The wide variety of contributions to public life by people from Essex is recognised once again.
Four CBEs, four OBEs, ten MBEs and ten BEMs have been awarded by The King in the New Year’s Honours List 2026 to individuals in our county.
These contributions include excellence in the fields of housing, defence, national security, public safety, education, culture, sport, women’s rights, nature conservation, young people and local community service.
For services involving medical research and for sufferers of hard-to-treat diseases, for example:
Hilary Evans-Newton has been awarded a CBE for her services to charity as CEO of Alzheimer’s Research UK
James Irvine has been awarded an MBE for his services to the Epidermolysis Bullosa Rare Disease Community as immediate past Chair of DEBRA
Robert Anthony Mays has been awarded a BEM For services to Parkinson’s Disease Sufferers and Charitable Fundraising
It also gives us great pleasure to note the award of an MBE to Martin Dennis Solder, who although living outside Essex has done great service to the young people of Essex through his work with the Essex Boys & Girls Clubs, of which he is the County Director.
Commenting on the list of recipients, Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, Lord-Lieutenant of Essex, The King’s personal representative in the county, said:
“I am proud of all the recipients of national honours in our county who have been recognised in the list announced today. Their achievements are truly outstanding, and I would like to congratulate each one of them.
I would encourage anyone who knows someone, who is making a big difference to others in their community, to nominate them for a national honour and to help them achieve public recognition at the highest level for their contribution to society.”
THE ESSEX LIST 2026
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Dr John Martin BAGSHAW – For services to Quantum Science in the Aerospace and Defence Sectors (Chelmsford)
Ms Hilary May EVANS-NEWTON – Chief Executive Officer, Alzheimer’s Research UK. For services to Charity (Saffron Walden)
Mr Richard Haworth FARNES – Conductor. For services to Music (Colchester)
Mrs Catherine FRANCIS – Director of New Towns, Infrastructure and Housing Delivery, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. For Public Service (Buckhurst Hill)
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Mr Jeffrey David ASSER – Assistant Director, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. For services to the North Sea Transition (Grays)
Ms Jane Louise HUBERT – Head of Quality for Acute Specialised Commissioned Services, Direct and Specialised Commissioning Quality Team, South East Region, NHS England. For services to Cancer Patients (Colchester)
Mr Paul LEWIS – Firmwide Managing Partner, Linklaters LLP. For services to the community in Newport (Ingatestone)
Mrs Vivien SANDERS – Principal Officer, Cabinet Office. For Public Service (Chelmsford)
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Mrs Olusola Oluronke Anike ALABI – Director, Exam Success Education Centre. For services to Education (Purfleet)
Professor Michael Kevin ALMOND QVRM VR DL – Professor, Veterans and Families Studies, Anglia Ruskin University and Chair, Essex Reserve Forces and Cadets Association. For services to Service Personnel and Veterans (Billericay)
Mr Richard Stewart AUSTIN – Fundraiser. For services to Charitable Fundraising and Rugby (Brentwood)
Mr Alexander GIBSON BEM – Founder and Chair, Challenging Motor Neurone Disease. For Charitable Service (Brentwood)
Miss Aileen HENDERSON – Hand Embroidery Supervisor, Wyedean Weaving Ltd. For services to Defence Ceremonial (Canvey Island)
Mr Roger Charles HIRST – Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Essex. For services to Policing and to Community Safety (Brentwood)
Mr James Francis IRVINE – Lately Chair, DEBRA. For services to People Living with Epidermolysis Bullosa (Colchester)
Mrs Valerie Tarere LOLOMARI – Founder, Women of Grace UK. For services to the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls (Bishop’s Stortford)
Mr Ronald Charles MILLS – Trustee, Jack Petchey Foundation. For services to Young People in London and Essex (Billericay)
Mr Paul RAYMOND – For services to the English Shotokan Karate Association in the South East (Great Dunmow)
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
Mr Dean Ron James APPLETON – Community First Responder, East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust. For services to the community in the East of England (Colchester)
Mrs Joan Eilleen BARFIELD – For services to the community in Colchester, Essex (Colchester)
Mrs Christine June FOY – Leader, Girlguiding. For services to Young People in Epping (Epping)
Mrs Maureen Alice Rhoda GEDDES – For services to the community in Hatfield Broad Oak (Hatfield Broad Oak)
Mr Leslie John HAWKINS – Community Special Constable Co-Ordinator, Essex Police. For services to Policing and to the community in Essex (Leigh-on-Sea)
Mr Robert Anthony MAYS – For services to Parkinson’s Disease Sufferers and to Charitable Fundraising (Leigh-on-Sea)
Mrs Angela Patricia O’CALLAGHAN – For services to Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace (Colchester)
Mrs Judith Ann PICKESS – Leader, Girlguiding. For services to Young People in Essex (Chelmsford)
Mrs Julie TAYLOR – For services to the community in Maldon, Essex (Chelmsford)
Mr Valentine Freeman WEST – For services to Charitable Causes and to the Gurkha and Afghan communities in Colchester, Essex (Colchester)
More About Honours
The Individual Honours system in the UK is designed to recognise people and who make a real difference to their community or in their field of work.
You can nominate someone for an Honour here >
You can find out more about Honours here >
View the full 2026 New Year Honours List on the Government website here >
About The Lord Lieutenant of Essex
His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Essex is Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, appointed in 2017. She is His Majesty the King’s personal representative in the county.
The main duty of the Lord-Lieutenant is to uphold the dignity of the Crown in Essex, including encouraging voluntary service and benevolent organisations, helping to create a spirit of co-operation in the county, supporting business and industry and the social life of Essex.
The appointment is non-political and unpaid.
Find out more about the role of a Lord-Lieutenant and the Lieutenancy >
Find out about a Day in the Life of HM Lord-Lieutenant of Essex >
If you would like to invite HM Lord-Lieutenant of Essex to attend an event, please contact the Lieutenancy office here >
