From a broadcaster, to a CCTV operator and a man famed for his moustaches, here are the people from Norfolk and Waveney named in the 2025 New Year Honours list.
Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry has been knighted for his services to mental health awareness, the environment and charity.
The 67-year-old was born in Hampstead but grew up in Booton, Norfolk.
He became a national figure for, among other roles, performing in the BBC comedy Blackadder and hosting the quiz show QI. In 2011 he became the president of the mental health charity Mind.
Sir Stephen said that he felt "startled and enchanted" after receiving the recognition.
He added: “When you are recognised it does make you feel a bit ‘crikey’, but I think the most emotional thing is that when I think of my childhood, and my dreadful unhappiness and misery and stupidity, and everything that led to so many failures as a child."
OBE
Martin Brundle
The 65-year-old, who was born in King's Lynn, competed in Formula One from 1984 to 1996. He won the World Sportscar Championship in 1998 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1990.
Brundle has been a sports commentator on ITV, the BBC and Sky since retiring from the sport.
Myleene Klass
The 46-year-old was born in Gorleston and found fame as a member of pop group Hear'Say. She has since gone on to enjoy a broadcasting career in radio and television.
In 2021, she made a documentary called Myleene Klass: Miscarriage and Me in which she sought to break the taboo surrounding miscarriage by detailing how she had suffered four of her own.
Andrew Proctor
He has had stints as the leader of both Norfolk County Council and Broadland District Council.
Conservative Mr Proctor, who represents the Blofield and Brundall division at County Hall, said: "I was shocked when I found out, but I am really pleased to have been honoured in this way.
"But there's a huge amount of people who I've worked with who have helped along the way."
Ruth Hollis
She is the CEO of the Spirit of 2012, an independent trust designed to build on the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
She has held this role since 2019 but has worked with the trust since its inception in 2013.
With her help, the charity leads a diverse programme of grant-funded projects to provide opportunities for young people across the region.
Professor Philip Jones
He was a director of the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) and a professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia from 1998 until 2016.
John Bateman-Champain
John Bateman-Champain, director of the Faith and Belief Forum, has been made an OBE for his services to faith and integration.
Founded in 1997, the Forum works to encourage friendship, goodwill and understanding between people of different religions, especially between Muslims, Christians and Jews.
It reaches 16,000 people in schools, universities and workplaces every year, helping to connect teachers, students, artists and even members of parliament.
William Ellard
He has had an extraordinary 2024. After winning four medals – including double gold – at the European Para-Swimming championships in Madeira in April, the teenager from Beccles won two golds, and a silver and broke the world record in the S14 200m Freestyle on his Paralympic Games debut in Paris.
Patricia Hewitt
In July 2017, the former health secretary became the chair of the NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plan Oversight Board for Norfolk and Waveney which saw a revolution in the way patients are treated in our county.
The former Labour MP said: "I am deeply humbled and honoured to receive this award. Working to improve health and wellbeing, first as health secretary and now in the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System, has been the greatest privilege of my life.
"I want to pay tribute to the thousands of outstanding individuals and organisations I’ve had the chance to work with. This award truly belongs to them all."
Rachel Blackburn
She is the director of US2U Consulting Limited, which was launched in April 2006.
She said: "I'm clearly really pleased, honoured and humbled to be featured in the awards.
"I'm planning to use the honour to raise the profile of the business and make a greater impact here and overseas."
US2U offers management, media and IT training to businesses around Norwich, as well as coaching and mentoring among a range of other services.
Richard Finney
He is the founder of Captain Fawcett, which manufactures men's grooming products in King's Lynn.
Through his charitable donations and international work he has made the New Year's Honours list.
The 67-year-old worked in the film industry for 25 years and was making his own beard and moustache wax until he was asked to do so for members of a film crew.
He said: "I'm completely chuffed to bits about this. But I work with 20 other people and this award is to the company - the cast and crew at Fawcett HQ."
Barbara Howell
Barbara Howell has been made an MBE for her services to foster care with Norfolk County Council.
Helen Wardale
Helen Wardale, the governance lead at Norfolk County Council, has been made an MBE for her services to education.
