Influential people from a range of backgrounds across the North East and North Yorkshire have been named on the New Year Honours list.

Winners include senior NHS staff, people who have worked in business, education, the prison service, the charity sector and sport.

The awards are the first to have been approved by King Charles III following the death of his mother, the late Queen, in September.

Honours have been awarded at New Year since at least 1890, in which year a list of Queen Victoria’s awards was published in the London Gazette.

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The Northern Echo: Andy WelchAndy Welch (Image: Contributor)

Andy Welch, medical director and deputy chief executive, of Newcastle Hospitals has been awarded an OBE for his services to healthcare and patients.

As the city’s senior medic he is responsible for every aspect of care, quality and safety for the 1.7million patient contacts that take place every year.

Through his 45-year career Andy has specialised in Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgery, focussing particularly on treating adults and children with cancer and other complex needs.

He has led the development of many innovative services for the 3.1m people in the North East and North Cumbria including leading the creation of the first multi-disciplinary team for head and neck cancer management in the UK. 

He continues to be influential in bringing major research infrastructure to the region.

Andy is also chair of the Northern Cancer Alliance, the clinical network for regional cancer services, where he works to ensure that people with all types of cancer in the North East and north Cumbria receive the highest quality care.

During the pandemic, Andy led the operational and clinical response from Newcastle Hospitals from the day that the trust treated the first patient in the UK with COVID-19 and throughout.

He is ever-present across the hospitals, always ensuring that frontline teams are listened to and supported so that they can provide the very best patient care.

Andy said: “I am incredibly honoured to have been recognised by His Majesty.

“This award is a tribute to the many thousands of staff that I’ve worked with over the last 45 years who focus on our patients before themselves every single day. 
“I truly believe that Newcastle Hospitals is one of the best in the world and it’s a huge privilege to a part of this team.”

Here is the region’s full list of recipients:

CBE

  • Robert Tarn, Chief Executive Officer, Northern Education Trust. For services to Education. (Wynyard, County Durham)
  • Lesley Batchelor, Export Champion and Entrepreneur. For services to International Trade. (York)
  • Professor Christopher Paul Day, Vice Chancellor and President, Newcastle University. For services to Health Research and Treatment. (North Shields)
  • Jacqueline Ann Old, Lately Director, Children's and Adult Services, North Tyneside Council. For services to the community in North Tyneside, (Sunderland)
  • Beverley Rose Robinson, Principal and Chief Executive, Blackpool and The Fylde College. For services to Further Education. (Newcastle)

OBE

  • Alan Tallentire. Lately Prison Group Director, Tees and Wear Prison Group. For Public Service. (Consett, County Durham)
  • Richard Edward Sheriff. CEO, Red Kite Learning Trust. For services to Education. (Harrogate)
  • Alison Wilson. Lately Deputy Director, Vulnerable Children Unit, Department for Education. For Public Service. (Thirsk, North Yorkshire)
  • Norma Redfearn, Mayor, North Tyneside Council. For Political and Public Service. (North Shields)
  • Smajo Beso, Educator, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. For services to Genocide Education and Commemoration (Newcastle)
  • Geoffrey Mark Hodgson, Chair, Blyth Harbour Commission. For services to the UK Ports Sector and to the Economy in North East England. (Newcastle)
  • Maureen Colquhoun Morris, Lately Co-Chair, National Network of Parent Carer Forums. For services to Parent Carers of Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. (Sunderland)
  • Professor Kate Elizabeth Pickett, Professor of Epidemiology, University of York. For services to Societal Equality. (Colton, North Yorkshire)
  • Dr Philip Souter, Senior Director, Research and Development, Procter and Gamble. For services to Medical Research. (Morpeth)
  • Simon Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Three Rivers Trust. For services to Education. (Newcastle)
  • Dr Andrew Robert Welch, Medical Director, The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Healthcare and Patients in North East England. (Newcastle)
  • Alison Wilson, Lately Deputy Director, Vulnerable Children Unit, Department for Education. For Public Service. (Thirsk, North Yorkshire)

