Honorands 2010-2019

Baroness Flather

Teacher and British politician. Baroness Flather has been a life peer for the Conservative party since the 11 June 1990 as Baroness Flather, of Windsor and Maidenhead in the Royal County of Berkshire. She was the first Asian woman to receive a peerage.
Baroness Flather was born in 1934 in Lahore when it was still part of India, she came to study law at the. University College London and taught in state schools before embarking on her remarkable career. She has served as Deputy Mayor and as Mayor for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

She has also been a teacher of English as a second language and a member of the Conservative Women’s National Committee. Baroness Flather has been recognised as Asian Who’s Who Asian of the Year 1996. She has served senior posts in various organisations involved in refugee, community, race relations and prison work. She was the first Indian woman councillor, the first Indian woman JP, the first Indian mayor and, the first Asian woman to be elevated to the House of Lords.

The Rt Revd Frank White

Bishop of Brixworth. Was appointed Suffragan Bishop of Brixworth in March 2002.

He obtained a BSc Econ from Consett Technical College. He then gained a Diploma in Social Science at the University of Wales in Cardiff and a Diploma in Theology at the University of Nottingham.

He then went on to study at St Johns College, Nottingham and was awarded a Diploma in Pastoral Studies. He was ordained deacon in 1980 and priest in 1981.

He was the Director of Youth Action in York between 1971 and 1973 and then became a detached youth worker at the Manchester Catacombs Trust from 1973 to 1977. In 1980 he became the Assistant Curate of St Nicholas, Durham, a post he held until 1984. In 1984 he became the Senior Curate at St Mary and St Cuthbert, Chester Le Street. In 1987 he became the full time hospital chaplain for Durham and Chester Le Street Hospitals. In 1989 he was appointed as vicar of St John the Evangelist in Birtley and was made Rural Dean in 1993. In 1997 he was appointed as Archdeacon of Sunderland and in 1997 was also made an Honorary Canon of Durham Cathedral. From 1987 to 2000 he was a Proctor in Convocation at the General Synod.

Bishop Frank has been a supporter of the University since becoming Bishop of Brixworth in 2002.  He has worked closely with inter-faith and other Christian denominational leaders in Northamptonshire and has a close and active interest in homelessness and poverty in Northamptonshire.

Keith Barwell

Keith is a local Businessman and Chair of Northampton Saints Rugby Football Club.

He has supported Northampton Rugby Football Club (‘The Saints’) since his schooldays and is currently their Chairm. He has been closely involved with the restoration of one of Northampton’s most interesting 20th century buildings; 78 Derngate – formerly the home of the Bassett Lowke family, the interior of which was designed and furnished by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

In January 2005, he was appointed as Chair of the West Northampton Urban Development Corporation (renamed as West Northampton Development Corporation – WNDC) having been its Chair-Designate since September 2004.  The WNDC was set up in 2004 to drive the growth and regeneration of Northampton, Daventry and Towcester. He stepped down from the Board of WNDC in the summer 2008.

He is a regular donor to the University of Northampton and the Maggie Barwell Scholarship which was set up to support students studying in The School of The Arts, Division of Fashion and Textiles.

Cllr Gina Ogden

County Councillor. Gina is the longest serving County Councillor and was first elected in 1967. She is currently chair of the Adult Social Care and Health Scrutiny Committee. She also serves as a governor of the Northamptonshire Performing Arts and Music Service and is a member of the Royal and Derngate Theatres Board and is involved with St Andrews Hospital, Northampton.

Tim Boswell

MP for Daventry. Tim contested the seat of Rugby in the General Election of February 1974. Later, he served on the voluntary side of the Party as Daventry Constituency Treasurer and then Chair. He was appointed as part-time Special Political Adviser to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in May 1984, and held the post until his selection as Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Daventry in November 1986. He was first elected Member of Parliament for Daventry in 1987.

In November 1989, Tim was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Peter Lilley MP who was Financial Secretary to the Treasury.

In July 1990 he was appointed an Assistant Whip, with responsibilities for the Environment and subsequently for Trade and Industry and Transport. From April until December 1992 he was the Lord Commissioner of Her Majesty’s Treasury (Government Whip).

Tim was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Education from December 1992 until July 1995. From July 1995 until May 1997, Tim was Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. In July 1997, Tim was appointed Opposition Frontbench Spokesman for the Treasury. Since December 1997 he has been the Opposition Frontbench Spokesman on Energy and Industry in the DTI team. In June 1999 he was appointed Frontbench Spokesman for Further and Higher Education and Disabilities. In September 2001, he was appointed a Frontbench Spokesman for Work and Pensions and for Disabilities.

In July 2002, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Education and Skills and for Disabilities. In June 2003 he relinquished his disability responsibilities to concentrate on post-sixteen education. In November 2003, he was appointed a Shadow Minister for Home, Constitutional and Legal Affairs, and in November 2004 he was appointed Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions.

Since June 2005, Tim has been Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Party Chair.

Tim Butcher

Journalist/Author. Tim Butcher was born in Warwickshire and educated at Rugby School and Magdalen College, Oxford and currently lives in Hellidon, near Daventry.

He is the author of Blood River: A Journey to Africa’s Broken Heart, an account of his journey across the Congo, following the path of Henry Morton Stanley’s 1870s expedition. The book reached Number 1 in the Sunday Times bestseller list in March 2008. The book was the only non-fiction title in the Richard & Judy Book Club 2008 (coming third) and was runner-up for the top prize at the 2008 British Book Awards winning more votes from members of the public than any other non-fiction. In May 2008 it was one of six titles shortlisted for the 2008 Samuel Johnson prize, the UK’s most prestigious non-fiction literary award. It was shortlisted for the Dolman Best Travel Book Award.

Since joining the staff of The Daily Telegraph in 1990, he has served as war correspondent covering many major conflicts in recent years including the wars in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Algeria, Sierra Leone and Lebanon and has been the Africa Bureau Chief.  He is currently Middle East Correspondent, based in Jerusalem, Israel.

Maurice Jones

KTP Advisor. Following the traditional further education path taken by apprentices he worked his way in part time education through ONC and HNC finally becoming a chartered Engineer in 1972.

Following apprenticeship he joined the computer company ICT in 1964 and started a career in the industry which lasted for almost 40 years.  Over this time he progressed from a being a design engineer, technical manager, company management and Managing Director. In the past 30 years has founded three companies two in the UK and one in the USA.

He has been a regional KTP Adviser since December 2000.  He initially covered all of East Anglia and more recently supports KTP activity in the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.  In terms of Knowledge Base institutions he supports the universities of Cambridge, Cranfield and Northampton, Peterborough Regional College and RTOs in the region such as TWI in Cambridge.

Maurice combines his KTP activities with being a councillor with Mid Beds District Council where he holds the portfolio for finance.

Martin Lambie-Nairn 1945-2020

Television Brand Identity. Martin Lambie-Nairn is one the world’s leading authorities on television brand identity. He entered the world of commercial television in the swinging, money-spinning Sixties, pioneered new graphic presentation techniques in the current affairs broadcasting in the Seventies, and in the Eighties produced a revolutionary computer-animated identity for Channel 4, which was to have a profound impact on television graphic design worldwide. In the nineties he has gone on to reposition BBC1 and BBC2, winning a host of design awards in the process, and has spread his activities to work for television stations in Europe, Scandinavia, New Zealand and the United States.

