Locals recognised in New Years Honours

The Queen's honours list is out and people from across Leicestershire have received awards.

CLLR IVAN OULD, ATHERSTONE

For services to local government

Leicestershire County Council Cabinet Member for Children and Families has been awarded an OBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours List. County council leader Nick Rushton has today congratulated Ivan and praised his "tireless public service." He said: "Ivan has dedicated his life to making children's and young people's lives better and I'm delighted his hard work has been recognised. As lead member for schools and children's services since 1997, he is one of the longest serving in the country. Ivan's tireless public service is an example to set for everyone and no one is more deserving of this award."

MR JOHN VERNON CHEETHAM, LOUGHBOROUGH   

For services to the community in Loughborough, Leicestershire

A passionate gardener, for the last 14 years he has been a committee member of the UK British Standards Institute for Fertilizer Standards. He developed a device that was used for the taking of samples from large bags of fertilizer, to ensure that samples taken from the centre of bags were equal to those on the surface. He also joined the Loughborough Lions in 2004 and became president in 2018. He has chaired many groups looking to raise funds for the many initiatives that the group supports including the Agape Mission International and the Mgutwa Secondary School Arusha in Tanzania. The school provides education to orphans and young people from disadvantaged families. For the last 23 years, he has been a volunteer at the Loughborough Rainbows Children’s Hospice. He is also involved with the Loughborough Talking News, which provides recorded local news from the Loughborough Echo. He has been a member of the Good Shepherd.

MR BRIAN LEONARD HALL, IBSTOCK
For services to the community in Ibstock, Leicestershire

In the 1970s he led the formation of a youth club and football club that are still successful today. Ibstock, in the late 1980s, was a village with the majority of its population employed in coal mines. Like many of the surrounding towns and villages, it was hit badly by the closure of the pits. Trying to improve the community, he helped form Ibstock Community Enterprises (ICE). ICE opened a community shop, employing local residents and providing advice to the community. He became Chair of another group, the Palace Community Centre in 1995 and under his leadership the funding was secured to enable the Palace to be restored and brought back into use as a community centre. Since its opening it won the East Midlands Market Town’s Social and Community Category Award in 2007. In 1998 he became involved in the creation of a two-day Christmas festival in Ibstock that he ran until 2013. After stepping down he set up another Christmas event at the Palace that now provides a free Christmas meal for 100 vulnerable and elderly people from the parish.  

MRS NITA CHRISTINA PEARSON, COALVILLE

For services to the community in Thringstone, Leicestershire

She deserves recognition for her service to the village of Thringstone in Leicestershire. She transformed the village of Thringstone in so many ways, not least by co-founding Friends of Thringstone. For the last 13 years, she has kept the village tidy by litter picking, speaking in schools and instigating a sense of pride in the village. She organised the transformation of the waste ground into a beautiful area by planting of bulbs. She has co-operated with a housing developer who is building in the village and provided historical contexts for road names on the new estate. She raised funds after the Methodist Chapel was flooded, and when a local man lost his home in a fire. She takes every opportunity to promote the village by giving talks and setting up heritage events at the local community centre and with the surrounding villages. She uses the local summer events such as the Coalville and Whitwick Picnics in the Park to run stalls and organise events. She writes a quarterly newsletter, entitled the Thringstone Bauble telling residents what is going on and has persuaded 13 people to deliver a copy to every address in the village. There are 1,700 copies delivered each quarter. She has also devoted a great deal of time to the village’s history, writing and publishing 16 books about the village and its people.

MRS RITA ANNE SHEEHAN, STONEY STANTON

Manager, Community Centre Playgroup, Leicestershire. For services to Children and the community in Leicestershire

She is a long-standing and admired member of her community in Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire. She has dedicated the past four decades of her life to Stoney Stanton Community Centre Playgroup, nurturing and encouraging children to reach their full potential, including those with special educational needs. She began volunteering at the playgroup in 1977 and 10 years later became manager. She encourages all the children in her care to express themselves, through art, music and speech. While she tirelessly works to manage the playgroup, she is also instrumental in organising weekly swimming lessons for all of the playgroup children, as she deemed this essential to ensure their safety, due to the village being surrounded by quarries. Through this the children gain swimming experience and water confidence. Outside of the playgroup she takes an active role in supporting families with children who have special needs. She has inspired her staff to train and gain the qualifications needed to ensure the quality of education and care at the playgroup. Now in her 80s, she continues to take part in Sports Day, seasonal plays and activities at the playgroup. She has also given over ten years of service as a governor to the local primary school. In 2014, the Stoney Stanton Parish Council presented her with an Outstanding Contribution to the Community award, which recognised her dedication and exemplary services to the community.

Shepshed Firefighter Andrew Parkin from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service was recognised for his services to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and to Mental Health.