Meet the unsung North East heroes named in King’s Birthday Honours List 2025
Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the awards are a 'powerful reminder of the extraordinary dedication, compassion, and service that exists in every corner of our country'
These unsung North East heroes have been singled out for their undying dedication and hard work in their community. And here are their stories.
A number of people from our region are receiving awards in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025. Some have shown great determination in their sector of work while others have been working to improve life in their community or have helped charities for years.
Announcing the awards, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "This year’s Birthday Honours List is a powerful reminder of the extraordinary dedication, compassion, and service that exists in every corner of our country. From community champions to cultural icons, each recipient reflects the very best of Britain. I extend my heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to them all."
Below, we have featured just some of the inspirational stories of North East award recipients - see the full list here. Among the honours received are MBEs, OBEs and BEMs.
Carly Barrett and Alison Madgin - MBE
Mother and daughter Alison Madgin, 60, and Carly Barrett, 34, have been awarded MBEs for services to the prevention of knife crime. Alison's daughter Samantha Madgin was a new mother of 18 years of age when she was stabbed to death in Wallsend in 2007. Her son was just 68 days old when she died.
Both Alison and Carly said their honours were "bittersweet". Carly, who was only 16 years old when her sister was murdered, said: "We've had to lose Samantha to get these honours. It was her I wanted to tell."
They set up Samantha's Legacy, a community interest company, in 2019 and have since given talks to young people across the North East about the dangers of carrying knives. Carly said becoming an MBE has given her "fire to go and do more".
Her mother Alison said: "For all the victims who haven't got a voice, we are here for them, because a lot of victims can't be as outspoken as what we may be." And Carly added: "We don't do it to be recognised, but it gives us that little bit more strength and inspiration to carry on."
Both have now delivered more than 2,000 knife crime awareness workshops to young people between the ages of 12-18 across the North East. Samantha's Legacy offers counselling services to victims of knife crime, and has developed a retreat for families who have recently experienced trauma to support them through the grieving process.
Vivien Watts - OBE
A Sunderland charity boss who has raised in excess of £6m for good causes across Wearside has been honoured with an OBE. Viv Watts, chief executive of Hope 4 Kidz, has spent almost 50 years raising money for individuals and community groups along with specialist equipment for hospitals.
The OBE is for services to charity and community. She said: "I can’t believe it. It’s just such an honour. I never did any of this for the thanks, so to be awarded such a special honour by HM the King is just beyond anything I could ever have imagined."
Viv, from North Hylton, began helping others in 1977 when her sister-in-law suggested she used party plan events to raise funds for care homes in Tyne and Wear. This led to a fashion show in 1981 at the Mecca Ballroom for the Grindon Hall Appeal- raising funds for a residential unit to support special needs adults to live independently.
"Over 1,500 people attended," she said, "and that was the start of a series of larger fundraising events, because I realised what a difference they and I could make in the community." Since then, Viv has held black tie balls, sporting dinners, golf days, themed events, ladies’ luncheons, networking events, afternoon tea and shopping events and even organised a concert – headlined by Ronan Keating - for 10,000 people.
With the help of volunteers she has also raised funds for a CT Scanner and a Paediatric scanner for Sunderland Royal Hospital, supported STEM Cell Appeal for Cancer Research and funded respite holidays for children with special needs. In 2007, she co-founded Hope 4 Kidz alongside the late Brian Dodds, to support children with special needs with equipment, education, respite and the relief of poverty.
Every year since, she has run Christmas Appeals for toys and selection boxes and for chocolate eggs at Easter, which she and her team distribute to hospitals, special needs units, areas of poverty, young carers, and refuges across the county. Having supported Amber’s Law, now Amber’s Legacy for more than six years, Viv is now a trustee of the cervical cancer screening campaign group.
And, despite having a stroke in 2023, she has since completed the Coronation Garden at Pennywell community Centre. "The stroke teams at Sunderland Royal Hospital saved my life," she said, "and made me realise I still had more to give to the community.
“The Coronation Garden is one of the best projects I’ve ever been involved with as it brought together children from three schools, students from Springboard, ESPA and many volunteers to create the most beautiful flower and vegetable garden. The vegetables are then used to create meals for those on low incomes – it’s a sustainable project which will benefit the community for years to come."
Carole Johnson - MBE
An inspirational intelligence specialist who has helped take some of the most prolific and dangerous criminals off the streets and found countless missing people has been honoured. Carole Johnson has spent most of her career working behind closed doors as manager of the sensitive Central Authorities Bureau, running covert tactics and surveillance operations for Durham Constabulary.
