Whether it's for services to sport, volunteering, education or medicine, hundreds of people across the UK have been awarded for their work in various sectors.

Several of those recognised are from the North East and North Yorkshire, and have been awarded honours from the British Empire Medal (BEM) to a Commander of the British Empire (CBE).

Some of the different honours that can be awarded include:

• BEM (British Empire Medal)
• MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) 
• OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire)
• CBE (Commander of the British Empire)
• DBE/KBE (Damehood / Knighthood)

Amongst those recognised in the region is Jeff Stelling, a Hartlepool native well known for his former career presenting on Sky Sports for being the subject of notorious catchphrase "unbelievable Jeff!"

Another recognisable face is director Sir Ridley Scott, known for his work on blockbusters Alien, Gladiator and most recently 2023 flick Napoleon.

Here's a full list of everyone who has been honoured in the North East and North Yorkshire this year.

County Durham

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE):

• Andrew Graham. Deputy Director, Strategic Finance Directorate, Department for Education. For Public Service and to the community in County Durham. (Durham, County Durham)         
• Martin Gerard McTague. Low Pay Commissioner and National Chair, UK Federation of Small Businesses. For services to Small Businesses. (Newton Aycliffe, County Durham)

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE):  

• David Walker. Chair of Trustees, Horizons Specialist Academy Trust. For services to Education. (Bishop Auckland, County Durham)
• David Wallace. Senior Fleet Staff Engineer, Royal National Lifeboat Institution. For voluntary service to Maritime Safety. (Seaham, County Durham)

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM):

• David Kingsley Hastings. Branch Secretary, Royal National Lifeboat Institution Durham Fundraising Branch and Community Presenter. For voluntary services to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. (Houghton Le Spring, County Durham)
• Melvin James Metcalf. Head of Services, ARCH Sexual Violence Charity. For services to LGBT+ Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence in the North East. (County Durham)
• William Joseph Watson. Director, Great North Big Band Jazz Festival. For services to Music. (Crook, County Durham)

Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG):

• Fiona Hill, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, has been awarded Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George in recognition of their work in international development and international relations. (Bishop Auckland, County Durham)

Kings Police Medal (KPM):

• Detective Constable Natalie Horner, of Durham Constabulary’s Roads and Armed Policing unit has been recognised with the King’s Police Medal for her leadership into the investigation of a devastating crash on the A1(M) at Bowburn in County Durham.

Teesside

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE):  

• Jacqueline Savage. Volunteer. For services to Social Care. (Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside) 
• Robert Jeffrey Stelling. Lately Broadcaster, Sky Sports. For services to Sport, to Broadcasting and to Charity. (Bishops Waltham, Hampshire but originally Hartlepool)
• James St John Fenny. Head of Office, Public Defender Service and Transplant Surgery Ambassador. For services to Criminal Justice and to Organ Donor Awareness. (Middlesbrough, Teesside)
• Alison Fordy. Proprietor, Alison Radcliffe School of Dance. For services to Young People and to the community in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire. (Middlesbrough, Teesside)
• Kevin Shakesheff. Co-Founder, High Tide Foundation and President, Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and Educational Fund. For services to Young People in Business and to the Maritime Industry. (Yarm, Teesside)

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM):

• Mary Boyes. Cleaner, North Shore Academy, Stockton-on-Tees. For services to Education. (Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside)
• Greta Edwards. Cleaner and Kitchen Assistant, North Shore Academy, Stockton-on-Tees. For services to Education. (Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside)
• David Saunders. For services to the community in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire. (Middlesbrough, Teesside)
• Allan Stokoe. For services to the community in Eldon, North Yorkshire. (Ingleby Barwick, Teesside)

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)​:

• Zoe Ann Lewis. Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Middlesbrough College. For services to Further Education. (Middlesbrough, Teesside)

Knights Bachelor:

• Professor Amritpal Singh Hungin OBE DL. Emeritus Professor of General Practice, Newcastle University. For services to Medicine. (Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside)

North Yorkshire

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE):

• The Reverend Anthony James Collins. For services to Healthcare and to the community in Harrogate and Ripon, North Yorkshire. (Ripon, North Yorkshire)
• Carl Anthony Les. Leader, North Yorkshire Council. For services to Local Government. (Bedale, North Yorkshire)

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE):  

• George Alan Carney. Executive Officer, Department for Education. For Public Service. (Thirsk, North Yorkshire)
• Dr John Michael Grimshaw. Director, Yorkshire Arboretum. For services to Tree Health and Plant Conservation. (Malton, North Yorkshire)
• Dr Heidi Probst. Researcher, Lecturer and lately Director, Health Research Institute, Sheffield Hallam University. For services to Radiography. (Harrogate, North Yorkshire)
• Steven Underwood. Lately Mathematics Teacher, Ryedale School, Beadlam, North Yorkshire. For services to Education. (York, North Yorkshire)
• Maureen Vevers. Chair of Governors, Askham Bryan College, York. For services to Further Education. (York, North Yorkshire)
• John Ward. Chair, Charles and Elsie Sykes Trust. For services to Charity and to the community in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. (Harrogate, North Yorkshire)

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM):

• Mary Margaret Rose Fisher. Lately Lollipop Crossing Patrol, Darley and Summerbridge Community Primary School, Harrogate. For services to Child Road Safety. (Harrogate, North Yorkshire)
• Clive Herbert Jackson. For services to the community in York. (York, North Yorkshire)
• Christopher Marsay. Watch Manager, Cleveland Fire and Rescue Service. For services to the community in North Yorkshire. (Loftus, North Yorkshire)
• David Alwyn Town. For services to Bell Ringing in Northallerton and North Yorkshire. (Northallerton, North Yorkshire)

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)​:

• Professor Paul Emery OBE. Versus Arthritis Professor of Rheumatology, Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Disease, University of Leeds. For services to Rheumatology. (Harrogate, North Yorkshire)

Tyne and Wear & Northumberland

Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE):

• Sir Ridley Scott. Director and Producer. For services to the UK Film Industry – Born in South Shields 

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE):

• Robert John Williamson DL. Chief Executive, The Community Foundation Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. For Voluntary and Charitable Services. (Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear)  
• Brian Andrew Palmer. Founder and Chief Executive, Tharsus Group Ltd. For services to Manufacturing and Skills. (Newcastle, Northumberland)   

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE):  

• Nigel Gavin Begg. Founder, Aspire Technology Solutions. For services to Digital and Technology Industry Growth in North East England. (Sunderland, Tyne and Wear)
• Jack Robert Clarke Deverson. Co-Founder and Managing Director, Evidence Based Education. For services to Education. (Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear)
• Lawrence John O'Halleron. Chair, Big Local Gateshead. For services to the community in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. (Gateshead, Tyne and Wear)  
• Lesley Robinson. Founder, Women's Community Matters. For services to the Victims of Domestic Abuse. (Tyne and Wear)
• Dr Alice Elizabeth Ellis (Alice Hartley). Consultant Urologist, South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust. For services to the NHS. (Morpeth, Northumberland)
• Gwyneth Kathleen McKenzie. Team District Commissioner, Hadrian District, Scout Association. For services to Young People and to the community in Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle upon Tyne. (Hexham, Northumberland)    

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Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM):

• The Reverend Christopher Stewart Howson. Chaplain, University of Sunderland. For services to Higher Education. (Sunderland, Tyne and Wear)
• Denise Speight. Chargehand Cleaner, Newcastle City Council. For services to Local Government. (Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear)
• Penelope Jean Walters. For services to the community in Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne, particularly during Covid-19. (Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear)

*Every effort has been made to include all recipients from our region in this list*.