FE and Skills New Year Honours 2026: A couple of Hullraisers, Saf, and Sir Idris Elba Honoured
The FE and Skills 2026 New Year’s Honours List has been announced, including a couple of ‘Hullraisers’, Saf Ali for his amazing work on diversity and inclusion (Saf founded the Multicultural Apprenticeships Awards over a decade ago, Pathway Group and Canny Conversations podcast)… to famous actors for services to young people.
Celebrities Recognised for Supporting Young People
Idris Elba is now Sir Idris Elba in recognition of his work with young people. Idris Elba works closely with Barking and Dagenham College and also with the Kings Trust. In November 2025 the Elba Hope Foundation and the King’s Trust with a £500,000 expansion of Creative Futures helping 400 young people into creative careers. Idris Elba received a grant from the Prince’s Trust as a Young Person to attend the National Youth Music Theatre programme. Idris Elba was honoured by the MOBO awards in June 2025 (MOBO’s Paving The Way award) and Idris elected to lay the stone at Barking and Dagenham College (where he attended as a young person) at the Idris Elba Studio, a professional film and TV facility named in his honour.
A couple of Hullraisers Were Honoured
Hullraisers (Hull College changemakers) were awarded two awards. Hull College Principal & CEO Debra Gray was awarded a CBE and Hull College Executive Director of Digital Transformation, Deb Millar, was Awarded an OBE.
David Hughes, Chief Executive, Association of Colleges said:
“It’s always such a pleasure to see so many inspiring college leaders and staff recognised in the New Year Honours list. Our further education colleges are so successful because of their commitment, enthusiasm and expertise, and I’m pleased to see them recognised in this prestigious way.
“I’m particularly pleased to see AoC board members Lisa O’Loughlin and Dr Niko Savvas both receive OBEs for services to further education, and Ruth Flynn, one of our AoC T Level advisors, be awarded a British Empire Medal for services to further education.
“I’m sure they will all be recognised by their colleges on their return to work next week, but for now, I hope they enjoy celebrating with their loved ones.”
Who was Honoured in FE and Skills?
We calculate that there are 31 people honoured (but it is a big list, so let us know if we have missed anyone)! We calculate this to be 5 CBEs, 9 OBEs, 12 MBEs, and 5 BEMs.
COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (CBE) – 5 recipients
- Colin Booth – Lately Chief Executive, Luminate Education Group, Yorkshire
For services to Further Education
Newton Aycliffe - Matthew John Brittin – for his digital skills training work through ‘Grow With Google’
For services to Technology and to Enhancing Digital Skills
London - Debra Jane Gray – Principal, Hull College, Yorkshire
For services to Further Education
Dronfield - Lisa Marie O’Loughlin – Principal and Chief Executive Officer, East Lancashire Learning Group
For services to Further Education
Lancaster - Professor Oonagh Smyth – Chief Executive Officer, Skills for Care
For services to Adult Social Care
London
OFFICER OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (OBE) – 9 recipients
- Tracy Aust – Lately Principal and Chief Executive Officer, West Thames College, London
For services to Further Education
London - Anna Victoria Dawe – Chief Executive Officer and Principal, Wigan and Leigh College, Greater Manchester
For services to Further Education
Liverpool - Julia Catherine Heap – Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Hopwood Hall College, Rochdale, Greater Manchester
For services to Further Education
Rochdale - Rachael Ellen Hennigan – Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Hugh Baird College, Merseyside
For services to Further Education
Liverpool - Mohamed Isap – Chief Executive, IN4 Group
For services to Education
Blackburn - Sarah Lee – Deputy Director, Education, Employment and Skills, HM Prison and Probation Service
For Public Service
Canterbury - Deborah Kellsey Millar – Director of Digital Transformation, Hull College
For services to Further Education
Darwen - Sara Russell – Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Peter Symonds College, Hampshire
For services to Further Education
Reading - Dr Nikolaos Savvas – Chief Executive Officer, West Suffolk College, West Suffolk Trust, and Eastern Education Group, and Principal Abbeygate Sixth Form College, Suffolk
For services to Further Education
Newmarket
MEMBER OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (MBE) – 12 recipients
- Safaraz Ali – Chief Executive Officer, Pathway Group
For services to Diversity and Inclusion in Business
Birmingham - Paula Allerton – Head of Apprenticeships, HM Revenue and Customs
For services to Apprenticeships
Loughborough - Andrew Jonathan Barnes – Lately Chair of Governors, City College Norwich
For services to Further Education
Norwich - Isabelle Grace Barron – Team Member, WorldSkills
For services to Vocational Education
Clitheroe - Alan Edward Foster – Governor, Wilberforce Sixth Form College, Yorkshire
For services to Further Education
Hull - Kathryn Mary Geraghty – Head of Technical Qualifications, National Theatre, London
For services to Education and Skills
Woking - Jane Louise Hadfield – Lately Board Member, Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, Bristol
For services to Education - Joanna Clare Hughes – Director, Joanna Hughes Solicitor Apprenticeships
For services to Education and Skills
London - Hazrat Islam – Senior Manager, Regions and Providers Directorate, Department for Education
For services to Further Education
Birmingham - Michael Arthur Pardoe James – Chief Executive, Cardiff and Vale College
For services to Education and to Future Skills
Northampton - Julie Jean Kapsalis – Lately Chair, Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership
For services to Economic Development
Cranleigh - Vivienne Lesley McCormack – Managing Director, Michaeljohn Training Manchester, Greater Manchester
For services to Vocational Education
High Peak
BRITISH EMPIRE MEDAL (BEM) – 5 recipients
- Peter David Clark – Head of 16-19 Funding and Financial Support Policy, Department for Education
For services to Further Education
Milton Keynes - Ruth Flynn – Director of Sixth Form, La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls School, London Borough of Lambeth
For services to Further Education
London - Andrew John Salter – Apprentice Training Manager, AWE plc
For services to Defence Engineering and to Young People
Thatcham - Victoria Louise Seymour – Lately Tutor, Somerset Skills and Learning
For services to Skills
Ottery St Mary - Angela Wooller – Apprenticeship and Qualifications Manager, East Sussex County Council
For services to Further Education
Hailsham
Congrats to everyone who was honoured… but also to their teams, their colleagues (past and present) and families, as these honours are usually for much more than just one individual’s achievement!
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