Stand Up For Southport Blog by Andrew Brown
The 2024 New Year’s Honours have been unveiled – and while there’s some worthy recipients on there, it’s surprising not to see a single name from Southport.
I read through the entire 164-page list when it was published last night.
More than 1,200 recipients have been awarded for their exceptional achievements, with a focus on those who have given with generosity to others in need.
Individuals have been recognised for being dedicated community champions, role models in sport, pioneers in the arts, passionate health workers, and supporters of young people.
Honours were awarded to people “across the whole of the UK, so that the honours system captures and celebrates the fantastic contribution of people throughout the country”.
Except there was one notable town that was missed out. Southport.
We’re not short of worthy recipients! There are so many people who deserve to be recognised.
Kath Wilson, who founded Southport Lifeboat and led the drive for a new lifeboat base in our town; Marina Dalglish, who has raised millions of pounds and saved hundreds of lives of cancer patients in our region; David and Ann Cobham, now in their 80s, who for many years have led the resurgence of Botanic Gardens in Churchtown; Brenda and Ken Porter, community champions for Ainsdale and beyond; Pauline Morris, who keeps the gardens on Lord Street looking beautiful; Josh Cropper, who risked his own life to rescue stricken animals from a burning building; Debbie-Lyn Connolly-Lloyd, who has campaigned so hard for disability rights and inclusive fashion; Simon Davies, who drove medical supplies to war-torn Ukraine; the team behind the Southport Saviours defibrillator charity; and so many more.
Botanic Gardens volunteers David and Ann Cobham, with their daughter Laura at the 2023 Pride Of Sefton Awards
All of these people deserve recognition. It’s a shame, and a surprise, that none of them were on this occasion.
It’s partly why Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group and Stand Up For Southport teamed up earlier this year to launch the first Pride Of Sefton Awards, to celebrate the amazing ensuing heroes in our local community.
Read More: In Pictures: Pride Of Sefton Awards 2023 celebrates our outstanding local heroes
The stories of the winners and the nominees on the night were awe-inspiring.
Debbie-Lyn Connolly Lloyd has won the Sefton Diversity and Inclusion Award, sponsored by Sefton Council, at the 2023 Pride Of Sefton Awards. The award was presented by Mayor of Sefton Cllr Clare Louise Carragher. Photo by Kevin Brown Photography
We received over 1,200 nominations, which just shows the strong sense of community spirit and altruism locally.
We’d love to see this changed on a national basis!
Anyone can nominate someone for an honour. If you know someone who has achieved fantastic things worthy of recognition, go to https://www.gov.uk/honours to find out more about how you can put them forward.
We need to see some Southport winners on the next Honours List that is published.
God knows lots of people in our town deserve it.
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