But she will finally step out into the limelight when she receives her MBE for services to policing. Recently, Carole played a key role in the investigation into a violent feud between Organised Criminal Gangs which used firearms, arson, and car ramming to terrorise communities in County Durham.
Carole’s expertise and use of new tactics gathered decisive evidence which jailed gang members for a total of 95 years and took out an entire OCG, along with drugs and ammunition from the community. Her MBE nomination added: "She has successfully traced countless vulnerable children who are missing from home, saving them from sexual exploitation and county lines."
Carole joined Durham Constabulary in 1996 as an administrator, working at Newton Aycliffe Police Station, followed by posts in the Press Office and CID. But her direction changed in 2000 when she joined Intelligence, helping to set up the force’s first CAB team and became team manager in 2010.
Her role is to oversee applications for the use of covert surveillance tactics and warrants, advising the Executive and Force Authorising Officer on the legalities and complex rationale required to grant them. As longest-serving CAB manager in the UK, the 53-year-old has shared her extensive knowledge and experience with colleagues across the country by creating the Regional CAB working group and chairing the National SPOC Managers Forum. She has also earned a master’s degree in applied criminology during her time at Durham.
Carole said: "I absolutely love my job. You are always learning, there is always something new, whether that is changing technology or changing legislation, so it is always different.
"There are hard days, but the team I work with are amazing people and my job is made easier by them. We have saved some lives and we have locked up some bad people, so I am really passionate about it."
Among her most memorable jobs during a distinguished career began when she received urgent reports that a woman was about to take her own life. Carole remembered: "We used tracing techniques and my knowledge of the local area we were able to identify a probable location and send officers to the scene – they found her just in time, with a hosepipe in the car, so we were able to save her life that day."
Claire Riley - OBE
Claire Riley, 54, from Gateshead, is being awarded an OBE for services to children’s literacy and health. In 2021, she was appointed Chair of Seven Stories, a registered educational charity, museum and visitor centre in Newcastle, and over the years she has successfully steered Seven Stories through various changes and remains dedicated to fulfilling its potential locally, regionally, and nationally.
She has also served as the Chief of Corporate Services for the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, leveraging over 20 years of private sector experience within the region. She was recognised as a 'North East marketing great' in 2017, being included in the list of the 50 leading marketing professionals published by the Chartered Institute of Marketing. As chair of Seven Stories, she ensures that literature is accessible to all children in the local community, recognising and addressing inequalities to ensure that every child, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to read.
Lisa-Marie Tonelli - MBE
Lisa-Marie Tonelli, 42, has been made an MBE for services to film and charity. She is an independent film producer who founded the North East International Film Festival in 2020, after recognising that Newcastle was one of the few UK cities without an international film festival.
She identified a way to highlight local, emerging talent, companies and film locations across the region by creating a network of filmmakers, actors and industry specialists. The festival has become an annual fixture taking place in the autumn in venues across Newcastle and the wider area, making it one of the fastest-growing film festivals in the world.
The 2022 festival featured work by over 700 filmmakers from over 15 different countries, including by Oscar-winning producers and highly acclaimed individuals within the industry. She received a Points of Light Award in 2023 at an International Women’s Day reception for her dedication to building one of the most inclusive film festivals in the world.
Paul Stuart Andrew - MBE
Paul, 66, has been honoured with an MBE for services to charity and young people in Sunderland and the North East. He joined the Board of Young Asian Voices (YAV) in 2006 and was elected Chair from 2009, a position he continues to fulfil.
The charity began in 1996 with one part-time employee, and now has 25 staff, 26 volunteers and a 10-strong Board of Trustees, chaired on a voluntary basis by him. It supports 35,000 participants a year in developing well-being, fitness and mutual respect activities across local communities.
His impact has given confidence to members and has also influenced perceptions of the wider communities. When he joined the Board in 2006, he began linking the charity to the University of Sunderland, where he worked at the time, and to other community partners including local and statutory organisations such as the City Council.
He is knowledgeable and passionate about breaking down barriers and encouraging positive relationships. He has been a Trustee of the Shippey Campaign, which promotes inclusion in sporting stadia by delivering facilities that enable people with sensory needs such as autism to attend events.
Lynda Redshaw - MBE
An MBE is also coming to Lynda Redshaw, 70, of County Durham, for services to social housing in the North of England. She has been the backbone of the Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) for 34 years, helping it grow from a team of three to a team of more than forty people that has influence nationally, and a multi-million pound procurement arm.
