Long-serving youth worker Nina among Fylde recipients of honours in New Year list

Nina Beavers, a director of the UR Potential community interest company, based in South Shore, has been awarded an MBE for services to the community in Blackpool.

The 66-year-old, who lives in Fleetwood, joined UR Potential around 12 years ago after previously working in youth services for Lancashire County Council since the 1980s across the whole Fylde coast.

At UR Potential, Nina plays a key role in helping to place 16-17 years olds in employment as well as finding volunteering roles for the young people and working with LGBT groups as well as running Blackpool Youth Council, which works closely with a host of local organisations, including Blackpool Council.

"I love my job and I was absolutely flabbergasted when I heard I had been nominated for this honour – I literally couldn’t speak for half an hour,” said NIna.

“I’m delighted and overwhelmed to receive this recognition. I would like to thank those responsible for making the nomination for the time and effort they have invested.

"I started my youth and community work career at the Church Army Youth Club on Lord Street, Fleetwood in the 1980s, and have since worked at many different locations across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre.

"It has been my greatest pleasure to meet and work with so many young people and adults over the years, and to be a small part of their journey.

"My motivation and reward comes from seeing young people in particular develop into great adults that now make their own positive and valuable contribution to their communities.

“I would like to acknowledge previous managers who were willing to pass on their knowledge and experience and offer me many opportunities to develop. Thanks also to all my past colleagues, and the wonderful team I work with now at URPotential, all of whom work tirelessly to provide services to the community.

“The volunteers I have worked with have given so much time to help others and they continue to inspire me. Thanks must also go to my family and friends who have supported me throughout my career.

“Although this is a personal recognition I do believe that it also celebrates the brilliant work done by so many individuals and organisations across the Fylde coast.”

Meanwhile, CBEs are awarded to Bev Robinson, chief executive and principal of Blackpool and the Fylde College, for services to further education, and Nagesha Dwarampudi Reddy, of Lytham St Annes, portfolio director Labour Market and Plan for Jobs at the Department of Work and Pensions, for public service.

Ms Robinson already holds an OBE, awarded for Services to Further Education in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 2018, and presented at Buckingham Palace by the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles III.

With more than 20 years’ experience in further and higher education colleges, Ms Robinson has overseen continuous success since arriving at B&FC in 2013.

She said at the time of being awarded her OBE: “This honour is in recognition of the work of everyone at Blackpool and The Fylde College.”

An MBE goes in the New Year honours to Blackpool-based Professor Naseem Naqvi, who, in 2017, founded and established the British Blockchain Association, which specialises in promoting evidence-based distributed ledger crypto technology.

The lead author of UK’s National Blockchain Roadmap, which was published, last year, he works full time as a senior medical doctor on NHS front lines, and devotes every evening, weekend and family time to furthering the UK’s standing in the Blockchain sector.

The Association, already one of the biggest of its kind in the world, says Professor Naqvi has transformed the UK, and indeed global, landscape of the sector.

Before Professor Naqvi, who receives his award for services to Blockchain and Digital Ledger Technologies, the UK had no national blockchain association to assume the necessary leadership role and represent blockchain in Britain or abroad.

In 2018, he was named a “Think-Tank” and a “Blockchain Influencer” by the UK Parliament in a report published by UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group on blockchain; he has set up the world’s first scientific, peer-reviewed, open-access blockchain research journal and in 2020, during the global pandemic, he oversaw and led the publication of two issues of the journal while working full time on the NHS front lines.

The journal’s editorial and review boards now has advisors from 58 countries and professor Naqvi has represented Britain at international conferences all over the world.

Also awarded an MBE is Sharon Bell of Poulton-le-Fylde, associated services manager at the Department of Work and Pensions, for public service.