Footballer Marcus Rashford urged the government to expand its provision of free school meals by accepting an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honors list
The Manchester United and England striker has been honored for his efforts to ensure that no child goes hungry during the summer break, forcing the government to turn back on meal vouchers, and on Friday he called on Boris Johnson to extend the diet during the mid-term break
He said: “As a young black man from Wythenshawe, I never thought I would take an MBE, let alone an MBE when I was 22. »It was a ‘very special moment’ for him and his family
But he added: « The fight to protect our most vulnerable children is far from over. I would do an injustice to my community and to the families I have met and spoken with if I did not take advantage. no this opportunity to respectfully urge the Prime Minister, who recommended me for this honor, to support our children during the middle of October term with an extension of the voucher system, because the leave program ends and we are facing an increase in unemployment «
Postponed to June to include people on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus, the list of honors reflects a nation’s thanks to the heroes of Covid-19 for countless selfless good deeds during the pandemic
Johnson said: “This year’s honorary recipients are a testament to the kind of country we are – caring, compassionate and resolute in the face of a global pandemic The hard work and dedication of these often unsung local heroes got us through. Congratulations to them all «
The majority of honors go to ordinary people for their extraordinary efforts, with 414 of the 1,495 in total going to those on the front lines
With the possibility of a public inquiry into the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, however, the honors committee has made efforts to avoid anyone whose role might later be seen as controversial
Joe Wicks, 35, aka Body Coach, is becoming an MBE to help kids stay active and mentally fit with his online physical education classes and raise £ 580,000 for the NHS He said: ‘To all the kids, to the parents, to the dinner ladies, to the school teachers, to everyone who participated in one of my workouts, thank you for being there »
Derrick Evans, known as M Motivator, who created online home workouts during the lockdown, thought he was being scammed when first asked if he would accept his MBE, and said it was « wonderful to be recognized in this way »
Rapper Lady Leshurr, who received the British Empire Medal (BEM) after releasing a song reminding people to wash their hands, said: “I can’t believe the Queen of England noticed and congratulated the filth queen »
Outside of Covid-19 there are ladies for former Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry and actor Maureen Lipman Berry said she was ‘overwhelmed’
Singer and actor Tommy Steele, actor David Suchet – known for his role as Hercule Poirot – and Phil Redmond, creator of Grange Hill and Hollyoaks, all become knights
Sir David Attenborough, who was knighted in 1985, is now appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George British fashion designer Paul Smith, knighted in 2000, has been appointed companion of honor, the highest honor
There are CBEs for Professor Brian Cox, TV presenter Lorraine Kelly, actor Adrian Lester and singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading
Armatrading, who moved from St Kitts to Birmingham at the age of seven, said he accepted this honor: “Sometimes people talk about the time of empire I think people have forgotten it had been the association for a long time « Honors were only a » country recognizing its citizens « , she added
The government has said this year’s list is the most diverse in honorary honors history, with black and ethnic minority recipients accounting for 13% of the total, up from 12% in 2019 Health workers make up 14 %, including 41 nurses and midwives
However, critics have expressed concern over the lingering ‘colonial nostalgia’ for the honors system Mike McKie, the founder of Bayleaf Honors, who provides advice and support to those who apply for the Queen’s Honors , said: « Does the word empire make the process unattainable or, worse, scary for potential candidates? » Do people of color have the same chances as their white counterparts to be considered for some of these awards in the first place? He echoed calls made in the past to replace global “empire” with “excellence”
A total of 4,000 applications were received from the public as of May, exceeding the number the Cabinet Office normally receives in a year Dame Louise Casey, chair of the Community and Volunteer Services Honors Committee, said it was « indicative of the public’s desire to recognize and celebrate people. »
One of the oldest recipients is Dabirul Islam Choudhury, 100, who is named MBE He has raised £ 420,000 for the NHS by walking 970 towers of his garden in Bow, east London, throughout of ramadan « I am proud that they honored me for the efforts I have made, » he said
Margaret Payne, 90, from Lochinver, who climbed 731 meters high Suilven Mountain on her staircase to raise £ 430,000 for charity, receives BEM « All these little donations just added up at a huge sum and it’s amazing, ”she said
Ashleigh Linsdell, 30, a Cambridge NHS nurse who started For the Love of Scrubs to make kits for frontline workers, has become OBE More than 70,000 volunteers have helped put on 12m of PPE and 1 m of face coverings « I cried when I found out, » she said in his honor
In education, Matt Hood receives an MBE for his lead role in founding the Oak National Academy, a suite of online resources for schools including a video lesson bank to help the distance learning offered by schools during lockdown
Katharine Birbalsingh named CBE for her work in founding the Michaela Community School in Brent in 2014, which has since achieved outstanding exam results Birbalsingh said the honor was a tribute to her staff and to Michaela Emanus, her inspiring colleague who died in 2011 and who gave the school the name « This honor is for her and for the entire team at Michaela Community School, and it is so beautiful that the work we have done on her behalf has been recognized in this way. »
The Cabinet Office said this year’s list was the first to have up to 11% recipients under 30, with Theodore Wride being the youngest at 16 Theodore receives the BEM for his service to his community in Sunderland during the pandemic
There are 740 women on the list, 49% of the total, which is lower than the 507% seen in the New Year’s Honors list last year. Six percent of those honored this time consider themselves to have a handicap
Anniversary honors, Order of the British Empire, Marcus Rashford, Manchester United FC
World news – UK – Marcus Rashford receives MBE in honor of his birthday for the school meals campaign