She is a prolific charity fundraiser who has raised over £60,000. For over 15 years, she has organised an annual charity fundraising event which raises £3,000 - £4,000 per year.
She has played a significant role in the development and launch of NHC’s Unlocking Success Bursary scheme. This scheme has supported 140 people living in social housing to kick-start or re-start their careers.
She also helped the housing sector in the North go digital, for 15 years she organised the Hitex Summit, which connected NHC members and IT suppliers. Over 4,000 delegates attended which supported many housing providers to modernise their systems. She has made a significant impact in helping the organisation achieve its objective of helping housing providers create and regenerate sustainable homes and build resilient, thriving communities.
Kylie Dixon - MBE
Kylie, of County Durham, is getting an MBE for services to social enterprise and female entrepreneurship. The 44-year-old founded the Northern Lass Lounge in 2020 after she felt overwhelmed and anxious when managing her businesses social media.
Today, the Northern Lass Lounge has expanded to become an inclusive online community. She has a podcast, where she interviews members and changemakers to inspire and invigorate those who are looking to start a business, or need help to run sustainable and successful enterprises.
Alongside her second business, Mushroom Marvellous, a children’s book company, she delivers external workshops and talks to support the social enterprise eco-system. As part of the Social Enterprise Boost programme, she has passionately supported numerous social entrepreneurs through workshops focusing on how to use social media for good.
The award citation says: "She is an inspiration for female entrepreneurs in the North East and beyond and her commitment to improving the opportunities for those in the sector is undoubted. Having seen the successful growth of the Northern lass lounge, she now heads up the Lounge Generation, an organisation focussed on promoting entrepreneurship to young women who are not currently in education training or employment with a specific focus on supporting those with disabilities in the region."
Christine Ann Pascall - MBE
Christine, 70, of County Durham, is being recognised with an MBE for services to golf. A single figure handicap player for over 50 years, she first played for England girls in 1972 and then went on to represent the England women’s squad between 1979-81.
She is a driving force for the development of the game, encouraging women, young people and families to fall in love with the game that has given her so much. She has spent 13 years as a member of the England women and girl’s selection committee and has captained no fewer than 15 different England teams in their quest for success at home and abroad.
The citation reads: "She is the fifth ever female England Golf President, and everyone is hugely proud of the way that she has fulfilled this role, bringing her passion for golf at all levels through in every step she has taken. Whether it’s organising family fun days at Hartlepool Golf Club to encourage children to give golf a try or knitting mascots in county colours to promote team morale, she actively providing more opportunities for more people from diverse backgrounds, ages, abilities and/or disabilities to experience and participate in golf than ever before.
"She has worked with local schools and the council to try to widen the appeal of golf locally and increase the diversity within the sport. Described as ‘a leading figure in North East Golf for more than 50 years’ by Northern Golfer Magazine, her passionate contribution to golf has raised the profile of the women’s game and inspired countless golfers over the years."
Debra Monica Waite - MBE
Debra, 63, of Darlington, is getting an MBE for services to health and housing. Through her tireless work in public service for more than thirty years, she has made a real change in the way the Government has improved housing standards for some of the most vulnerable people in England.
After leaving the army she helped change military policy so that serving women would no longer have to retire if they become pregnant. She worked in local councils across the country and always identified the right people to pull together to share her vision that regulation is about putting real people’s interests at the heart of what councils do.
At the London Borough of Greenwich, she created an ‘offender pays’ model, setting up a team who targeted private landlords renting out dangerous homes to vulnerable people, allowing the good landlords to get on with providing decent homes. For three years, at MHCLG, she led a team that bridged the gap between real-life, on-the-ground experience, and public policy making.
She then headed up investigations and intelligence, bringing her unique set of skills to the vital work the Building Safety Regulator is doing to make sure tall buildings are safe. Her positive and moral attitude, and steely determination, enabled her to communicate at all levels, whether this be to government ministers, civil servants, landlords or tenants.
Elanor Johnson - BEM
Elanor, 48, of Northumberland, is getting a BEM for services to heritage and the community in the North East. She has spent the last 20 years advocating for greater investment in heritage skills and the need to fully embed training into all forms of conservation practice.
The results of her work have directly informed the metrics now used by several national organisations to demonstrate the need for greater investment in heritage skills. As a Heritage Co-ordinator with North England Civic Trust she ran all aspects of learning, training, volunteering and community engagement across the North East.
When she joined the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) she brought her experience to shaping and delivering the apprenticeship programme at multi-million-pound regeneration projects such as Seventeen Nineteen Sunderland and Sound and Art, St Swithun’s Worcester.
