Actors, academics and ambulance service veteran honoured by the Queen

The actress Lesley Manville, who grew up in a council house in Hove, has been made a CBE in the New Year Honours List.

The 64-year-old, who was born in Brighton, learnt that she would be honoured by the Queen as she prepares to play her late sister Princess Margaret in The Crown on Netflix.

She takes over the role from Helena Bonham Carter for the final two series of the award-winning drama.

She earned plaudits for her work with the director Mike Leigh in films such as Secrets and Lies, Vera Drake and Mr Turner.

She starred in the recently revived TV series Harlots and opposite Liam Neesom in the film Ordinary Love last year.

Lesley Manville’s mother Jean was a ballet dancer while her father had several jobs, working as a taxi driver, plumber and printer.

She has been honoured for her services to drama and charity, having been nominated for an Oscar for the 2017 film Phantom Thread. She also starred in the BBC comedy Mum.

Another actress with a Brighton connection becomes a dame in the honours list. Sheila Hancock was one of the cast of the shortlived Brighton Belles sitcom, set in a seafront Regency house.

Dame Sheila, 87, has been recognised for services to drama and charity. She appeared in the BBC sitcoms The Rag Trade, Mr Digby Darling and Now, Take My Wife. And in 1972 she starred in her own series, But Seriously, It’s Sheila Hancock.

Both her first husband, the actor Alec Ross, and her second husband John Thaw died of oesophageal cancer.

She has long been a social campaigner and most recently has worked to improve educational opportunities, in particular, for children from poorer backgrounds.

The man credited with turning round the ambulance service for Brighton and Hove has been appointed an MBE, in part for his work since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Falklands War veteran Joe Garcia, 57, is the executive director of operations for the South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb).

The former Royal Marine joined Secamb just after the ambulance trust was placed in “special measures” and the entire team of executives left.

The Cabinet Office said: “His leadership was a key factor in the trust being rated as good or outstanding by the CQC (Care Quality Commission) last August, the latter for patient care and for leadership.

“During the covid-19 crisis he has driven the trust’s efforts across the entire south east of England and has had unparalleled success, delivering the trust’s best ever performance despite up to 600 frontline staff sick or self-isolating because of the disease.

“He has gone to great personal lengths to ensure supplies of PPE (personal protective equipment) and hand sanitiser for the trust’s frontline workers, has created and led a massive communications drive to promote social distancing in the trust and introduced calls with staff up to four times a week to ensure that staff are kept informed at a time of real uncertainty.”

Royal Pavilion expert Norman Stevens, 69, has been made a BEM for services to the restoration and conservation of the Regency palace and to the community in Brighton.

The Cabinet Office said: “He has made a significant voluntary contribution to the preservation and restoration of the Royal Pavilion, both directly, having played the central role in preserving the interiors since 1979, and indirectly by teaching and assisting others in their work on the historic building.

“He allows others to benefit from his wide-ranging knowledge of the Pavilion and of restoration work by leading tours, giving TV presentations, talks and training and encouraging students.

“Alongside his work on the Pavilion, he voluntarily provides his gilding services to many other local buildings, including churches, charities and small businesses across Sussex.”

Political economist Mick Moore has been made an OBE for his services to international development.

Professor Moore is the founding chief executive of the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) in Brighton.

He said: “This honour is a testimony to IDS, the institution that has cultivated my career and my fantastic colleagues at the ICTD, as well as our esteemed partners who have been vital to the success of our work.

“I’m deeply grateful for their support and commitment to engaging in research to guide better policies and practices for financing sustainable development.”

IDS director Melissa Leach said: “This is a hugely well-deserved honour for Mick, who is a tremendous asset to IDS and a truly valued colleague.

Professor Leach added: “His pioneering work in the field of taxation and development has helped establish ICTD as an internationally recognised centre of expertise, working with partners to improve tax systems and promote equitable economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa.”

Another academic, Sussex University philosophy professor Kathleen Stock, 48, has been made an OBE for her services to higher education.

Professor Stock has been described as one of the most prominent advocates of “gender-critical feminism” which has proved controversial in the debate about transgender issues.

Her contributions have sparked debate about women’s rights, transgender rights and academic freedom, with some activists having urged the university, at Falmer, to sack her.

Professor Stock, who is adamant that she is not “transphobic”, came to Sussex in 2003 and recently gave evidence to the House of Commons Women and Equalities Select Committee.

Mark Vickers has been made an MBE for his services to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Mr Vickers, 53, of Loder Road, Brighton, is the chief executive of the Olive Academies, a multi-academy trust operating in Havering, Thurrock and Suffolk.

He completed his MA (Master of Arts) at Brighton University during a career that has included roles as a secondary school head teacher, an Ofsted inspector and a school leadership consultant.

Robert Lockyer-Nibbs, known as Bob Lockyer, has been made an OBE. Mr Lockyer, 78, chaired South East Dance, which is based in Kensington Street, Brighton, serving six years on the charity’s board.

Mr Lockyer, who lives in Lewes, was also the executive producer of dance at BBC Television for many years.

He has been a keen supporter of the Dance Space project to set up a dedicated theatre and studios in Brighton.

South East Dance hopes to move into the venue, part of the £130 million Circus Street scheme, in Brighton, in the coming year.

Mr Lockyer was honoured for his services to dance and broadcasting.

Joanne Monck, an independent custody visitor in Brighton, has been made an OBE for services to transgender equality.

Ms Monck, 65, works as an independent adviser and global LGBT advocate, who was born male in 1955 but didn’t start her transition until 2014, with surgery in 2017.

She said: “I am now legally female and passionate about raising awareness for the LGBT community to be accepted in all walks of life.

“We are all human beings, and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of who or what we are.”

As well as being a custody visitor in Brighton, Ms Monck is an independent adviser to Sussex Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and works with the Bluebell Railway and Stonewall.

Ruth Purdie, 57, from Brighton, the chief executive of UK Road Offender Education (UKROEd), has been made an OBE for services to road safety and to policing.

She joined UKROEd two and a half years ago and became chief executive last May, having previously been the general secretary of Tispol, the European Roads Policing Network.

Ms Purdie retired as an assistant chief constable – with Cheshire Constabulary – in 2014 having formerly served in the police in her native Wales.

And David Brewster, recently retired from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, which covers Brighton and Hove, has been made a BEM.

Mr Brewster, known as Bill, was the fire service’s strategic engineering manager and was made a Medallist of the Order of the British Empire for his services to fire safety.

Chief Fire Officer Dawn Whittaker said: “We are thrilled to hear that Bill Brewster, who retired from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service in May 2020, has been awarded a British Empire Medal. Many congratulations to Bill and his family.

“Bill served in East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service for 42 years as both an operational firefighter and as the manager of our engineering services.

“He also contributed significantly to the National Fire Chiefs Council as the national lead of the Transport Officers Group.

“Under his leadership, huge shifts were made to improve national standards and the efficiency of fire engines and appliances.

“He made a significant contribution to the fire sector both nationally and locally and it is fantastic to see him honoured in this way.”

Mr Brewster has also volunteered at the Snowflake Night Shelter charity since 2014, helping to look after and feed homeless people on the streets of Hastings.