A former chair of trustees has been honoured in the New Year Honours List.

Mark Mitchell was awarded an MBE for his "exceptional services" to education.

Mr Mitchell, who was previously chair of trustees for Solent Academies Trust, began his career as a lecturer in 1970 at the University of Portsmouth.

He later became head of the school of social and historical studies in 1987, then dean in 1993, serving until 2000.

During his tenure as dean, Mr Mitchell played a key role in establishing the university’s new dental school.

He secured formal approval for the school from both the NHS and the General Dental Council.

Mr Mitchell also joined the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies, where he successfully secured a contract for training probation officers in several regions.

These included the South East, South West, North East, and North West, with London and Wales being added in 2008 following another successful bid.

Mr Mitchell also served as chair of the Bill Sargent Trust for a decade.

The trust, set up by the Portsmouth Housing Association in memory of a local Anglican vicar, commissioned research into various social issues across Hampshire.

In 2007, Mr Mitchell helped establish the Harbour School and was then elected as chair of the schools forum with Portsmouth City Council, serving from 2010 to 2015.

He also co-chaired the SEND board from 2013 until 2023.

Sharon Burt, chief executive officer, Solent Academies Trust said: "On behalf of Solent Academies Trust, I would like to offer a heartfelt thank you and congratulations to Mark for his tireless commitment to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.”

"Mark’s contribution to improving the life chances and opportunities for so many young people has been truly significant and nothing short of exceptional. Especially when you consider that from a governance perspective, this dates as far back as 1995, when he was a parent governor at The Priory School.

"While supporting Mary Rose School, Mark has selflessly volunteered hours and hours of his own time, week after week, supporting others, holding trust for our children, securing the highest levels of integrity in our practice, holding us to account and driving excellence in governance at all levels across our Trust.

"Mark's unwavering commitment is a testament to his remarkable dedication to making a difference to the lives of some of the most vulnerable young people locally and further afield through his extensive charitable work and high-quality governance."

Mark Mitchell, member, Solent Academies Trust said: "I'm both surprised and delighted to have been awarded an MBE for services to education, in particular for my work as the immediate past Chair of the Solent Academies Trust Board. However, the award is in recognition of the achievements of the Trust as a whole and this would not have been possible without the dedicated work of the Trust's executive team and the teaching and support staff across the special schools that comprise the Trust. It's the Trust and its staff that really deserve this honour."

Mr Mitchell was a trustee for Motiv8 from 2011 to 2021, chairing its service delivery committee for five years.

In 2003, he became chair of the shadow governing body for Mary Rose School, now known as Mary Rose Academy.

He was instrumental in forming the Solent Academies Trust in 2013 and played a significant role in its development.

Mr Mitchell stepped down as chair of trustees in 2022 and is now a member of the trust.