Police and army officers amongst Harrogate district residents honoured by Queen

A Boroughbridge police officer and an army officer based at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate are amongst the local residents recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

In this jubilee year, the Queen has recognised the service of four Harrogate district residents.

Knighthood

Martyn Oliver, chief executive of Outwood Grange Academies Trust, has been knighted for services to education.

The trust sponsors 40 schools in northern England, including Outwood Primary Academy Greystone and Outwood Academy in Ripon.

MBE

Barry Appleton, at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, has been made an MBE for his military service.

The warrant officer’s role at the college is to take care of the welfare of the 300 military staff and their families.

The college provides basic training to 1,300 under 18s. The honours list describes how he uses his imagination to “engage with and support his community, providing constant oversight and support in excess of what seemed possible”.

He has worked at the college for more than a decade and in that time looked after hundreds of military and civilian families.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Ellen Hughes, from Harrogate, has been made an MBE for services to sport during covid.

Ms Hughes is currently director of special projects at Sport England after starting her career in grassroots sport as a project manager at North Yorkshire County Sports Partnership.

She has been responsible for delivering the government’s £600million sports survival package to support spectator sports during covid when fans weren’t allowed in venues.

She has given funding to more than 1,200 organisations through this scheme and was also responsible for giving £32.7million worth of covid funding to rugby league teams.

Colin William Rodham, from Knaresborough, has been made an MBE for services to flood risk management in the Yorkshire region.

Mr Rodham currently works as a senior officer in the Environment Agency.

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BEM

Sharron Moverley-Homes, from Boroughbridge, has been made an BEM for services to policing.

Ms Moverley-Holmes is a special chief officer in the North Yorkshire Police Special Constabulary. Since joining the police in 1984 she has remained in the North Yorkshire force calling it “the family I could never leave”.

Over the three decades, she said she has worked in a number of departments but being out in the community remains the most rewarding part:

“The bread and butter of policing is being visible and speaking to members of the public. That could be walking the streets or it could be when they need us the most and are at the worst point in their lives.”

Ms Moverley-Holmes manages the special constabulary which is a collection of part-time volunteer officers. She said working with those willing to give up their free time is “truly rewarding” and dedicated her award to their hard work.

She said another passion of her’s is to ensure the force is as open and inclusive as it can be, she said to serve the community we must represent it, adding:

“Policing was very different when I started and so was the world. I hope my legacy is that we are open to everyone and inclusive.”

Talking about receiving the award, she said:

“I was shocked, surprised, I had to hide it away for a few hours and go back and check I hadn’t read it wrong. It’s a huge privilege to be recognised for a job I love.”

This weekend, on June 5, a group of special constables and Ms Moverely-Holmes will be walking 30 miles from York to Tadcaster to mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Special Constable Glenn Goodman who was fatally shot whilst on patrol in Tadcaster.

Queen’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service

Lisa Winward, the Chief Constable of North Yorkshire, has been awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.

Ms Winward joined Humberside Police as a regular officer in 1994, before transferring to North Yorkshire in 2008, and took the position of Chief Constable in April 2018.

She is a national ambassador for volunteering, taking the National Police Chief Council lead for Citizens in Policing for a number of years and is national lead for women’s health and the intelligence portfolio.

Ms Winward, said:

“I simply wouldn’t be where I am today without all of the people who have helped me, taught me, inspired and motivated me and worked alongside me in the wonderful team that is policing. It is a privilege to be a public servant and a police officer.”