He was one of the first people to identify that television brand identity and television graphic design are two very different things, and that graphic designers are not always the best qualified people to design identities for television channels.

When Martin was awarded the president’s award from the royal television society in 1995 for his contribution to television craft and design, the citation spoke of how,’…he lets his artistic imagination soar – he is always pushing the creative frontiers of the genre’. A client puts it another way, ‘Martin takes risks with himself. He fights for what he believes is right, not what will win him business.’

Brian Silk

Brian studied medicine at University College and University College Hospital Medical School.

General Practice was Brian’s first career choice and his next two jobs were in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Burton-on-Trent, and Paediatrics at Stockport. He is most proud of his part in developing the Kettering Paediatric Community Nursing Service that provided support and expertise to parents and children in their homes, keeping many out of hospital. Brian served inter alia as Medical Advisor to Northamptonshire NSPCC, Medical Advisor for Northamptonshire Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust, Oxford Regional Advisor in Paediatrics and Chair of Kettering General Hospital Medical Advisory Committee.

George Gyte

Former Chief Inspector of Schools, Northamptonshire. Education has been George Gyte’s life from early days as a teacher, then deputy head and then head of a school in the North East before becoming involved in the Centre for Study of Comprehensive Schools, a charitable trust affiliated to Leicester University, which seeks high quality state education for all.

He then joined Northamptonshire as Chief Inspector of Schools before being asked to lead the Government’s drive on headship qualifications for the then Teacher Training Agency. After this he became Director of Education in Greenwich in the late 1990s, a post he retained until 2002.

An adviser at the DfES and an Associate of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit, which works in the four areas of health, education, transport and the home office, he has been directly involved with the children’s services agenda and 14-19 policy at the DfES. He works with Tim Brighouse on the London Challenge, which seeks to raise the aspirations, opportunities and attainment for young people as well as establish London as a world class city for education and is supporting the Manchester Challenge.

Ross Brawn

Technical Director for Brawn/Virgin Grand Prix Racing. In the world of Motor Racing, Ross is widely recognised as the kingmaker of Formula One because of his incredible success and outstanding achievements with various racing teams.

Ross worked for Ferrari in December 1996 as Technical Director and played an important role in building what was labeled by many as the “dream team”, the team that powered Schumacher to five consecutive drivers’ titles, from 2000 to 2004.

Ross went on to win the 2009 FIA Formula One Driver’s and Constructor’s championship at Interlagos in Brazil, making him one of the sport’s most successful personalities of all time. In February 2010, he was presented with the Sir Malcolm Campbell Memorial Trophy in honour of the Brawn GP team’s achievements in the 2009 Formula One World Championship.

In March 2010, Ross, now the Mercedes GP Team Principal made the unique journey to Buckingham Palace in order to be awarded by the Queen with his Order of the British Empire (OBE) award in recognition for his contributions to the motorsport industry.

Ann Tate

Former Vice Chancellor, the University of Northampton. Ann Tate has undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in Sociology and Sociology applied to Medicine from the University of London.

Ann was Vice Chancellor of the University of Northampton (and Rector of University College Northampton) from 2002-2010.  During this time, she led the University through a very successful period and brought the University to the position in which it finds itself today.

Nick Blakey

Nick is a Chartered Waste Manager and is Head of the Waste Research Team, Sustainable Consumption and Production and Waste Evidence at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) where he has helped drive forward the research agenda in w​aste and resource management in the UK.

In 1999, Nick helped establish the Environmental Services Association Research Trust, managing a four year, £3m research programme into sustainable waste management funded through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme and then took up his current role in DEFRA in October 2003.

Professor Gary Mesibov

Professor of Psychology. Professor Mesibov has made notable service to the education of children and adults on the autism spectrum, locally (across the East Midlands), nationally and internationally.
Professor Mesibov became involved with Northamptonshire Local Authority as a result of an inter-agency working group’s recommendations in relation to the development of education and services for people with autism. The TEACCH approach, founded in North Carolina in the ’60s, was introduced to the UK in Northamptonshire in 1990, led by Professor Mesibov as Director of Division TEACCH.

Professor Mesibov has continued to deliver training twice each year in Northamptonshire resulting in thousands of professionals being trained in the TEACCH approach to autism.

Michael Binyon

Michael is a Leader Writer and former Diplomatic Editor of The Times. After a year teaching in Minsk for the British Council, he joined the Times Educational Supplement in 1968, moving to the BBC Arabic Service two years later. He joined The Times in 1972, covered the 1973 Middle East war and became a foreign correspondent in 1975. He reopened the Times bureau in Moscow in 1977, moved to Bonn in 1982, to Washington as bureau chief in 1985 and then to Brussels in 1989. In 1991 he became the paper’s diplomatic editor, attending most international summits.

Michael’s term as Master of the Leathersellers’ Company in 2008/9 coincided with the University’s Centenary of Leather Education and he supported the Centenary celebrations throughout the year. Towards the end of his term as Master, Michael received the University’s Centenary of Leather Education Award for Philanthropy, on behalf of the Leathersellers’ Company. He continues to support the University and was keynote speaker at the University Livery Company event at Sunley Management Centre in October 2010.

Leon Max

Leon Max is a Russian-born American fashion designer and retailer. Max Studio is a global corporation producing leading-edge fashion design for modern women. Sold through Max Studio stores, boutiques, web and major department stores around the world, Max Studio offers top quality fabrics and innovative styles.

Founded in 1979, Max Studio reflects the fashion standard of today’s women. In order to provide clothing of unwavering calibre Max Studio pursues superior fabrics, yarns and accessories globally.

Adam Gray

Adam Gray grew up in Northamptonshire, and has risen to the top of his profession – catering. Through hard work, application and enterprise, Adam was for over a decade the Executive Chef at Gary Rhodes’ Rhodes Twenty Four, a top London restaurant, where Adam earned and held a Michelin star.

Recently, he returned to Northamptonshire as one of the co-owners of The Red Lion Hotel and Cookery School in his home village of East Haddon, which was recently awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand, the only one of its kind in Northamptonshire. Adam is not only passionate about his cooking but also Northamptonshire – and is aiming to bring the first ever Michelin star to the county in the not too distant future. He is an official Ambassador for Northamptonshire, actively promoting the county and its foods whenever he can.

Sister Frances Dominica Ritchie

Born Frances Dorothy Lyon Ritchie in Inverness, Sister Frances was brought up in Edinburgh, where her grandfather was a Presbyterian elder. Later she relocated to Surrey with her parents.  Her younger brother had been born with only one lung and she often visited him at Great Ormond Street. She attended the Cheltenham Ladies’ College before returning to Great Ormond Street to train as a paediatric nurse.  During her training she was seconded to the Middlesex Hospital to do her General Training. She joined the All Saints Sisters of the Poor, an Anglican order. She became novice mistress and later mother superior by the age of 35.

Sister Ritchie founded the Helen House hospice, the World’s first Children’s Hospice, in 1982, inspired by two-year old Helen Worswick. Sister Frances met Helen after an operation to remove a brain tumour left Helen severely disabled. The friendship which Frances developed with Helen and her parents proved the inspiration for the UK’s first children’s hospice.  Sister Frances went on to found Douglas House, a ‘respice’ for people between 16 and 40 with life-shortening conditions, which was opened by HM The Queen in 2004 and was built in the same grounds as Helen House. Both houses offer respite care, accompanied by members of the family if they so choose, end-of-life care, and family support from the time of referral for as many years after the death of the young person as the family may wish.

