New Year's Honours 2019: The Blackpool and Fylde people who have been recognised this year

Jon Bamborough has been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List in recognition of more than 15 years of service during which time he also founded the Blackpool Music Festival which raises money for the homeless.

Today he described his feelings as “humbled” but “delighted” as he was able to share the news for the first time.

Jon said: “I still can’t quite believe it.

“It’s kind of embarrassing as there are lots of people who do loads of work for charities and frontline organisations in Blackpool.

“I am humbled but absolutely delighted and feel so honoured.

“I just wish I could share it with my friends and family because I couldn’t do what I do without their help and support.

“So even though it may have my name on it, I do see it as a team effort.”

Jon was nominated for an award by his managers at the Department of Work and Pensions where he works as a case manager within Disability Services at Warbreck House.

Among the charities he supports is Streetlife, which operates a shelter and day centre in central Blackpool for young homeless people.

Jon, of Maitland Avenue, Anchorsholme, is married to Donna and has two children, Victoria, 26, and Benjamin, 19.

He added: “Helping the homeless is something I’ve always been involved in and in the past I’ve also helped the charity Shelter.

“Fund-raising for Streetlife is important to me because they are helping kids get back on their feet and we know where the money is going.

“Some of the work I do is very hands on, for example I cook once a fortnight at the Streetlife shelter.

“But I’ve also organised the Blackpool Music Festival for six years which raises money for the shelter.”

Jon and his team work year-round to stage the four-day free festival which involves nearly 200 artists raising thousands of pounds.

He also works closely with the annual Rebellion Festival at the Winter Gardens to raise funds, and is a regional manager for Musicians Against Homelessness which supports the charity Crisis.

Last year, with colleagues Brian Reddington, Jez Wright and daughter Victoria, he produced a CD called Streets Of Blackpool which to date has raised more than £3,000 for Streetlife.

Jon also takes part in the annual Big Sleep Out which this year raised £41,000 when 250 volunteers slept out in St John’s Square.

He is also a former Liberal Democrat councillor who represented Anchorsholme, and supports Blackpool Food Bank.

Knighthood for former England Rugby Union captain

Former England rugby union captain Bill Beaumont has been awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honours.

The 66-year-old Lancastrian joins fellow rugby knights such as England’s 2003 World Cup-winning mastermind Sir Clive Woodward, Scotsman Sir Ian McGeechan and former Wales scrum-half Sir Gareth Edwards.

Beaumont, who is recognised for services to rugby, led England to a Five Nations Grand Slam in 1980 and also captained the British and Irish Lions.

He has served as Rugby Football Union chairman and was elected chairman of World Rugby in 2016.

Beaumont won 34 caps for England and was skipper on 21 occasions during an international career that spanned seven years.

He made his Test debut in 1975, taking over as England captain three years later, while he also led the North of England to victory over the 1979 New Zealand All Blacks. His crowning glory in an England shirt was the 1980 Grand Slam achievement - England’s first Five Nations clean sweep for 23 years - which underpinned his appointment as Lions skipper in South Africa later that year.

He played in 10 of the 18 tour games, but the Lions lost the Test series 3-1 to a dominant Springboks side. He also toured with the 1977 Lions to New Zealand after being called up as an injury replacement, and was the 2005 Lions tour manager, also in New Zealand.

Beaumont retired from rugby in 1982, and he soon became a popular face on the BBC’s A Question of Sport, becoming a long-serving team captain.

And he has also enjoyed a successful career in rugby administration, initially representing England on the International Rugby Board (now World Rugby) from 1999, and he became RFU chairman in 2012.

Beaumont is currently the chairman of World Rugby, succeeding Frenchman Bernard Laporte in 2016 after being unanimously elected.

‘It gives me great pleasure to accept this’

An educator who has supported thousands of Fylde Coast students to achieve success has received an MBE for Services to Education in the Queen’s New Year Honours.

B&FC Head of Student Support and Wellbeing, Dr Judith Poole, has more than 30 years’ experience in further and higher education, initially as a linguistics lecturer and latterly in her role leading a diverse service to support students.

Judith has worked at B&FC for more than 25 years, having come from Lancaster University, and played a key role in the partnership between the two institutions - which has since seen more than 10,000 degrees conferred in Blackpool.

Over the last decade, she has been Head of Student Support and Wellbeing at the College, a role which sees her leading a large staff team to provide support for students with disabilities, learning difficulties and other perceived disadvantages.

Judith said: “It gives me great pleasure to accept this honour. I am both thrilled and humbled that the work I am so committed to and passionate about has been recognised in this way.

“First of all, I would like to thank my family, the College’s senior management team and all the teams of people I have worked with over the past 30 years, all of whom have played a part in me being awarded this great honour.”

“I would especially like to thank and acknowledge the part played by my current team - Student Support and Wellbeing - for the fantastic work they do every day to help the students we support to be the very best they can be.”

Bev Robinson OBE, principal and chief executive of Blackpool and The Fylde College, added: “Judith is very deserving of this honour as demonstrated by her commitment to the students she supports, her staff team and her many community roles outside her day-to-day work at B&FC.

“She has been continuously recognised by her peers in the sector for leading an outstanding student support service at B&FC and her team regularly wins awards for its provision.”

“This honour is a fitting recognition of the excellent work her entire team does to support students at B&FC. On behalf of everyone at the College, I would like to offer Judith my warmest congratulations and sincerest gratitude for the work she does.”

‘I’m passionate about life and people’

Grocery chain boss Edwin Booth has picked up a CBE for his contribution to both business and charity.

And even though he has been a prominent figure in a vast array of business initiatives, including being chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP), he told theGazette: “This has come as a massive surprise.

“I found out about four weeks ago and it has been quite difficult keeping it under wraps.

“For years I have done various things and been involved in many facets of life, most recently chairing the LEP, which was a new initiative by the Government just over seven years ago.

“That has been a fascinating journey.

“Over the years I have managed to encourage many businesses to interact with schools and young people.

“My wife said she is not surprised by this honour because I have done so much.

“All I can say is I am just passionate about life and about people.

“ If I can help anyone to be the best they can, either in business or outside, then that’s what I like to do.

“ That’s probably why this has come.”

Domestic abuse campaigner honoured

The father of a Blackpool nurse murdered by her abusive ex-partner has been honoured.

John Clough, whose daughter Jane was killed by her ex-boyfriend, gets an MBE for his campaigning for victims of domestic abuse. Jane was working at Blackpool Vic when she was murdered by ambulance technician Jonathan Vass while he was on bail for her rape.

Notable honours

British divers who helped save a youth football team trapped inside a flooded cave in Thailand have been decorated alongside stars of entertainment, sport and the arts in the 2019 New Year Honours list.

Sixties supermodel Lesley "Twiggy" Lawson receives a damehood for services to fashion, the arts and charity, and best-selling author Philip Pullman gets a knighthood.

Downton Abbey's Jim Carter gets an OBE, while Monty Python star and travel documentary maker Michael Palin is awarded a knighthood.

England manager Gareth Southgate has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours, with captain Harry Kane receiving an MBE on the back of the country's memorable run to the World Cup semi-finals.

Four-time Ashes winner Alastair Cook, 34, becomes the first England cricketer to be knighted since Ian Botham in 2007.

He retired from international cricket this summer, scoring a 33rd Test century on his final England appearance against India at The Oval. He has compiled more Test centuries and runs - 12,472 - than any other England player during a record 161 Test matches.