Shining stars of Hampshire named in King's New Year Honours

Rob Heard, 58, from Southampton is the founder and chairperson of the Older Drivers Forum and the former road safety sergeant for Hampshire and Thames Valley Police.

He has been made an MBE for services to road safety. He established and expanded an innovative pilot project to improve road safety amongst older drivers.

He said: “I feel humbled to be given this MBE and I wish to dedicate it to all the families and people who have lost their lives due to road traffic collisions.

“Every day nearly five people lose their lives on UK roads, and many deaths are avoidable.

Rob added: “In my 30 years’ service as a police officer I dealt with and attended over 100 fatalities, and I truly saw the devastation it caused to all involved.

“I saw how raising awareness can help save lives and the smallest action can make a massive difference. Life is a gift, and we need to value ours as well as the lives of others. Acting safely on the roads is one way we can show this.

He started the Older Drivers Forum with Hampshire and then after seeing success, advised multiple other police forces on adoption of the scheme, 19 police forces currently. There are several others in the pipeline.

The project involves a ‘Fitness to drive’ alternative to prosecution for older drivers or those with medical conditions involved in careless driving incidents rather than accidents.

Alan Whitehead has been made a CBE after spending 27 years as Labour MP for Southampton Test.

Dr Whitehead stood down at the 2024 General Election and was succeeded by fellow Labour politician Satvir Kaur, who was previously leader of the city council.

He studied politics and philosophy at the University of Southampton, where he became president of the Students' Union and received a PhD in Political Science.

Dr Whitehead was leader of the city council from 1984 to 1992 and a professor of Public Policy at Southampton Institute.

He stood in Southampton Test three times before finally winning the seat in 1997 with 54.1 per cent of the vote and a majority of 13,684.

From June 2001 to May 2002, Dr Whitehead was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.

After retaining Southampton Test at the 2005 general election he voted against the Iraq War, arguing it had not been endorsed by the UN.

In 2009 he rebelled against a government 3-line whip on the renewal of the UK Trident programme. His actions were put down to the fact that he was a supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

Dr Whitehead was re-elected at the 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019 general elections.

In March 2020, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Energy and the Green New Deal.

Two years later Dr Whitehead announced he would be standing down at the next general election.

He was formerly the leader of Southampton City Council and a Professor of Public Policy at the Southampton Institute.

Royston Smith was Conservative MP for Southampton Itchen when Dr Whitehead announced his intention to quit Parliament.

Speaking at the time, he said: "Alan Whitehead has had a remarkable career in politics. I have enjoyed working with him, albeit from a different political perspective.”

Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton North, said she was “very sad to see Alan step down”, adding “we have always worked well together on issues in the city and although we disagree on politics, he is a good and kind man.”

“Undoubtedly, we will miss his expertise on environmental issues, which were his main interest in Parliament. I certainly hope he enjoys his retirement, and he can reflect on a long time in service to the City of Southampton.”

Cllr Satvir Kaur said Dr Whitehead had been “an outstanding public servant" to Southampton, representing it with “diligence and integrity for nearly 40 years".

She added: "He should be rightfully proud of his achievements and the legacy that he leaves behind. Our city is better off because of his unwavering dedication and hard work.

“On behalf of the Labour Party and all of Southampton’s communities, I would simply like to say, thank you. Alan will remain as Southampton Test’s MP until the next general election, and I know that he will continue to support and fight for Southampton until his very last day.”

Cllr Daniel Fitzhenry, then leader of the city council, said he had known Dr Whitehead since he was first elected to the city’s youth parliament in 2001.

He added: “Whilst we perhaps disagree on our politics, I know Alan to be a very loyal, hardworking, champion for Southampton. We wish him all the best for the future and thank him for his many years of service to the city.”

Others paying tribute included Paul Holmes, who was Conservative MP for Eastleigh and the time but now represents Hamble Valley.

He described Dr Whitehead as “unfailingly courteous and always standing up for his constituents”

Hurdle maker Ken Galton of Fareham has been awarded a British Empire Medal for services to Hazel Coppicing and to Heritage Crafts Hurdle making is a traditional rural craft that involves creating fence panels, primarily from coppiced wood such as hazel or willow.

These versatile objects were traditionally used for fencing in livestock but can now also be used for garden purposes.

The 89-year-old said he was proud that this rural craft which he has been practising for nearly 75 years, had been recognised by His Majesty.