Reverend Richard Coles

Born in Northampton on 26 March 1962, educated at Wellingborough School (where he was a choirboy) and King’s College London where he studied theology from 1990.

Formed the Communards with Jimmy Somerville and were together for just over three years and enjoyed three UK Top 10 hits, including the biggest-selling single of 1986 with a version of “Don’t Leave Me This Way”, which was at Number 1 for four weeks. They split in 1988.

Currently hosts Saturday live on BBC Radio 4  as well as being vicar for Finedon.

Deirdre Newham

Deirdre joined the Governing Council at the University in December 2002, and was elected Chair in August 2008.  She is currently Chair of the Northamptonshire Police Authority, having been a member for nine years. On this and her previous positions she has had a keen interest and involvement in education and training, and is currently a Board Member of the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation and a Governor of Northampton High School.

Deirdre is married with one daughter and three grandchildren and has lived and worked in the County for over 45 years.

Mauro Magnaguagno

Mauro began his career while still at school as a trainee in a shoe factory in Germany in 1982 before returning to Italy and working as a trainee in a tannery in Trissino in the same year.

In 1983 Mauro began his first full-time job as Head of the Sample Department Conceria La Veneta, Arzignano, before being promoted to the Manager of the beamhouse and wet-end departments in 1985.

In 1993, he joined TFL Italia based in Buscate working as a technical director before becoming the Director of the TFL Academy in Montebello in 2000.

In addition to his job, Mauro is an active member of AICC, the Italian Leather Chemists’ Association, and is currently on the Executive Committee. He is an integral member of the International Union of Leather Technologists’ and Chemists’ Societies Training Commission and was certified as an IULTCS-IUT Leather Professional in Valencia, Spain in 2011.

Ben Cohen MBE

Professional Rugby Union Sportsman. Ben was born in Kingsthorpe, Northampton in 1978. His professional playing career started at the age of 16, with 11 years at Northampton Saints, playing 276 matches and scoring 505 points, including winning the Heineken Cup in 2000. He is still the second all time highest try scorer for England, with 31 tries in 57 appearances. After winning the Rugby Union World Cup in 2003, he was honoured with an MBE.

In May 2011 he retired from professional rugby to become Founder of The Ben Cohen Stand-up Foundation, campaigning against homophobia and for equality in sport.

Carol Klein

British gardening expert and television presenter. Carol made her television debut on Gardeners’ World in 1989 and has since presented other gardening programmes such as Real Gardens and Open Gardens, as well as contributing to the annual Chelsea Flower Show broadcasts for the past few years.

Carol has written a number of bestselling books and also writes for various gardening publications such as BBC Gardeners’ World magazine as well as a column for British newspaper, The Guardian.

The Rt Hon the Lord Heseltine of Thenford CH

Michael Heseltine, Baron Heseltine of Northamptonshire, CH, PC is a British businessman, Conservative politician and patron of the Tory Reform Group.

He was a Member of Parliament from 1966 to 2001, and a prominent figure in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major.

Under the Prime Ministership of John Major, Michael Heseltine rose to become President of the Board of Trade, Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State.

Michael Morpurgo OBE

Michael Morpurgo began writing stories in the early 1970s. One of the UK’s best-loved authors and storytellers he was appointed Children’s Laureate in 2003 and has written over 120 books including The Butterfly Lion and War Horse, subsequently adapted for a successful stage production by the National Theatre and in 2011 for a film directed by Steven Spielberg.

Michael Morpurgo was awarded the OBE for his writing in 2006.

Paul Southworth

Paul is the current chair and initial architect of Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership Limited. He has been a prominent member of the Northamptonshire business community for many years and is a past winner of the “Businessman of the Year Award”

Paul has always demonstrated a great passion for the future of the county and is a driving force in promoting Northamptonshire both at home and abroad.

Allan Fraser-Rush

Allan Fraser-Rush has recently been appointed by Lowe Worldwide as their Global Planning Director, based in Singapore, where he will take responsibility for the agency’s Unilever brand partner Clear and a yet to be announced new brand, working in both a Global and a Regional Strategic capacity.

Prior to this, he was Global Planning Director at Lowe Brindfors in Sweden, a leading light in the Lowe Worldwide Network, where his key client was Electrolux Group, setting the strategic direction for their global brands Electrolux, AEG & Zanussi.

Ed Baines

Ed Baines is a highly successful and influential Educationist. Ed’s early life in South Shields saw the germination of his passion for education where he experienced the influence the ‘11+’ examination had on the lives of young children. After teaching in Milton Keynes (where Ed served on the Borough Council in the early years of its existence) and Leicestershire, Ed’s next move was to a Headship in Kettering. The following ten years of leadership were characterised by a relentless focus on modernisation and innovation which led to year–on-year improvements in pupils’ learning.

Madame Zhang Shuhua

Madame Zhang has been working in the leather industry in China since 1964 and is the President of the China Leather Industry Association and President of the International Council of Hide, Skins and Leather Traders Associations.  She is also a Visiting Professor at Sichuan Union University and Shaanxi University of Science and Technology.  She has played an unrivalled international role in the development and sustainability of the global leather industry.

Madame Zhang oversees the Chinese industry as an international part of the world’s industry, which directly impacts on the industry in the west and elsewhere in the developed and developing economies.  She has initiated programmes of research and development in two Chinese universities and has been at the forefront of environmental protection in China for the last two decades.

Dr Marie Dickie

Dr Marie Dickie has been variously a Northampton Borough Councillor, Northamptonshire County Councillor, member and chair of Northamptonshire Police Committee and member and chair of Northamptonshire Police Authority.

She has also been an independent Member of the Ministry of Defence Police Committee since 2007. In recognition of her contribution, she was appointed OBE in 2008.

Dai Powell

Dai was awarded an honorary doctorate because of his unique and exceptional personal achievements in leading the development of The HCT Group, a social enterprise that so explicitly resonates with the values of the University of Northampton.

The HCT Group has developed a business model based on the delivery of very high quality services in order to generate the pro ts it needs to be sustainable and to deliver signi cant social impact.

Rex Firkin

Mr Rex Firkin was in independent television from its very inception at ATV.

Working at London Weekend Television as a producer and director, he then became Head of Drama at LWT.

Rex has won numerous awards, including 2 BAFTAs, 3 EMMYs and for many years Rex was himself a judge on the Prix Italia, the most prestigious and the oldest International Competition for Radio, TV and more recently Web-based programmes of excellence.

Roy Fairweather

Mr Roy Fairweather is Managing Director of Campus Veolia, UK, based at Four Ashes in Staffordshire and has been a Visiting Fellow in the School of Science and Technology since 2010.

Roy is committed to the pursuit of new knowledge of relevance to his industry and has worked with a number of colleagues at the University of Northampton since 2007 and is co-author of papers on Wastes Management themes which have been presented at international conferences and in peer-reviewed journals of high standing.​

Rajinder, Baron Loomba CBE

Lord Loomba is a philanthropist, founder and Executive Chair of clothing company Rinku Group, and Liberal Democrat Peer in the House of Lords.