She was also chairwoman of the Apollo Academies Trust, which runs a series of schools, and helped stabilise the organisation after one of its headteachers was arrested in front of pupils and parents. Gregory Hill, former head of Howard Junior School, in Lynn, was later jailed for harassment of a trainee teacher.
Sheila Warner
Sheila Warner has been made an MBE for her voluntary services to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. She has helped out at Wells-next-the-Sea lifeboat station since the 1950s.
She said her "stomach has been rolling over and over" since she found out the news.
"I've only just told my family and they are all really proud of me," she added.
"If I can still serve, then I'm quite happy to continue as long as I can."
One of her most vivid memories of her decades at the station was on January 5, 1979, when the crew went out to rescue a broken-down boat.
"They were out for 11 hours and if they hadn't been spotted by seamen, I don't know how they would have come back."
Dr Roger Bland
Mr Bland is also chair of the Treasure Valuation Committee, an advisory non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which advises the secretary of state on the value of finds declared as treasure.
He said: "I gave the best part of my life to the finds of Norfolk.
"It is great that the government is acknowledging the treasure centre of the country that is Norfolk. I am privileged to be part of it."
Geoff Barton
Geoff Barton, from Bury St Edmunds, has been made a CBE for his services to education.
He was the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) between 2017 and 2024 and helped liaise with staff about remote learning during the pandemic.
Rona Benson
Rona Benson has been awarded a BEM for her services to policing and crime prevention.
The 76-year-old is the lead volunteer at Gorleston CCTV, a system of 27 cameras covering the town’s busy thoroughfares, residential areas and seafront.
“I feel very honoured, very humble, and very excited too," she said. “Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I still can’t believe it.”
She oversees rotas for the 14 volunteers who operate the system in three-hour shifts, assists with technical issues and is on call 24/7.
Her role has included reviewing footage to assist police with investigations into burglaries, thefts, fraud, road traffic collisions and missing persons.
One of the most notable cases she worked on was the search for Sophie Smith, the 21-year-old University of East Anglia student who went missing on Boxing Day in 2017.
Ms Benson reviewed hours of CCTV footage during the search, including the last-known image of Sophie captured at 3am as she ran toward the beach from her family home on Avondale Road.
Sophie Ellis and Jessica Lapping
They are co-organisers of the Norfolk Superheroes, a 58-mile-long race, which involves swimming, kayaking, cycling and running near Burnham Overy Staithe.
The quadrathlon raises money for organisations such as the Burnham Overy Harbour Trust and Norfolk Lowland Search and Rescue.
William Good
Ann Osborn
Ann Osborn has been awarded a BEM for her services to older people and for combating loneliness in Norfolk and Suffolk.
She is the CEO of the Rural Coffee Caravan Information Project, which exists to help rurally isolated people access services and information.
She said: "I never imagined myself standing here accepting this very special honour. I'm thrilled to accept it and I do so on behalf of the brilliant Rural Coffee Caravan family. This isn't a job, it's a way of life."
Garry Marsden
Garry Marsden has been made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order for his duties as a visitor enterprise manager at the Sandringham Estate.
Katherine Elizabeth Anne Marsden
Katherine Marsden has been awarded a Silver Royal Victorian Medal for her duties as a gardener at the Sandringham Estate.
Luke Nash
Luke Nash has been awarded a Silver Royal Victorian Medal for his duties as an electrician at the Sandringham Estate.
Kathryn Thacker
Kathryn Thacker has been awarded a King's Police Medal for her duties as Detective Chief Superintendent at Norfolk Constabulary.
She has worked in policing for nearly three decades and currently leads the Tackling Organised Exploitation (TOEX) Programme which works to disrupt criminal gangs in Norfolk and further afield.
She started as a constable in the Earlham area of Norwich where she was soon promoted to sergeant, later becoming a detective constable and sergeant in investigative and covert policing roles.
From there, she worked as a custody sergeant, an inspector at Bowthorpe and Costessey and a detective inspector within Norwich CID.
After being promoted to chief inspector in 2013, she was posted to an operational role at Great Yarmouth.
Sarah Rose Troughton
Sarah Rose Troughton, a member of the Colman's Mustard dynasty, has been honoured by the King for services performed on behalf of the Royal Family.
She has been made a Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.
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