# Fundraisers and charity leaders among Queen’s New Year’s Honours List award recipients

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/12/31/fundraisers-and-charity-leaders-among-queens-new-years-honours-list-award-recipients/
- Published: 2020-12-31T16:22:04+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The 2021 New Year Honours List, announced last night, includes 1,239 recipients,
recognised for “their extraordinary contributions in all four nations of the United
Kingdom”. Of these 65% have been recognised for their community work, including 
fundraisers and charity leaders.**

## Oldest awards recipients

The oldest recipients this year are both fundraisers. **Anne Baker** from Salisbury
in Wiltshire, who is 106, receives an MBE for fundraising for the NSPCC. She is 
closely followed by 104 year old **Ruth Saunders**, who receives an MBE for walking
a marathon to raise money for Thames Valley Air Ambulance.
 

## Fundraising leaders

**Carol Akiwumi** and **Paul Amadi** have both been awarded MBEs in recognition 
of their fundraising achievements and for their service to fundraisers and the fundraising
profession, in particular through the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.

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> Thank you all for the kind wishes. 
> I’m flattered & humbled by the recognition
> for my MBE. I’m also acutely aware that thereare so many phenomenal people paving
> the way in their communities who haven’t made it on the [#Honours2021](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Honours2021?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> list. [pic.twitter.com/34mMk1oL4G](https://t.co/34mMk1oL4G)
> — AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE (@AmickyCarol) [December 31, 2020](https://twitter.com/AmickyCarol/status/1344587472433508359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

 Peter Lewis, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, said: “
I’m delighted that Carol and Paul have been awarded MBEs in recognition of their
great achievements as fundraising leaders.  They have been great servants to the
fundraising community over the years. Not just a fantastic fundraisers raising millions
for amazing causes, but also as long-time volunteers and Fellows of the Chartered
Institute of Fundraising, Paul as a former Chair and Carol, our current Vice-Chair.

> We are delighted that Paul Amadi, our Chief Supporter Officer, has also been awarded
> an MBE for over two decades of dedicated fundraising work for charities including
> the British Red Cross, MS Society, and Diabetes UK. (2/3) [pic.twitter.com/8NDnuibilG](https://t.co/8NDnuibilG)
> — British Red Cross 🧡 (@BritishRedCross) [December 31, 2020](https://twitter.com/BritishRedCross/status/1344570379466141701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

“As founders of Black Fundraisers UK and as members of our EDI Committee, they have
both driven the agenda on equality, diversity and inclusion within the profession
and these honours are hugely deserved and merited.”

Indeed, the Cabinet Office’s announcement of this year’s award recipients claimed
that the New Year Year Honours List “is the most ethnically diverse honours list
yet, with 14.2% of recipients coming from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background”.

603 women are recognised in the list, representing 49% of the total; 6.9% of the
recipients consider themselves to have a disability (under the Equality Act 2010);
and 4% of recipients identified as being LGBT+.

Carol Akiwumi, together with Fozia Irfan of BBC Children in Need, took the occasion
of their awards to support calls for the honours system to break with Britain’s 
colonial past and instead confer the awards in the name of ‘British Excellence’ 
and not the ‘British Empire’. They each shared an image of a joint letter to The
Times calling for this change sent by fellow charity and public sector leaders who
have received honours.
 The Brain Tumour Charity’s Head of Strategy, **Clare Normand**,
receives an OBE. She is also a fundraiser and raises awareness in her son’s name
for the charity. She and her husband have [raised £700,000 in his](https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/get-involved/our-supporter-groups/supporter-groups/groups/the-alec-normand-fund/)
memory. 