He arrived in the UK in 1962 starting from humble beginnings selling ice-cream from a van and ladies knitwear from a market stall, to building a retail empire with over 400 concessions throughout the UK, best known for the “Tigi” and “Viz-a-Viz” high street brands.​

Inspired by his late mother, who became a widow at an early age of 37 years, he has dedicated his life to helping the plight of 245 million widows in the world through his charity, The Loomba Foundation, supported by Cherie Blair QC CBE as President and Sir Richard Branson as Patron-in-Chief. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to this global cause he was appointed United Nations Founding Champion of the Circle of Widows Rights (June 2013).

Lord Loomba has been the recipient of many accolades including Asian of the Year Award in 1997 and the Forbes India NRI Philanthropy Award in 2012.

Lord Loomba is focused on raising awareness and practical solutions for widows and their 500 million dependent children around the world. His collaboration with University of Northampton Business School’s Centre for Citizenship, Enterprise and Governance surrounds the measurement of social impact of the Loomba Foundation as a means to raise funds for this most noble cause.

Bill Drummond

Bill Drummond is a Scottish artist, writer and musician.

Drummond was born in Butterworth, South Africa, where his father was a minister for the Church of Scotland. When he was 18 months old the family moved back to Scotland and when he was 11 relocated to Corby, Northamptonshire. In 1970 Drummond enrolled on a Foundation Course at Northampton School of Art, a predecessor institution of the current University of Northampton.

After graduating Drummond moved to Liverpool where after a spell at the Art and Design Academy, he worked in various jobs including carpenter and set designer at the Everyman Theatre. He then began a highly successful career in the music industry with highlights that include playing in and managing a succession of high profile bands.

Since 1998 Drummond’s wide ranging artistic work has been carried out under the name Penkiln Burn – this is the river in Scotland upon the banks of which he played and fished as a boy. Most recently in March 2014, beneath Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham, Drummond embarked upon a World Tour which will end at the same place in April 2025. This epic exhibition ‘The 25 Paintings’ will take in twelve cities in twelve different countries and will represent the latest groundbreaking initiative in Drummond’s prodigious and inspirational career.

Anita Smith MBE

Anita Smith lives with her family in Orlingbury, Northamptonshire. In 1992 she visited the Gambia for a family holiday and had experiences which led her to devote her life to improving healthcare delivery in Bansang, located deep in the African bush 200 miles from the coast. She founded the Bansang Hospital Appeal and has worked tirelessly ever since to reverse the hospital’s once terminal decline.

To date over 47 shipping containers of supplies have been donated from her charity work in the UK. Achievements include; the building and equipping of a brand new 80 bed children’s unit with the further redesign and refurbishment of other hospital wards the refurbishment and installation of operating theatres, the installation of a hospital wide computer system, modern obstetric suite along with sustainable medical equipment throughout.

Anita recognised that retaining and motivating staff was key and in 2008 she received an MBE from Her Majesty the Queen for services to healthcare. Every single member of staff is valued, supported and invited to contribute towards the ongoing development of the hospital.

The charity also arranges for international volunteers to work in the hospital allowing them to gain skills and improve practice. Anita’s intervention at Bansang has meant that communities across the entire region have been saved from losing loved ones to preventable causes.

Lance Gardner MBE​

At the age of 16 he underwent an operation to remove his appendix where, inspired by the care he received, he decided to become a nurse.

He qualified as a ‘Registered Nurse and Health Visitor’ in West Yorkshire and then moved to Runcorn in 1992 as a Nurse Practitioner. Recognised for his management skills and patient focused approach, while still in Runcorn he became general manager of one of the first wave Total Purchasing pilot sites where he learned the value of working in partnership with citizens as customers.

He moved to work in Salford in 1996 as a project manager, before becoming the first owner of a nurse-led practice where he employed General Practitioners.

He was awarded his MBE in 2000 for services to primary care nursing.

In 2001 Lance Gardner became the Project Lead for Citizen Leadership at the NHS National Leadership Centre. He was then seconded to the Department of Health to lead on governance arrangements for NHS Foundation Trusts.

Returning to front line health care, he was the Director of Modernisation for the Northern Lincolnshire Health and Social Care Community.

In 2011 Lance took advantage of the Right Request scheme to form the Care Plus Group. The Care Plus Group operates as a social enterprise, delivering personal health and care services and playing a major role in the regeneration of Grimsby.

Lance Gardner is a visionary social entrepreneur and outstanding health professional. He has an MSc in Ethics in Healthcare from Liverpool University, is a Fellow of the Queen’s Nursing Institute and he has helped transform healthcare provision and policy.

Samantha Bond

Samantha Bond is an internationally acclaimed British actress. She comes from a theatrical family and trained as an actress at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School from 1980 to 1982.

Samantha Bond starred as Moneypenny alongside Pierce Brosnan in four James Bond films: GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002). She has appeared in the feature film Erik the Viking, starring Tim Robbins, Eartha Kitt and Mickey Rooney, and appeared in many television series including Emma, Rumpole of the Bailey, The Ginger Tree, Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Inspector Morse, Distant Shores, The Sarah Jane Adventures and Midsomer Murders. From 2007-2011 she appeared as Auntie Angela in the BBC comedy Outnumbered, alongside Hugh Dennis. In 2009, she portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in a series of television programmes for Channel 4. Currently she makes a number of guest appearances as Lady Rosamund Painswick, in the ITV costume drama Downton Abbey.

Samantha Bond is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and starred opposite Dame Judi Dench in David Hare’s award-winning play Amy’s View at the Royal National Theatre, then Broadway, receiving a ‘Tony nomination’. In 1983, Samantha Bond appeared in the original Southampton production of Daisy Pulls It Off before it moved to the West End. She has starred in over a dozen West End productions, including Donkey’s Years, Arcadia, An Ideal Husband and Passion Play with Zoë Wanamaker.

Samantha Bond works extensively for a range of high profile charities and is a director of The Royal Theatrical Fund. In 2012 she helped raise £90,000 in one afternoon in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen.

Samantha Bond is currently starring in the West End musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at London’s Savoy Theatre.

Derek Dickins

It might be said that Derek Dickins opened the door to Asia for the worldwide leather industry before the industry new there was a house to be entered.  30 years ago, in 1984, Derek established the Hong Kong Leather Fair. Held in the China Resources Building the first fair had 200 exhibitors. The 1985 exhibition more than doubled that number and it was not long before it became one of the most important events in both the calendars of the leather industry in Hong Kong.

After serving in the Royal Air Force Derek worked in the City of London in Marine Insurance. He was then headhunted to move to Greece to run a well established major maritime trade fair. In 1980 he was sent to Hong Kong to set up the Hong Kong Trade Fair Group which owned and operated several Maritime tradefairs and conferences in Hong Kong and the US as well as running the large and important Posidonia Maritime fair held bi annually in Greece

After a meeting with representatives from the Australian Leather industry Derek travelled to see the Paris Leather Fair, which was still of enormous significance, and persuaded his company to set up the first Hong Kong Leather Trade Industry event.

For the last 30 years Derek has remained at the centre of senior leather industry circles, a source of knowledge and advice as the industry made huge changes in location at every level of the supply chain. Not only did Derek allow the global industry the chance to develop in China’s phenomenal growth but he linked other regions such as Latin America and Africa into the larger international scene which they had been excluded from before. Derek’s vision has not been about China alone, but about giving the leather industry the tools to transform itself internationally to fit the modern world.

