Local people named in New Year’s Honours
30/12/2025
The list of those receiving awards has been released
Local people are amongst those receiving awards in the New Year’s Honours List.
Carl Portman – one of the country’s top chess minds – receives an MBE for services to prisoners.
Mr Portman, who’s from Banbury, is a coach, author and certified chess champion who offered chess taster sessions for local people in People’s Park in an initiative with Banbury Town Council in 2024. His award recognises his voluntary work bringing chess into prisons where it is used as a force for good and even helps with rehabilitation, with inmates encouraged to talk about the game and learn life lessons from it.
Deborah Jones, from Banbury, receives a CBE for services to Children, Young People and Families.
75-year-old Mrs Jones completed a four-year role as Executive Director Children, Families and Education Services at Croydon Council earlier this having previously held a similar role at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Prior to that Mrs Jones was the National Director for Social Care at Ofsted.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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