“Not many people want to do this anymore, it’s very hard work. But I have been doing it for most of the time since 1950, with a little bit of farming as well. I think I have a few years to go yet.

Of the honour he added: “I won’t really be celebrating or anything, I am just taking it in my stride.”

Ken is a member of the Hampshire Coppice Group.

Professor Keith Brown of Southampton, lately the independent Chair of the Safeguarding Adult National Network and long-time government adviser has been made a CBE for services to Adult Safeguarding.

The national network oversees and produces guidance on all areas of adult safeguarding.

He is Founding Director and Emeritus Professor, National Centre for Social Work and in addition, Professor Brown chairs three regional Safeguarding Boards.

His other main role is leading the national research into fraud and scams for the National Scams Team.

He is also known for chairing Love Southampton which represents churches in the city in areas such as food banks, debt advice and supporting refugees and the homeless.

A Hampshire paralympian has been awarded an OBE for services to swimming after winning three gold medals.

Alice Tai, from New Milton, has excelled at the Paralympic, World, and European games after undergoing 14 operations as a child to help her to walk.

She was born with bilateral talipes, also known as clubfoot.

In January 2022, her right leg was amputated below the knee to relieve chronic pain and she had to relearn how to swim.

Alice took up the sport at the age of eight, joining the Seagulls Swimming Club in New Milton.

In 2012, she showed her potential at the British International Disability Swimming Championships in Sheffield and continued to make progress.

At the 2016 Summer Paralympics, she and the UK team won a gold medal in the 4 x 100 metre medley relay and a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke.

She also won two gold medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, triumphing in the 50m freestyle and the 100m breaststroke.

Alice was described as "visibly shocked" after claiming her second title of the Games.

"I knew it would be close going in and I thought someone might duck under 30 seconds – I didn't think it would be me," she said.

"I'm more in shock with my time than anything. The 50m is usually such a close race and I could see the Brazilian next to me and I just tried to give it that bit more."

Alice said she was getting close to her old times after recovering from her 2022 amputation.

Katy Ware, who becomes an MBE for services to marine safety and technology, was appointed as the director of UK Maritime Services in April 2016.

Ms Ware studied marine technology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, where she graduated with Honour’s degree in the subject.

She later qualified as a chartered engineer with the Royal Institute of Naval Architects.

In 1999, Ms Ware joined the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) in Southampton before taking a two-year secondment with the Department for Transport, where she worked on maritime environmental issues.

In 2009, she was promoted to Principal for Marine Technology for the MCA, becoming the lead policy official for all matters relating to life-saving appliances and fire safety.

Two years later she was appointed Permanent Representative of the UK the International Maritime Organization.

Her role has been to facilitate, co-ordinate and negotiate all maritime matters between other governmental departments, the European Union and the International Maritime Organization.

Other recipients include Dr Elizabeth Kent, who works at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, who has been awarded an MBE for services to tracking global temperatures.

She is associate head of the Marine Physics and Ocean Climate Research Group and leader of the Global Surface Air Temperature project, which estimates how the global climate has changed over the industrial era.

Frederick Tucker, of Awbridge near Romsey, has been awarded an Order of the British Empire (BEM) for his services to the community of Awbridge. Mr Tucker is heavily involved in where he lives, and he previously fought for Southern Water to improve water pressure.

Speaking to the Echo in 2020, Mr Tucker said: “The fire service lost 20 valuable minutes when tackling the fire at the home on Danes Road earlier this year.

"On turning on their hoses the water came out like a garden hose, meaning water had to be sourced and stored in large pools, in the roadway, to help the situation.”

Alexander Morrice has also been awarded a BEM in the King’s New Year’s Honours. This is for his services to the community in Corhampton and Meonstoke.

Professor Richard Oreffo, former head of the musculoskeletal section at the University of Southampton, becomes an OBE for services to education, equality, and musculoskeletal services.

The multi award-winning expert was appointed head of a multidisciplinary research group that focused on developing strategies to repair bone and cartilage.

According to the Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, his research led to the first 3D titanium bone stem cell impaction graft operation in England.

A statement on its website says: “Richard has trained over 50 MD/PhD interdisciplinary scientists and, published over 350 papers including breakthrough publications on skeletal stem cells, osteoarthritis, bone regeneration and holds seven patents.

“He is founder/CSO of Renovos Biologics Limited and Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.”