Honours System
Recognising exceptional achievement or service
Vicky Shakesby, MBE for services
to local government
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is calling on the nation to make sure local heroes who make a big difference to their communities are honoured by the nation. He said that he believed, ‘the significant majority of honours should, in my view, go to people who serve their community’. A new campaign to encourage nominations of local heroes started on 21 January 2008 running in the North West, Yorkshire & the Humber, the West Midlands and Scotland.
Do you know someone who has done something exceptional, consistently made a difference or simply been a good neighbour? Nominating someone for an honour needn't be complicated!
Dame Alexandra Burslem
Chair of the Education Honours Committee
The honours system recognises merit and service to the nation. There are several different types of award, each one recognising a different type of contribution.
Honours lists are published twice a year at New Year and in mid-June on the date of The Queen's official birthday. Anyone can receive an award if they reach the required standard of merit or service, and honours lists contain a wide variety of people from different backgrounds. Anyone can nominate someone for an award.