Weller; the eleven-year old from Sheffield receiving the British Empire Medal.
Other headlines from the released list include a knighthood for medical officers Professor Chris Whitty and Professor Jonathan Van-Tam in honour of their work in the last 18 months. Dr Jenny Harries and Dr June Raine, have become dames for their work in the health crisis alongside the resulting vaccine rollout.
Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair has also been knighted, whilst Kate Garraway was made MBE for services to broadcasting, journalism and charity for documenting her husband’s battle with Covid-19.
Readers can read the full list of awards that cover all areas and aspects of UK society, which was released on the Government website on New Years Eve. They can also read a BBC News guide to the honours and how they work here.
PICTURED: Fareham residents will receive New Year Honours for crucial and varying services to the UK in 2021