Adrian Lee

Chief Constable Adrian Lee has an impressive policing career. It began in Greater Manchester in 1985, where he joined as a graduate entrant. He progressed to the rank of Divisional Commander for the South Manchester Division – one of the largest basic command units in the country and the largest housing estate in Europe (Wythenshaw), and areas such as Moss Side and Longsight ; communities which distilled and reflected many of the social problems and related criminal activity which are too familiar to us all.

Adrian has played a major role in promoting the recent agreement to locate the major part of Northamptonshire Police’s learning and development arm to the University’s Senate building. This development is the first such partnership arrangement in the country and signals a considerable expansion in the range and scope of co-working to the advantage of all key stakeholders.

The Police/University partnership has matured to the point where shared learning, research, and enhancements to the practical student experience through internships and placements have resulted in a growing portfolio of applied and meaningful collaboration.  The siting of the Police Learning and Development arm at Park Campus generates a host of new possibilities for maintaining and expanding this fruitful relationship to include senior officer and leadership training, coaching, and community engaged, University-wide proactive partnership working. ​​​

Adrian has been key in facilitating these opportunities. The values driving the partnership are wholly consonant with those of the University.​

February 2015 Honorands

Doreen Lawrence

Doreen, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, has campaigned tirelessly to bring justice around the circumstances relating to the death of her son, Stephen, as well as for other victims of racist crime. She founded the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust as a positive legacy to Stephen and as a beacon of inspiration to other young black people.

Baroness Lawrence’s work has led to significant changes in British society including legislation and reforms to public services including the police. She has, in the past, been selected to sit on panels with the Home Office and the Police Service. She also works closely with the human rights organisation, Liberty, and is the patron of Stop Hate UK.

Baroness Lawrence’s work campaigning for people from all communities has been recognised by taking part in the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony and receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award in the 14th Pride of Britain Awards. In July 2013, she was made a life peer in recognition of her charity work and became Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon.

Mark Lawson

Mark Lawson is a distinguished journalist, author and broadcaster. He is a columnist, critic and feature writer for the Guardian newspaper, having previously written for The Independent, The Independent on Sunday, The Times and The Catholic Universe. He is also the theatre critic of the Tablet and writes regularly about culture for the New Statesman.

As an author, Mark has published five works of fiction: Bloody Margaret (1991), Idlewild (1995), Going Out Live (2001), Enough is Enough (2005), and the Deaths (2012). He has just completed a new novel: Historic. His travelogue of people, politics and culture encountered by Mark as a journalist. The Battle for Room Service was published in 1993.

He has also written several radio plays for the BBC including The Third Soldier Holds His Thighs (2005), The Man Who Had 10,000 Women (2002) and suspicion for Ten Voices (2013). His scripts for television version of the BBC sitcom Absolute Power and a television play, The Vision Thing.

As a broadcaster, his interview series ‘Mark Lawson Talks To….’ runs on BBc4 and he is currently working on a fourth series of the BBC Radio 4 series about crime fiction, Foreign Bodies. From 1994-2005, he presented BBC2’s weekly arts discussion show under the titles Late Review, Review and Newsnight Review. For 16 years, Mark was the main presenter of Front Row, BBC Radio 4’s nightly arts programme.

Mark chaired the judges for the 2011 Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine and is chair of The David Cohen Prize for lifetime literary achievement. Mark has also been a judge of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction.

July 2015 Honorands

Brian Binley 1942-2020

Brian Binley is the former Member of Parliament for Northampton South. He was born in Northamptonshire in 1942 and was raised in the County.

Brian is the non-executive Chair of BCC Marketing Services Ltd, a company he created in 1989 to offer database building services to the direct marketing industry.  The company now employs 130 people.  He also co-founded Beechwood House Publishing Ltd, producing and publishing directories including the Binley’s Director of National Health Service Management and Binley’s Director of Local Government Management.  As a result of these two products, Brian was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts.

Will Adams

Will Adams was educated in Devon and at the University of Chester, where he gained his teaching certificate in mathematics and geography.  His first teaching post was in Aylesbury and Will subsequently moved on to posts in Oxford and finally at Roade School, Northamptonshire, where he was Deputy Headteacher from 1982 to 1992 and Headteacher from 1992 to 2004.

In 2001, Will was ordained as priest at Peterborough Cathedral and a few years later, following his retirement from headship, was installed as Rector of Astwell Benefice, comprising the parishees of Wappendham, Helmdon with Stuchbury and Radstone, Syresham with Whitfield and Lois Weedon with Weedon and Plumpton.  In 2004 Will joined the governing body of the University of Northampton and became Deputy Chair in 2010.  He retired as a Governor in 2013 having completed nine years of office.

Jonathan Bland

Jonathan Bland is Managing Director of Social Business International Ltd, Founder of E3M and is one of the highest profile and respected agents of change in the social enterprise world.  He is a significant force in the development of social enterprise in the UK and Europe.

He has shaped debate and policy in both the Labour and Conservative parties, and worked with the European Commission on developing its Social Business initiative and acted as rapporteur for the largest social enterprise conference ever held by the EU (in Strasbourg Jan 2014).  He drew up the Strasbourg Declaration that defined how EU policy should support social enterprise between 2014-2020.

Assem Chauchan

Aseem Chauhan is a Founding Trustee of the Amity Education Group and Additional President of the Ritnand Balved Education Foundation (RBEF) which is an umbrella body of Amity Universities and Institutions worldwide.

Mr Chauhan is the founder and CEO of Amity Innovation Incubator and Amity Capital Ventures, which has incubated more than 500 technology-based entrepreneurial ventures. Mr Chauhan is an active promoter of youth entrepreneurship in India, and is particularly engaged in mentoring and investing in start-up companies.

Jah Wobble

Jah Wobble aka John Wardle, is one of the most influential musicians of the last five decades, evidenced by the release of this year’s Redux anthology box set.

Born in Stepney, East London, he began his musical career as a member of The Four Johns alongside John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, and John Ritchie, aka Sid Vicious, later forming Public Image Ltd with Lydon in 1978. PIL’s debut single Public Image featured a dub reggae inspired baseline which in turn influenced a generation of musicians.

In a recent review of the reissued Metal Box album, Rolling Stone credited Wobble with “some of the deepest bass grooves ever heard”.

Milan Shah

A longstanding ambassador for Northamptonshire, Milan Shah has contributed to the county and its wider region in a variety or roles, most recently as Chair of the Board of Governors of the University. Previously he was President of Northamptonshire Chamber and chaired the consolidation across the East Midlands of business support into a single delivery body. He also spent a decade on the Board of Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership and its various precursor economic development vehicles, supporting the long term prosperity of the county.

Elton Hurlow

Formerly from South Africa, Elton Hurlow is currently the Global Marketing Development Manager of Buckman International, in the USA. His background is in research and development in the leather industry – initially at the Leather Industries Research Institute (LIRI) in Rhodes in South Africa, then special projects manager for Pfister and Vogel, a major tannery in the USA.

Guy West

Guy West is proud to be born and bred in Northampton, the historical centre of the British footwear and leather industries, and that the Jeffrey West brand has become synonymous with quality and style.

Having secured his first job in the footwear industry aged 17, Guy had the opportunity to experience many different areas of the shoe trade and at 22, and he established Jeffery West with business partner Mark Jeffery.

