Together, these awards highlight Merseyside’s commitment to public service, sport, education, and charity, showcasing the region’s impact on local and national life.
Emma O’Neill Content Editor
22:30, 29 Dec 2025
England’s Alex Greenwood during the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 (Image: PA)
Football star Alex Greenwood heads a distinguished list of Merseyside residents recognised in this year’s King’s New Year Honours. The honours celebrate individuals from Liverpool, Wirral, St Helens, and Southport who have made outstanding contributions across sport, education, healthcare, and community service.
Healthcare leaders feature prominently, including Mary Patricia Bennett, chief executive of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, and Michelle Cox, a nurse and race equality consultant, both recognised for their work improving patient outcomes. Foster carers, such as David and Susan Cook, and community volunteers like Anthony Joseph Jones and Bernadette Langfield, highlight the region’s dedication to social support and charitable work.
Education and youth initiatives also feature, with Anna Victoria Dawe of Wigan and Leigh College, Rachael Ellen Hennigan of Hugh Baird College, and Janice McKay Monty of Shaftesbury Youth Club acknowledged for their services to further education and community development. Tara Louise Jones, a rugby league referee, and Kenneth Hamilton Lawton, advocating for vulnerable families, demonstrate the diversity of Merseyside’s honourees.
The list is capped with Merseyside Police Chief Constable Robert John Carden, who receives the King’s Police Medal, and a host of medallists recognised for services to the community, including Dr Graeme Muir Allan in Southport and Jacqueline Lowe in St Helens. Together, these awards highlight Merseyside’s commitment to public service, sport, education, and charity, showcasing the region’s impact on local and national life.
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
- Sarah Gwendoline Beresford. Associate, Prison Reform Trust. For services to Children with Parents in the Criminal Justice System. (Liverpool, Merseyside)
- Anna Victoria Dawe. Chief Executive Officer and Principal, Wigan and Leigh College, Greater Manchester. For services to Further Education. (Liverpool, Merseyside)
- Rachael Ellen Hennigan. Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Hugh Baird College. For services to Further Education. (Liverpool, Merseyside)
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- Mary Patricia Bennett. Chief Executive Officer, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. For services to the NHS. (Liverpool, Merseyside)
- Maureen Berry. Business Analyst, HM Revenue and Customs. For services to Inclusion. (Liverpool, Merseyside)
- David Cook. Foster Carer, St Helens Borough Council. For services to Foster Care. (St Helens, Merseyside)
- Susan Cook. Foster Carer, St Helens Borough Council. For services to Foster Care. (St Helens, Merseyside)
- Michelle Cox. Nurse and Race Equality Consultant, Michelle Cox Consultancy. For services to Nursing and Patient Outcomes. (Liverpool, Merseyside)
- Alex Greenwood. For services to Association Football. (Liverpool, Merseyside)
- Anthony Joseph Jones. Volunteer, Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Chair, New Brighton Community Centre. For Voluntary Service to Maritime Safety and to the community in New Brighton. (Wirral, Merseyside)
- Tara Louise Jones. Rugby League Referee. For services to Rugby League Football. (St Helens, Merseyside)
- Kenneth Hamilton Lawton. Disability Services Advocacy Manager, Department for Work and Pensions. For services to Vulnerable Families and to the Veteran Community. (Liverpool, Merseyside)
- Professor Paul Laurence May. For services to Charitable Fundraising and to Neurosurgery. (Southport, Merseyside)
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
- Dr Graeme Muir Allan. Volunteer Medical Director, Southport Macmillan Centre and Lately Cancer Lead GP in Sefton. For services to the community in Southport. (Southport, Merseyside)
- Dr Nunzia Bertali. For services to UK/Italy Relations and to the community in Wirral. (Wirral, Merseyside)
- Bernadette Langfield. Founder, Shy Lowen Horse and Pony Sanctuary. For services to Charity. (Liverpool, Merseyside)
- Arnold Sydney Lewis. For services to the Jewish Community in Liverpool. (Liverpool, Merseyside)
- Janice McKay Monty. Trustee and lately Chief Executive Officer, Shaftesbury Youth Club, Merseyside, and lately Chief Executive Officer, Tranmere Rovers in the Community. For services to the community in The Wirral. (Birkenhead, Merseyside)
- Jennifer Anne Turner. School Crossing Patrol. For services to Road Safety. (Southport, Merseyside)
- Richard Glegg Turner. For services to the community in Thurstaton. (Wirral, Merseyside)
King’s Police Medal (KPM)
- Robert John Carden. Chief Constable, Merseyside Police. (Merseyside)
ISLE OF MAN
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
- The Honourable Laurence David Skelly. For services to the Isle of Man.
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- Jennifer Anna Houghton. For services to Business, the Community and to Philanthropy on the Isle of Man.
- Julie Elizabeth Stokes. For services to Cancer Patients on the Isle of Man.
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
- Gerald Joseph Callister. For services to the community in Port Erin and to the Church.
King’s Fire Service Medal (KFSM)
- Mark Christian. Chief Fire Officer, Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service.
King’s Ambulance Service Medal (KAM)
- William Daniel Benjamin Bellamy. Director of Ambulance and Transfer Services, Manx Care.
