Queen's Birthday Honours: Knighthood for Stagecoach Chief, OBE for Message Trust Founder
Brian Souther, chief executive of Stagecoach plc, was knighted for services to Transport and the Voluntary Sector, while Andy Hawthorne (picture above) founder and chief executive of The Message Trust, received the OBE for services to Young People in Greater Manchester.
The story behind Andy's award is outlined on the Message Trust's website:
"The honour recognises Andy’s outstanding achievements and service to young people in Greater Manchester for almost 20 years.
"Since leaving his clothing business to work full time in schools in 1992, Andy has built a formidable reputation as a champion for young people and a pioneer of initiatives that help the hardest-to-reach young people in schools, prisons and disadvantaged local communities.
"Through its schools bands and theatre company, 17 long-term urban youth partnerships and work with young offenders, The Message Trust now reaches over 100,000 young people a year in Greater Manchester and beyond.
"Thousands of young people attribute the radical changes in their lives to the work of The Message. Many former troublemakers have become staff members and key volunteers of the charity."
Other individuals with a church connection honoured in the list include:
- The Reverend Prebendary Philippa Jane Boardman: For services to Heritage in East London
- The Reverend Michael Alan Binstock: For services to HM Prison Service and to Jewish Prisoners
- Jonathan Leonard Bielby, Organist and Director of Music, Wakefield Cathedral: For services to Choral Music
- The Reverend Winifred Jones: For services to the community in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
- Mrs Ann Sankey: For voluntary service to the Church Lads’ and Church Girls’ Brigade in Leicestershire
- George Henry Taggart, JP: For services to the Boys’ Brigade in Northern Ireland