The pair had started their first footwear venture at the age of 15, customising shoes from Mark’s family shoe factory, creating unique designer pieces to be sold from markets in the region. The Jeffery West brand has a focus on heritage and craftsmanship, exciting designs and quality materials and Guy’s influences stemmed from the diverse subcultures at the end of the 1970’s – Roxy/Bowie, mod revivals and post-punk. The brand’s signature look is British ironic, individual – not quite fashion, but not quite classic. Today their customers span the generations and with a store now open in New York, they are reaching a wider audience than ever before.

Jonathan and William Church

Both Jonathan and William are part of the locally renowned Church family, who established the footwear brand, Church’s. They were very much part of Church’s footwear until 2009 when they conducted a management buy-out of the brand Joseph Cheaney and Sons from Church and Co, who by this time was a wholly owned subsidiary of Prada.

Having been manufacturing quality shoes since 1886, Joseph Cheaney and Sons continues to go from strength to strength and remains fully committed to producing high quality footwear entirely Made in England (Desborough, Northamptonshire) with several stores in London, including the prestigious Jermyn Street.

Jonathan’s original contact with the University of Northampton was via the Leslie Church Award (a Church family fund) which Jonathan oversees. The fund is used to support second year Fashion students who are taking the Footwear pathway and consists of an annual footwear competition, factory tour and presentation of work to Jonathan.

William has fully supported the development of the BA (Hons) Fashion, Textiles, Footwear and Accessories – Footwear pathway. He has arranged work placements and factory tours and competitions whilst at both Church’s and Cheaney’s. He has also given valuable advice regarding the purchase of machinery for the new footwear provision at the University of Northampton.

Stephen Etheridge

Stephen Etheride has taken the high-end luxury footwear brand Church’s from strength to strength. Shoes from the Northampton based Church and Co span centuries, with manufacturing starting in 1675 and, although now a wholly owned subsidiary of Prada, succeeding in maintaining the strong English shoe tradition and heritage within its manufacturing process. The recent success of the brand has led to the purchase of the neighbouring bus depot thus enabling significant expansion of its manufacturing facilities.

In his commitment to the wider footwear industry, Stephen has served as a Non-Executive Director of the British Footwear Association (BFA) for many years, and is a Non-Executive Chair of SATRA, the world renowned technology and testing organisation based in Kettering.

Matthew Taylor

Matthew Taylor is Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturing and Commerce.  His distinguished career has spanned the worlds of practical politics, policy research, public service, journalism and broadcasting.

February 2016 Honorands

Baroness Warnock of Weeke 1924-2019

Baroness Warnock has had a long and distinguished history, both in academia and public life. At Oxford University she was a Fellow and tutor in Philosophy, St Hugh’s College 1949-1962, Headmistress at Oxford High School 1962-1974, Lecture and Research Fellow at Balliol, Somerville, Lady Margaret Hall and Christ Church. At Cambridge University she was Mistress of Girton College from 1984-1991.

She has published extensively, mainly in the field of philosophy, morality and ethics. Her recent books include Making Babies: Is There a Right to Have Children? (2001), Nature and Mortality: Recollections of a Philosopher in Public Life (2004), Easeful Death (2008), Dishonest to God: On Keeping Religion Out of Politics (2010) and A Good Life: Thoughts on Life and Death (2013).

She was Chair of a wide range of influential Parliamentary Committees, including the Committee of Inquiry on Special Education (1974-78), Committee of Inquiry Human Fertilisation and Embryology (1982-84), the Girls Days Schools Trust (1990-1999), the Home Office Committee on Animal Experimentation (1983-1989) and a member of the Advisory Group on Nazi Spoliation (2003 to the present day).

In the House of Lords, she has also been a member of the Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures, the Medical Ethics Select Committee and the Select Committee on Science and Technology. In addition, Baroness Warnock has been a member of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (1972-82).

In the 1984 New Years Honours list she was appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE). She was created a Life Peer in 1985, taking the title Baroness Warnock of Weeke. She was a cross-bench member of the House of Lords until her retirement in June 2015.

She is an Honorary Fellow of British Academy (2000) and an Honorary Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (2011).

July 2016 Honorands

Christine Powley-Williams

Christine Powley-Williams is a unique example of a woman who has succeeded in the male-dominated world of leather and is a longstanding member of the Technical Liaison Group, which acts as part of the quality assurance procedures of the Leather Department of the University of Northampton.

Having graduated in 1984 from the National Leathersellers’ Centre of Nene College, the precursor to the University of Northampton, she immediately progressed to the Carr Tanning company in Gloucestershire, where she was appointed Works Director and General Manager.

Christine then spent two years working in Australia as Production Manager for Packer Tanning, but returned to Northampton to join BLC Leather Technology Centre as Innovation and Training Manager. This then led to her becoming the co-founder of Leather Wise Ltd, an independent consultancy company and in 2009, she joined SATRA Technology Centre of Kettering, rising to her current position as Assistant Director.

She is also a past President of the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Curriers of the City of London.

Martin Lawrence

Martin Lawrence is a liveryman in the City of London and supports a number of education foundations. As an education professional, he has been involved in national policy assisting school governing boards to ensure that all pupils make expected levels of progress and maximise their life chances.

Martin established the Northamptonshire committee for Crimestoppers in 2005 and following his term as chair sat on the national advisory board of the charity. He is currently a volunteer Universities Ambassador promoting student-led campaigns aimed at staying safe. He was appointed an MBE in the New Year Honours in 2016 for services to crime prevention in Northamptonshire.

Marina Kim

Marina Kim’s experience in social entrepreneurship dates back over a decade and saw her named in the Forbes “30 under 30” for her work. Marina’s work has been featured on Social Edge, change.org, in the Chronicle of Higher Education and the New York Times.

Ben Saunders

Ben Saunders is a world record breaking polar explorer and long distance skier.

Known for leading one of the most ambitious polar expeditions in a century, Ben was the first person to successfully complete the epic, 105-day, 1,800-mile trek on foot to retrace Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated, early 20th-century journey to the South Pole – an amazing feat of human endurance equivalent to running 69 marathons back to back.

February 2017 Honorands

Jane Garvey

Jane Garvey is one of the leading female radio presenters of her generation. She started out in radio as a promotions assistant for Radio Wyvern working her way up to become news editor.

She joined BBC Hereford and Worcester as a reporter when the local radio station started in 1989, before becoming Breakfast show presenter.

Jane was the first voice heard on BBC Radio 5live when it launched at 5am on 28th March 1994. It was the start of a long running on air partnership with Peter Allen, first co-presenting the Breakfast show and later the Drivetime show. Together they won four Sony Gold awards and their relationship on air was described in The Times in 2002 as “a marriage made in radio heaven”

In October 2007 she joined BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour programme as the second principal presenter. She continues to be a regular presenter on Woman’s Hour and has recently rekindled her on-air relationship with Peter Allen presenting a new programme on BBC Radio 5live.

Jane has championed the cause of women in radio through her work as a patron for the organization Soundwomen (2011-2016). This was set up to raise the profile of women who work in the radio and audio industry and celebrate their achievements.

July 2017 Honorands

Dr Jane Doughty

Since becoming a qualified teacher in 1976, Dr Jane Doughty has held a variety of posts in education at school, local authority, regional, national and international level.