MBE

  • Dr Janice Victoria Gorlach. Deputy Chief Executive Officer, North East Learning Trust. For services to Education. (Shincliffe, County Durham)
  • Robert Clarkson. Chief Systems Engineer, Serco, RAF Fylingdales. For services to Royal Air Force Operational Capability. (Whitby)
  • Bethany Jane Mead. For services to Association Football. (Saltburn)
  • Robert Geoffrey Oliver. Lately Chief Executive Officer, Construction Equipment Association.  For services to the Construction Equipment Manufacturing Sector. (York)
  • Jillian Claire Quinn. Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dementia Forward. For services to People with Dementia. (Harrogate)
  • Julia Christl Skelton. Executive Director, Mind the Gap. For services to Theatre and to the community in Bradford. (Knaresborough)
  • Kenneth Brian Gill. For services to the community in Ryedale, North Yorkshire. (Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire)
  • Sarah Jane Cookson, Co-Founder of The Charlie and Carter Foundation. For voluntary and charitable services. (South Shields)
  • Scott Dickinson, Community Worker, Hadston House, Morpeth. For services to the community. (Northumberland)
  • Syed Samad Ali, Lately Teacher, Thornhill Academy, Sunderland. For services to Education. (Sunderland)
  • Sally Ann Ingram, Director of Student Health and Wellbeing Service, Newcastle University. For services to student mental health and wellbeing. (Tyne and Wear)
  • Susan Ghulam, Manager, Barndale Short Break, Residential Respite Care. For services to Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. (Northumberland)
  • Antony Robson Jameson-Allen, Co-Founder, The Sporting Memories Foundation. For services to Dementia and Loneliness, (Scarborough)
  • Professor Eugene Michael Gerard Milne, Lately Director of Public Health, Newcastle City Council. For services to Public Health and Wellbeing. (Newcastle)
  • Sarah Munro, Director, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. For services to Art. (Newcastle)
  • Dr Ingrid Pollard, Artist. For services to Art. (Hexham)
  • Jillian Claire Quinn, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dementia Forward. For services to People with Dementia. (Harrogate)
  • Professor Roy Taylor, Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Metabolism in Translational and Clinical Research, Newcastle University. For services to Diabetic Research. (Newcastle)

BEM

  • Joanne Margaret Barber. Coach, North East Disability Swimming Club. For services to the community in North East England. (Ferryhill, County Durham)
  • Mark Stephen Bridel. Regional Freight Manager, Network Rail.  For services to Charity and to the community in York, North Yorkshire. (York)
  • Frances Mary Greenwell. For services to the community in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire. (Middlesbrough)
  • Anne Holdsworth. For services to the community in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. (Harrogate)
  • Lorraine Susan Lear. Development Manager, Northallerton and the Dales Mencap Society. For services to People with Learning Disabilities in North Yorkshire. (Northallerton)
  • Christopher Wooldridge. For services to the community in York. (York)
  • Jean Devlin, Group Scout Leader, South Tyneside District. For services to Scouting and Young People in South Tyneside and Sunderland. (Jarrow)
  • Victoria Wales, Operations Manager, Duke of Edinburgh Awards. For services to Young People (Gateshead)
  • Heather McKenna, Childminder. For services to early years and the community. (Forest Hall)
  • Hilary Judith Cooper, Girlguiding Leader, School Governor and Volunteer. For services to Young People and to Education. (Whitley Bay)
  • Lorraine Lear, Development Manager, Northallerton and the Dales Mencap Society. For services to People with Learning Disabilities. (Northallerton)
  • Paula Marie Reid, Head, Business Management Team, Department for Work and Pensions. For Voluntary and Charitable Services, particularly during Covid-19. (Newcastle)
  • George Roberts, For services to the community. (Washington)

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KING'S POLICE MEDAL (KPM)

  • Phillip Mark Cain. Lately Deputy Chief Constable, North Yorkshire Police. (North Yorkshire)

Companions of the Order of the Bath (CB)

  • Philip Copple. Director General Operations, HM Prison and Probation Service. For services to Justice and to Charity. (Newton Hall, County Durham)