She delivered Heritage Action Zone training schemes across the country to upskill owners, building managers and professionals ensuring the benefits of this multi-million pound investment were sustained. She is acknowledged as a leading voice for heritage skills in the sector and is widely regarded and respected.
Eileen Judith Lees - BEM
Eileen, 77, from County Durham, is getting a BEM for services to Education and community in the area. She dedicated her entire career to education, and in addition to her substantive role at Red Rose Primary, she volunteered for a six-week visit abroad.
Aimed at sharing best practices in teaching reading and building cultural links between Ghanaian schools and the school, she travelled to the Upper East Region of Ghana to help deliver the programme’s goals. Over 19 years, she made 55 self-financed trips to Ghana.
Today, children in over 76 rural schools’ benefit from baseline data routinely collected, enabling better tracking of progress. Parents have been supported in learning to read, and Ghanaian teachers have visited the UK to observe reading instruction in primary schools.
When not in Ghana, she has volunteered extensively for her local church and community over 60 years. She served as the church organist for over 50 years and was instrumental in raising funds for the restoration of the church’s historically significant organ.
Sandra May Zamenzadeh - BEM
Sandra, 71, from Lemington, is getting a BEM for services to the National Transport Casework Service. She has shaped the National Transport Casework Service into a high performing service, personally dealing with around 200 road closure applications each year.
She operates behind the scenes, playing a key role in arranging road closures for key events such the King's Coronation, the Eurovision Song Contest, the Queen's Jubilee events and local remembrance services.
In addition, she has unparalleled knowledge of complex legislation, in particular the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, and she is admired as a true expert by Local Authorities who rely on her guidance. Despite her successes, she always strives to improve processes and find efficiencies.
She completely streamlined the toll application process by focussing on the essential issues, making the process much more customer friendly. As a manager, she is patient and good natured whilst encouraging and supporting her team, and she has become a true role model to others.
Roderick Peter Jones - BEM
Roderick, 75, from Northumberland, is getting a BEM for services to the community in Hexham. For over fifteen years, he has involved himself with a wide range of charitable organisations, drawing on experience gained in a long and successful banking career to best provide advice on the structuring and financial strategies of these groups.
In 2008, he became a Trustee of Norcare, a housing support charity, that provides housing for the most vulnerable individuals in the North East, he presided over the restructuring of their financial strategy, ensuring to keep a balance between economics and the charity’s services so that standards of care and the working environment were never compromised.
In 2015, he became a Parent Governor at Hexham Priory School, making use of both his professional experience and personal experience as a parent of a disabled child to make informed decisions. Over the years he had provided ad hoc advice to a number of other charitable organisations including the Oswin Project, a charity that seeks to provide education and employment to ex-offenders in order to prevent re-offending.
As a result of his guidance, the charity is now thriving, having given over one hundred ex-offenders employment and training, assisting in their rehabilitation.
Eric Hepplewhite - BEM
Eric, 78, from Lanchester, is getting a BEM for services to the community in Lanchester, County Durham. For the Lanchester community, he has around 50 years of commitment to the community.
He has been supporting youngsters, fulfilling all that is required of a Youth Leader and a Boys Brigade Officer. This has included previously taking groups of boys abroad but now it is more local.
He has also led guidance for Duke of Edinburgh Awards and the Presidents Badge in Brigades. He was very much involved with Croft View Halls in the 1970s - where the Youth were able to use the hall for activities. He organised activities where he was able to fundraise money to have some refreshments in the Hall.
He organised small events for Remembrance Day, commemorating WW1. He made sure the youth were very much involved in these events, he had them make poppies, so they were able to be purchased around the village and in schools.
Steven Juan Quilliam - BEM
Steven, 67, from Northumberland, is getting a BEM for services to the community in Prudhoe, Northumberland. He is a Doctor who has made a significant contribution to the village of Prudhoe and who deferred his own retirement amidst the Covid pandemic in order to engage in public health activities.
He served the practice population well for more than 33 years as a general practitioner at Prudhoe medical group. Since 1992 he has been a member of the Prudhoe Community Band, a group that encourages people of all ages and stages of their musical journey.
He facilitated overseas tours, concerts and residentials for hundreds of people. His added community contributions took the form of the Board membership with the Ovingham Middle School, Trusteeship with the Prudhoe Arts Centre and his current role as the Trustee of the Prudhoe Community Partnership.
He supported colleagues who were setting up remote working, SMS messaging and video consultations for patients during the Covid 19 Epidemic ensuring that users were given the best possible care even at times of adversity.