## Charity leaders

The Small Charities Coalition was quick to spot lots of leaders at large and small
charities last night and to congratulate them in a Twitter thread.

 https://twitter.com/sccoalition/status/1344418337825169412

> Thank you for all the kind wishes on my OBE, something I had never envisaged but
> which I accept on behalf of others. Indulge me as I mention them here- firstly,
> for my mum married at 17, but who fought for our education as the first girls 
> from our 'clan' to go to university 1/5 [pic.twitter.com/hNpUy43NaO](https://t.co/hNpUy43NaO)
> — Fozia Irfan (@irfan_fozia) [December 31, 2020](https://twitter.com/irfan_fozia/status/1344551346587004929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> Going to stop trying to keep up with notifications – so blanket thank you for 
> your congrats on the OBE. Delighted 2balongside the fabulous deserving [#NeverMoreNeeded](https://twitter.com/hashtag/NeverMoreNeeded?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> charity leaders, supporters, volunteers etc (&the thousands more who work tirelessly
> under the radar everyday).
> — caron bradshaw (she/her) (@caronlb) [December 30, 2020](https://twitter.com/caronlb/status/1344422888737275909?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

 **Nikki Scott**, the founder of bereaved military children’s charity, [Scotty’s Little Soldiers](http://scottyslittlesoldiers.co.uk/),
has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her support for young people who
have lost a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.

She set up Scotty’s Little Soldiers in 2010 in honour of her husband, Corporal Lee
Scott, who was killed in Afghanistan the previous year. Nikki saw the devastating
impact Lee’s death had on their two young children and wanted to help others in 
the same situation.
 

## Celebrity supporters

Actor Sheila Hancock receives a damehood for services to drama and charity.
 

## Other recipients and responses

> Pleased to see colleague [@PeterWanless](https://twitter.com/PeterWanless?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [@NSPCC](https://twitter.com/NSPCC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) receive a Knighthood in
> the [#newyearhonours](https://twitter.com/hashtag/newyearhonours?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> list. Well deserved recognition for many years of dedicated service to children
> and young people.
> — Javed Khan OBE (@JavedKhanCEO) [December 30, 2020](https://twitter.com/JavedKhanCEO/status/1344426773006659586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

 https://twitter.com/vidhyaalakeson/status/1344561896410800128

> So pleased and proud of [@Hambofoundation](https://twitter.com/Hambofoundation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> as he receives an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours! Hambo you have worked tirelessly
> for years helping others through some unbelievably difficult times, you are such
> an inspiration to everyone! Congrats Matt Hampson OBE! [#getbusyliving](https://twitter.com/hashtag/getbusyliving?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [pic.twitter.com/yt33L0Tj3O](https://t.co/yt33L0Tj3O)
> — Andy Goode (@AndyGoode10) [December 30, 2020](https://twitter.com/AndyGoode10/status/1344415413514498051?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> So proud of our mate [@pablito100001](https://twitter.com/pablito100001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> and his MBE. Congratulations 🥳 
> Paul has worked tirelessly this year so [@BritishRedCross](https://twitter.com/BritishRedCross?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> can respond at home & abroad to COVID19 & other emergencies. I honour you & your
> team! With all my heart. 😘
> — nicola_tallett (@nicola_tallett) [December 31, 2020](https://twitter.com/nicola_tallett/status/1344571314611376134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

## ⏎ How to nominate someone for an honour

You can [nominate someone for an honour](https://www.gov.uk/honours/nominate-someone-in-the-uk)
online on the gov.uk site.

Given how many fundraisers, charity and community leaders, volunteers and supporters
deserve recognition for their outstanding work, UK Fundraising has twice featured
how to nominate someone for an honour. It is a straightforward process.

• [How to nominate someone for a Queen’s Honour](https://fundraising.co.uk/2011/01/26/how-nominate-someone-queen039s-honour/)(
26 January 2011)
• [How to nominate someone for a MBE or honour](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/08/31/nominate-someone-mbe-honour/)(
31 August 2017)  

## More on honours for good work

 * **[Free support to boost recognition of LGBTQ activists](https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/06/19/free-support-to-boost-recognition-of-lgbtq-activists/)(
   18 June 2021)**
 * **[OBE for Mark Astarita, British Red Cross Director of Fundraising](https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/06/13/obe-for-mark-astarita-british-red-cross-director-of-fundraising/)(
   13 June 2015)**
 * **[Deadline extended for Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Awards 2012](https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/09/07/deadline-extended-queen039s-diamond-jubilee-volunteering-award-2012/)(
   7 September 2012)**

_Main image: [Member of the Order of the British Empire MBE](http://www.defenceimages.mod.uk/).
Crown copyright – used under [Open Government License](https://flic.kr/p/dfL4CZ)._

  
