Cumbrians named on King's birthday honours list 2024

In what is the monarch’s annual tradition, any award is a high honour and gives national recognition to people who have given exceptional service in public and community life and are committed to making a difference to those around them.

Awarded an OBE were Lorrayne Hughes, from the Cumbria Education Trust, for services to education, and Humphrey Giles Welfare from the Churches Conservation Trust for services to heritage in the north of England.

Andrew Airey, one of the dads from 3 Dads Walking, a suicide prevention project, was awarded an MBE for services to the prevention of young suicide, and Fiona Stobart, from Hospice at Home West Cumbria, was awarded an MBE for services to community palliative care.

Andrew Airey and Fiona Stobart (Image: Supplied)

David Geoffrey Jones was also given an MBE for services to the community of Morland.

Also listed were Richard Ogden, chief fire officer for Cumbria, awarded an MBE for services to the community and to young people; Brian James Webster, from the University of Cumbria, awarded an OBE for services to the NHS and education; and Jim Walker from Cumbria Tourism, awarded an MBE for services to tourism.

Brian James Webster (Image: UoC)

Ms Hughes, chief executive of Cumbria Education Trust (CET), led the trust since its inception in 2015, which is now responsible for educating over 5,000 young people aged two to 18 across Cumbria.

It’s grown to include 10 primary and three secondary schools and West Coast Sixth Form and was recognised for its strong track record on school improvement and the professional development of teachers and school leaders.

She said: “It has been my honour to serve so many fantastic young people and to raise the quality of education working alongside some of the most dedicated, hardworking and loyal colleagues you could possibly wish for.

“This is a tribute to the family that is Cumbria Education Trust.”

Ms Hughes headed William Howard School in Brampton in 2007, and in 2014 was commissioned to improve two Workington schools in special measures.

The new Workington Academy was the first to join CET, which said it is now ‘thriving, oversubscribed, and in 2022 achieved a ‘good’ rating from Ofsted'.

A statement from all three fathers from 3 Dads Walking – Andy Airey, Tim Owen, and Mike Palmer, the latter two of whom also have MBEs, read: “We are humbled to be honoured in the King’s Birthday Honours List for our fundraising work for the charity PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide in memory of our daughters, Beth, Emily and Sophie.

“The money raised has supported PAPYRUS’s expansion plans to open more hubs in communities across the UK and extend the operating hours of its emergency helpline, HOPELINE247, where people can talk to suicide prevention professionals at any time of any day.

“Their work saves lives but we, as a nation, can do more.

“We can save more lives by educating our young people around the risk they face.

“Suicide remains the biggest killer of under 35s in the UK, so let’s give them the suicide prevention skills to keep themselves and others safe.”

President of Cumbria Tourism, Jim Walker has built his reputation in travel and tourism over more than 40 years.

Mr Walker has been a leading light in bringing significant overseas tourism to Cumbria - spearheading early missions to Japan alongside public and trade exhibition presences in the UK and beyond.

He is also widely acknowledged for championing major developments to the county’s infrastructure, and helping local authorities to work more closely with the county’s tourism operators.

He is the founder chair of the Eden Tourism Network and a previous recipient of both ‘Tourism Personality of the Year’ at the 2022 Cumbria Tourism Awards and the ‘Lifetime Contribution to Cumbria’ award at the in-Cumbria Business Awards.

Jim Walker, president of Cumbria Tourism (Image: Cumbria Tourism)

Reacting to the MBE announcement, Mr Walker said: “Receiving this award is a huge and unexpected honour for me personally, but also very importantly, recognition of our brilliant tourism industry, its value to Cumbria’s economy and how, with Cumbria Tourism’s help, together we have navigated through some very big challenges recently, the pandemic being just one example.

"The challenges continue but Cumbria’s tourism industry, through partnership working together, continues to set an example to the rest of the UK.”

Managing director of Cumbria Tourism, Gill Haigh, added: “This is absolutely wonderful news and we are over the moon that Jim has been honoured in this way in what is Cumbria Tourism’s 50th anniversary year.

"In a county where tourism is so crucial for supporting jobs and communities, Jim is easily one of the most familiar and respected figureheads and everyone you speak to has only praise and admiration for his experience, skills, wisdom and dedication."