New Year's honours for unsung heroes in York and North Yorkshire

Jennifer Hildyard, of Melbourne Street, off Fishergate, has been awarded a BEM for her services to the community in York.

The 78-year-old is the honorary secretary and a trustee of the charity, Friends of York Hospital, and arranges many fundraising activities in aid of the hospital.

In 2012, The Friends received a large legacy which she administered, that enabled the group to donate £160,000 to a variety of major projects.

She was able to work with the hospital management to ensure that all the projects that were undertaken had a direct benefit to the patients.

The mother-of-two and grandmother-of-seven has also made plans to develop further joint initiatives with the hospital charity.

Speaking about her award, she said: "I think it is wonderful. It is quite humbling really. I am the first person in my family to be awarded something like this."

Jennifer is also a trustee for York cemetery, which she has been associated with for many years.

In 1984, a group of friends decided to restore the cemetery and over the past 30 years the grounds and the chapel have been restored to their former glory.

She is currently the secretary and is responsible for liaison with all the staff.

Jennifer also leads a sub-committee which deals with events in the cemetery such as the very successful commemoration service that was organised to mark the commencement of World War One.

In addition, Jennifer is the chairperson for Antibiotic Research UK's fundraising sub-committee for the north.

The charity aims to raise sufficient funds over the next five years to bring at least one new antibiotic therapy to market by the early 2020s.

Jennifer said: "I do enjoy doing all the voluntary work. I like being busy and putting something back into the community."

She is joined on the New Year's Honours 2017 list by Max Mills, 74, from Knaresborough, who has received an MBE for services to education.

He was a teacher at St John Fisher Catholic High School for 51 years until his retirement in 2015.

The sporting success of students, both individually and in teams was outstanding and can be attributed to his coaching skills, enthusiasm and willingness to commit his time and energy way beyond the normal teaching day.

Gillian Palmer, from Ripon, has been awarded an MBE for services to abused children.

She has had a wide-spread impact in raising Government and public awareness of the risks of new technology in facilitating child sex abuse and exploitation.

The 67-year-old is an experienced clinical and forensic practitioner, manager, trainer, policy maker, strategist and court witness within the criminal justice and care systems in connection with both adults and young people who have contravened the relevant sexual offences acts, and children and young people requiring legal interventions to ensure their safety and well-being.

She is the founder and currently chief executive of the Marie Collins Foundation - a UK-wide charity set up in 2011. It enables children who suffer sexual abuse and exploitation via the internet and mobile technologies to recover and live safe and fulfilling lives. Another MBE recipient is Sylvia Evason, from Ripon, who has been awarded the honour for her services to people with learning disabilities in Yorkshire.

She helped to found the Jennyruth Workshop, a registered charity and social enterprise. It provides a family centred, productive workshop for adults with learning disabilities/ difficulties to gain work and life skills and a sense of pride from making and sells a wide range of wooden and hand-crafted products.

The workshop is based in Ripon, and primarily supports those with Downs Syndrome and learning disabilities within the Yorkshire area.

In recognition for her charitable services to children, Lady Gail Jopling has also been awarded an MBE.

The 80-year-old, from Thirsk, has voluntarily transformed the fundraising capacity of the charity Hope and Homes for Children. She has generated more than £5 million and attracted more than 2,000 supporters which has led to saving the lives of hundreds of children and transforming the lives of thousands more.

Since initiating a Hope and Homes for Children support group in her local area, the Vale of York, she has raised in excess of £218,000 by hosting numerous innovative social events, such as Secret House Hunts and informal lunch and dinner parties.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Devan Witter, from Market Weighton, has scooped a BEM for services to children's mental healthcare and wellbeing.

Devan has used his own personal experiences to address and provide effective support for those who suffer from bullying. Having experienced bullying at school, in 2015 he set up the Devan Group website which offers anti-bullying services through a project named Action Against Bullying. The project helps young people as young as eight-years-old, through campaigning and raising awareness about bullying.

He supports various charities including Fixers and Step Up to Serve. He produced an anti-bullying website working with Fixers and since then has started his own umbrella organisation, the Devan Group, bringing together a number of campaigns for change.  

THE chief constable of North Yorkshire Police says he is “extremely proud” to have scooped an award in the New Year’s Honours list 2017.

Chief constable Dave Jones, pictured, has been awarded a Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service.

A graduate of both the University of Liverpool and Manchester University, he began his policing career in 1986 at Greater Manchester Police. He held a variety of uniform and CID roles, culminating in his appointment as head of CID and temporary assistant chief constable, where he led on counter-terrorism and tackling serious and organised crime.

In 2008, he took up the post of assistant chief constable at Police Service Northern Ireland, subsequently assuming command of the Rural Region, which covers most of Northern Ireland’s geography and population.

The police and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire, Julia Mulligan, appointed him as chief constable of North Yorkshire Police in 2013.

Since that time he has worked with senior officers, staff and partner organisations to modernise and improve the service, and has helped maintain North Yorkshire’s position in the top three safest places to live in the country.

In May 2016, he took on the same role in South Yorkshire as the crisis-hit force began its search for a new commander. He returned to North Yorkshire Police in July.

Chief constable Jones said: “This is a great honour, and one that I could not have achieved without the assistance of so many talented and committed officers, staff and colleagues here in North Yorkshire, and throughout my career.

“Like all police officers, I also know that our families play an absolutely crucial role in allowing us to do the best job in the world, so I would like to thank all my family, and particularly my four children, for their fantastic support.

“I am extremely proud to be part of the police service, and to be recognised in this way is something very special.”

Meanwhile, Laurence Whiteley has been awarded an MBE for services to rowing.

Northallerton rower Laurence won gold in the trunk-arms mixed double scull at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio.

Diver Jack Laugher, from Ripon, is to pick up an MBE for services to diving.

He created history by becoming Great Britain’s first Olympic diving gold medal winner in Rio.

The former Ripon Grammar School pupil and his fellow Yorkshire diver partner Chris Mears won the 3m synchronised springboard diving contest.

A week later, Jack won a silver in the men’s individual 3m springboard.

Also receiving an MBE is David Cussons, from York, for services to agriculture and rural communities in North Yorkshire, particularly through the Ryedale Agricultural Show.

Salena Begley, partnerships manager at the charity Family Fund, based outside Huntington, in York, has received an MBE for services to children’s welfare.

Other MBE recipients include:

- Iestyn Davies, from York, for services to music. Classical countertenor

- George Wells, from Selby, for services to further education. Chairman of Selby College Corporation

- Terry Jones, from Thirsk, for services to fashion and popular culture. Founder of i-D Fashion Magazine

OBE recipients:

- Clive Martin, from York, for services to offenders and their families. Formerly director of Clinks

- James Newman, from York, for services to business the economy and charity in Yorkshire. Formerly chairman of Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Board

- The Reverend Jennifer Mullis, for services to further education and to the community in York. Assistant director, Further Education and Legal Unit Department for Education

- Dr Helen Crews, for services to plant and bee health and voluntary services to the community in York. Formerly director of Animal and Plant Health Agency

BEM recipients:

- Trudi Abadi, from North Yorkshire, for services to law and order. Manager of National Confidential Unit North of England, National Crime Agency

- Michelle Beckett, from Harrogate, for services to disadvantaged people in the UK and abroad

KBE recipient:

- The Right Reverend James Jones, from Malton, for services to bereaved families and justice

CBE recipient:

- Angela MacDonald, for services to welfare reform. Director, DWP Operations, Department for Work and Pensions