In recent years, Jane’s work has focused on improving pupil outcomes through designing, developing, and delivering leadership development, evaluation work and influencing government policy. For example, for the National College for Teaching and Leadership, she designed the structure, content and qualifications for a new “Leadership Curriculum” for all school leaders – middle leaders, senior leaders and those aspiring to be head teachers. Jane has advised international groups including leaders from India, Taiwan, Zambia and Thailand, to name a few, to adapt the National Professional Qualification for Headship programme for different countries’ contexts; she has been responsible for many leadership projects over the years, such as the review and development of National Standards for Head teachers in 2003-4.

Prior to her work for the National College, Jane worked as Senior Inspector with the Northamptonshire Inspection and Advisory Centre, an Ofsted inspector and she was the Headteacher of Duston Upper School for 10 years. She received a well-deserved CBE in 2014 for her services to education through her role as Director: Design and Development of leadership programmes at the National College.

February 2018 Honorands

Ahmed Mukhtar 1945 – 2021

Born and brought up in Sudan, Dr Ahmed Ibrahim Mukhtar was educated at the Medical School of the University of Khartoum, before taking up a Scholarship to study Physiology at Edinburgh University.   During his medical career he concentrated on child health specialising in Paediatrics.

In the early 1980s he took up an appointment as Consultant Paediatrician at Kettering General Hospital where he served for 23 years and became a much admired and valued colleague and leader of services for children in the north Northamptonshire.  He also served for six years in the key role of Medical Director of the Hospital Trust, retiring in 2004.

Since then he has served as an Associate Examiner of the General Medical Council and as a member of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal.  A strong supporter of the growth and development of higher education in Northamptonshire he served with distinction on the Governing Council first of University College Northampton and then of the University of Northampton.

In 2008 Dr Mukhtar was appointed by the Crown as a Deputy Lieutenant for Northamptonshire and in 2015-16 became High Sheriff of the County, only the third black holder of this role anywhere in the country.  He is now serving as President of the Northamptonshire branch of St John Ambulance.

Michael Jones – Posthumous Honorary Fellowship

Michael Jones was born in 1931 and lived and worked in Northampton all his life. A qualified Goldsmith, Michael Jones inherited his father’s Pawnbroker shop and changed it into a successful jewellery business. Inspired by the workers’ co-operative model, he gifted the business to his workers in the 1960’s, a fine example of social responsibility. He remained as Managing Director for many years and was instrumental in the development of Workbridge and the Daily Bread co-operative.

Michael was both Chair and President of the National Association of Goldsmiths and honoured with the Freedom of the City of London.

Michael died in March 2017 and his widow Anne accepted the posthumous award on his behalf.

July 2018 Honorands

Dallas Campbell   

Dallas graduated from Nene College in 1992. He is a Broadcaster and author who has presented some of television’s most popular factual programmes.

His presenting carear began on the science magazine shows The Gadget Show and Bang Goes The Theory, and has gone on to front some of the most ambitious landmark series across the BBC and beyond: Britain Beneath Your Feet, Tutankhamun: The Truth Uncovered, The Treasure Hunters and Supersized Earth , City In The Sky and Airport Live, Voyager: Beyond the Final Frontier, The Drake Equation: The Search for Life and The Sky at Night , Science of Stupid, Time Scanners, Horizon Guides, Stargazing Live and Television’s First Night: How the Box Was Born.

In 2015 Dallas presented Tim Peake’s historic launch to the International Space Station live from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazahkstan. He has won Celebrity Mastermind – his specialist subject was the films of Werner Herzog, and is an Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association in recognition for his work in engaging more people with science and technology.

David Santa-Olalla DSO MC MA

David completed a 38 year career in the British Army, retiring as a Brigadier in 2008.  After initial training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the Green Howards Regiment in 1973.  Following a number of operational tours and staff jobs, he was appointed to command the 1st Battalion, The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment after which he again spent time in command and staff appointments in the UK, Europe, the Far East and Africa.

In 2009 he became Clerk to the Leathersellers’ Company, a Livery guild and Charitable Foundation with a particular interest in the Leather trade.  He is a patron of a veteran’s charity and a trustee of two charitable trusts.

In September 2009, David also became a Governor of the University of Northampton and served the post for three years until August 2012. David remains fully supportive of the University, in particular it’s Institute for Creative Leather Technologies (ICLT).

He married his wife Jo in 1976 and he has 4 grown up children most of whom work in London.  His personal interests include fishing, bicycling, kite-surfing, the arts and occasional games of golf and cricket. David is also a member of the Lord Mayor of London’s Big Curry Lunch Committee.

David holds an MA in International Affairs and War Studies from King’s College London.

This award recognises David’s contribution to the leather industry as Clerk to the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers’ and also recognises his contribution as a Governor of the University.

James Miller 

James Miller has had a long and distinguished career in the art world. Born in Oxfordshire, he studied the History of Art at the University of Manchester.  He started his career at the age of 22 at Sotheby’s, as the third generation of auctioneers in the family. James started out in the Print Department, moving through British Watercolours and British Painting before managing the auctions of such major Country Houses as Mentmore, Castle Howard and Luton Hoo. Fulfilling the role of a director of Sotheby’s from his mid-twenties, James completed his time there as Deputy Chair, when he left to become an independent art advisor. This has kept him very busy for the last twelve years.

He has worked in television and published books on British Country Houses and British Country House Collections. He worked with the National Trust on the purchase of Tyntesfield which was recorded in the book `Fertile Fortune’.

Moving to just outside Towcester 26 years ago, James love and passion for Northamptonshire led to his involvement in the Historic Church Trust, Northamptonshire Records Society, the founding of the Annual Sculpture Tours and development of a wide network throughout the county.  He was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant in 2015. He is currently the Chair of the Surprise Northamptonshire Project Board and his energy and enthusiasm has been fundamental in its achievements to date.  James never fails to be impressed be the energy, ingenuity and commitment of the people of his beloved Northamptonshire.

Professor Jayanthi Narayan – Honorary Doctorate

For more than forty years Professor Jayanthi Narayan has made a major contribution as a in the field of disability and inclusive education both in India and internationally. Throughout this period her research skills, expertise and advice has been sought by national and state governments, in many countries. Her reputation is built upon many years of hands on practice working with children and supporting families, as she has challenged those factors which marginalise and exclude individuals from minority groups and led initiatives for the promotion of inclusion. Professor Narayan’s development work in India, the United States and the Philippines and her research for international organisations including UNICEF and USAID have encouraged governments and non-governmental organisations to seek her counsel and assist in the development of policy and provision around the world.

A former Fulbright Scholar, Deputy Director of The National Institute for Mental Health and Neuroscience in India, and advisor to government departments, Professor Narayan has been officially retired for a number of years. However, her commitment to social justice is such that she continues to be as active as ever in working for the rights of children and young people.

Countess Spencer

Lady Spencer founded Whole Child International in 2004 with the aim of improving the quality of care for vulnerable children worldwide. Targeting the largely overlooked emotional needs of society’s most at-risk children, Whole Child’s cost-effective, sustainable, and replicable program provides them with the tools they need to become productive members of society. As CEO of the organization, Lady Spencer leads an international team of trainers, researchers, and other staff to change systems of care, to advocate and influence policy, and to conduct related research. Whole Child programs are currently being brought to scale with funding from USAID, the Inter-American Development Bank, and other donors. In 2010, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama came especially to lend his personal support to Whole Child at the launch of its global initiative to raise awareness of the plight of institutionalized children. Lady Spencer is co-author of articles published in the peer-reviewed Infant Journal of Mental Health and Perspectives in Infant Mental Health, contributing important insights and realistic solutions to the public debate. Her passion and expertise currently focus on systems change and innovation in child welfare systems in the developing world. In 2011, she married Charles the 9th Earl Spencer and added the overseeing of Althorp House to her responsibilities. In September 2015, she was elected an Ashoka Fellow for her innovative work as a social entrepreneur by the Ashoka Foundation, which honoured her for identifying and filling a gap in care for orphans and vulnerable children. In 2017, she received the Pikler/Lóczy USA Founders Award, and People Magazine named her one of “25 Women Changing the World.” Karen Spencer is mother to three daughters and stepmother to a further six, and splits her time between Los Angeles and Northampton.

Dan Roan

Dan Roan is the BBC’s Sports Editor, covering the biggest sporting events and news stories on TV, radio and online. In recent years he has led BBC News coverage from football World Cups and European Championships, the London and Rio Olympics, rugby’s Lions tour, the Ashes cricket series, and athletics’ World Championships, among many others. Dan has also interviewed some of the biggest names in sport, securing exclusives with Sir Bradley Wiggins, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Usain Bolt, Bernie Ecclestone, Chris Froome and Anthony Joshua.

Born in Northampton, his first jobs in journalism were as an assistant to his father – a local photographer – and for the Northants press agency, when he would regularly report on a wide range of stories, from court cases to the Balloon Festival.

After university he joined the BBC’s News Trainee scheme in 1998 working first as a Politics and Regional News reporter for BBC North, then as a Business and Finance reporter on Breakfast News, Working Lunch and News 24. He left the BBC to join Sky Sports News in 2003, becoming Chief News Reporter in 2007, before rejoining the BBC as a Sports Correspondent in 2010, promoted to Sports Editor in 2014.

Dan has worked with journalism students at the University of Northampton, sharing his knowledge and passion for broadcasting and sport. He continues to be involved in local sport, writing a regular column for the matchday programme for Northampton Town Football Club.

Kevin Kalkhoven

Kevin Kalkhoven is the co-owner of Cosworth Ltd, which is based in Northampton.  Kevin has had a varied career in which he held executive positions at a variety of software companies and in the telecommunications field, including periods as the Chair, Chief Executive Officer and President of Uniphase during which he oversaw the corporation’s transformation from a privately held manufacturer of industrial lasers into a publicly held leading global supplier of components and modules for advanced fibre optic telecommunications networks and a Member of the NASDAQ 100.  He purchased Cosworth Ltd from Ford in 2004.  Kevin was noted in May 2000 Worth magazine as one of America’s Top 50 CEOs and in 2005, Kevin was named as the Number 5 Most Powerful

and Influential person in Racer Magazine’s 2005 Power and Influence in Racing list.

Angela Hillery

Angela Hillery is Chief Executive Officer of Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) and has worked within the NHS for over 30 years within community services.  Angela has a clinical background in speech and language therapy and holds a Master’s degree in developmental disorders.

In 2017 and 2018 Angela was listed in the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Top 50 rated CEOs within the NHS and in 2015 was a finalist for ‘Chief Executive of the Year’ at the HSJ Awards. Angela’s ethos is in her commitment to upholding values, her passion for improving outcomes for our population and developing compassionate cultures for service users and colleagues. She has overseen a number of notable projects, including the ‘Moving Ahead’ project to deliver equalities in mental health services for BME communities and also has undertaken the system lead role for Northamptonshire Health and Care Partnership (NHCP), in addition to her CEO NHS Trust responsibilities.

In 2018 NHFT achieved an overall rating of Outstanding from the Care Quality Commission and also won the 2018 HSJ Trust of the Year Award. Angela has served on the National Management Board of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy and held a partner role with the Health Professional Council. Earlier this year, it was announced that Angela would also take on the Chief Executive role at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.

James Lowther

James Lowther was born in Northamptonshire and has lived at his family home, Holdenby House, since he was three years old. After reading History at Keble College, Oxford, he entered the advertising business as a Copywriter. He worked at Saatchi & Saatchi for 21 years, latterly as Creative Director & Deputy Chair. In 1995, he co-founded M & C Saatchi, as Creative Director. He was Chair of the Agency from 2000-2005 and Founding Partner from 2005–2015.

During his career, he was responsible for campaigns for many products, including Schweppes, Fosters & Castlemaine XXXX.  He also worked on many government

Campaigns for the Army, Road Safety, the Department of Health and the Millennium Dome. He was creative director of campaigns for the launches of the National Lottery and the London Bid for the 2012 Olympics.

As advisor to The Leonard Cheshire Fund for Disaster Relief, James helped organise the Wall Concert in Berlin in 1990, which was attended by 450,000 people and broadcast live to 55 million. As a Director of Children in Crisis in 2002 he created and co-produced ITV’s ‘Britain’s Brilliant Prodigies,’ a programme dedicated to discovering children of prodigious talent, whilst raising funds and awareness for the charity. The first programme’s Prodigy of the Year was Nicola Benedetti, now an internationally famous violinist. In the following year, the Pop Music Prodigy was Jessica Cornish, better known now as Jessie J.

At Holdenby House in the 1980s he began a living history education programme for school children. Since then it has been participated in by 200,000 children and won more Sandford Awards for Heritage Education than any other house in the UK.

After retiring from advertising in 2015, he became a Deputy Lieutenant and was Vice Lord Lieutenant until 2022. As a passionate advocate of the beauty of Northamptonshire, he has mainly concentrated on promoting the county to the outside world and created the campaign ‘Northamptonshire. Britain’s Best Surprise,’ which was launched in April 2017.

James and his wife Karen have four children. Music is a passion for himself and his family.

Michael Underwood

Michael’s broadcasting career started here in Northampton where he was born. After attending Weston Favell Academy in the town, he studied for a degree in Drama and Performance at Plymouth University, before returning home and joining BBC Radio Northampton. While working as a researcher on the station, he spotted an ad looking for a new BBC children’s TV presenter. After a successful application, he appeared on the BBC One Saturday night show Whatever You Want, where he won a six-week CBBC presenting contract. Michael stayed with CBBC for three years providing the links, games and entertainment between programmes. He was then poached by CITV where he went on to present four series of the hugely popular Jungle Run, Eliminator and The Big Bang before joining ITV’s flagship Saturday morning show Ministry of Mayhem.

Michael then stepped away from children’s TV and joined GMTV as a showbiz reporter and co-presenter on Entertainment Today. This allowed him to cover major showbiz events and conduct huge celebrity interviews on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as going to Australia to cover I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here for GMTV.

He has hosted the National Television Awards, National Movie Awards and the British Soap Awards for ITV2 and appeared on Dancing On Ice, Celebrity Masterchef and Celebrity Mastermind, where his chosen specialist subject was ‘James Bond: The Roger Moore Years’.

In 2013 he hosted his first prime time Saturday night show Let Me Entertain You for ITV. Michael has also presented ITV’s film specials as well as OK!TV and Celebrity Wish List for Channel 5. As a reporter, he has worked on Real Stories with Ranvir Singh and this year reported for Do the Right Thing with Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford.

On radio Michael has presented a breakfast show on Heart FM and for three years, up until 2015, hosted his own gaming feature on talkSPORT Radio, as part of the Hawksbee and Jacobs show.

He is married to fellow TV presenter Angellica Bell and the couple have two children.