West Midlands local heroes recognised in this year's New Year Honours

They join a string of other unsung heroes from across the Black Country and Staffordshire who have been rewarded for their actions.

Among them is 17-year-old Louis Johnson, from Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton, who has raised over £75,000 for 18 charities.

He has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the community in Wolverhampton.

The City of Wolverhampton College student, who is studying uniformed public services and wants to join the police force when he is older, has received numerous awards for his fundraising efforts, which started from the age of two.

He has taken on fundraising walks, abseils, bike rides, set up stalls and raffles and even sat in a bath of beans.

Charities and good causes that have benefitted have included Birmingham Children's Hospital, Mary Stevens Hospice, the Good Shepherd in Wolverhampton and Compton Care, among many others.

Sergeant John Price, of West Midlands Police, who has played a leading role in enhancing digital forensics has been recognised with the King’s Police Medal (KPM).

He has been at the forefront of introducing technology improvements to help the police force catch crooks, protect the public and get justice for victims.

He joined the force over 20 years ago and has worked in various teams such as neighbourhood policing, CID, tackling acquisitive crime and the counter-terrorism unit before moving into digital forensics in 2016.

He has since helped improve ways of working to assist not only policing but other law enforcement agencies.

The Mayor of Sandwell, Councillor Bill Gavan, has been appointed an MBE.

The Langley Labour councillor has been recognised for his contribution to politics, LGBT issues and helping those in recovery from drink and drug issues.

Councillor Gavan, aged 73, has been sober for 47 years and helped countless people since.

He was also the founder chairman of Birmingham Pride and ran the popular Birmingham nightclub Subway, navigating the pitfalls of that particular industry in his own indomitable way.

A businessman who represents the West Midlands region at a national level has also been appointed an MBE.

Phillip George Potter from Bewdley has been given the award for services to business and to the community in Worcestershire.

Mr Potter is the regional lead, West Midlands, Wales and South West for UK Export Finance, a government organisation which helps exporters navigate the market and come up with solutions to finance issues and encourage them to achieve sales growth.

He has been with the organisation for over 11 years and before that spent over 34 years working at HSBC, starting off in leadership and relationship management positions in the West Midlands before developing and implementing the Midlands Regional approach to the bank's international strategy.

Outside of work he has been on the committee of the Bewdley festival for many years.

Meanwhile, MP for Wyre Forest Mark Garnier, who was first elected in 2010, has been given an OBE for political and public service.

A number of people in Staffordshire have also been recognised with honours.

South Staffordshire Council’s leader, Councillor Roger Lees, has been awarded the BEM for his contribution to the district.

Leader of the council since 2021, he has been in local government for 32 years, having begun on Swindon Parish Council in 1991, before being elected a district councillor in 2007, and becoming a cabinet member in 2009.

He has been involved in a range of community initiatives and sat as a magistrate on the South Staffordshire bench for 22 years.

A Staffordshire businessman who has helped turn a 161-year-old manufacturing company into an exporting powerhouse has also been recognised in the New Year Honours.

Rowan Crozier, from Lichfield, has been appointed an MBE for services to manufacturing and enterprise, just months after being bestowed an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University (BCU) for his outstanding contribution to industry and academia.

The 48-year-old runs Birmingham-based Brandauer and has implemented an apprentice scheme which has helped local youngsters into the industry. The company also invested in a £1 million Precision Tooling Academy in Aldridge.

Rowan also is an export champion with the Department of Trade, as his company sends its precision parts to 26 countries and also is a volunteer at Support Staffordshire.

Stoke-on-Trent based Kenneth Paul Newton has 35 years experience in the prison service, many of them in senior roles.

He has been credited with 'turning around' Birmingham Prison and has been recognised with an OBE for services to public service.

As governing governor at HMP Birmingham, he was credited as bringing a change in fortune in the prison, formerly known as Winson Green.

Brought in from Swaleside Jail in Kent in 2018 by Prison Minister Rory Stewart, he oversaw the change of control of Birmingham from G4S to the government once more and was given 28 days to come up with an action plan.

It followed a notorious December 2016 riot described as one of the worst in England for 25 years. At the time, inspectors found a jail that had "all but collapsed".

On a visit this year, five years later, government inspectors were left 'stunned' by the 'significant' improvement and noted a world of difference between the broken windows, piles of rubbish and cramped conditions that had previously been observed.

Prisoner behaviour had 'significantly' improved and Mr Newton and his staff was praised for his work in improving 'beyond recognition' the prison.

Honours for our region

COMMANDERS OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (CBE)

• Kenneth Paul Newton, of Stafford. Governing Governor, HM Prison Birmingham. For public service.

OFFICERS OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (OBE)

• Mark Garnier MP for Wyre Forest. For political and public service.

• Baldev Parkash Bhardwaj. For services to the community in Oldbury.

• Professor Carol Ann Doyle, of Coventry. Birmingham City University. For services to nurse education.

• Philip John Loach QFSM, of Wolverhampton. Lately Chief Fire Officer, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service. For services to fire and rescue.

• Professor Adrian Michael Cruise. Emeritus Professor, University of Birmingham. For services to space science.

• Kenneth Paul Newton, Stafford, services to public service

• Councillor Abigail Margaret Brown, Stoke-on-Trent, services to local government

• Professor David Foskett, Burton-on-Trent, services to hospitality industry and inclusivity

MEMBERS OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (MBE)

• William Thomas Gavan. Mayor, Sandwell Council. For political and public service, and to LGBT+.

• Ian James Donald Sharp, of Market Drayton. Lately Captain, 6th Wolverhampton Boys' Brigade. For services to young people in Wolverhampton.

• Chitraleka Bolar, of Birmingham. For services to South Asian Dance.

• Gillian Petrina Clayton, of Birmingham. Environment Agency. For services to environmental crime, enforcement and intelligence.

• Dr Edward James Day. University of Birmingham. For services to vulnerable people.

• Ivora Maria Ferreira-Bean. Team manager, Birmingham Children's Trust. For services to children and families.

• Paul John Lord, of Walsall. Westcroft Special School. For services to children and young people with special educational needs.

• Christiana Melam, of Birmingham. National Association of Link Workers. For services to social prescribing.

• Phillip George Potter, of Bewdley. West Midlands, Wales and South West, UK Export Finance. For services to business and to the community.

• Louise Wright. Executive Assistant, West Midlands Lieutenancy Office. For services to local government and to charity.

• Jacqueline Mary Gange. Services to community in Cannock

• Rowan Edwin Crozier, Lichfield. Services to manufacturing and enterprise

• Jill Alcock (Clewes), Staffordshire Moorlands. Services to the arts and charity

• Professor Miriam Bernard, Newcastle-under-Lyme. Services to ageing research and to older people

• Dr Catherine Emma Baxter, services to Higher Education

• Brenda Anne Lines. Chair, Big Local DY10. For services to the community in Kidderminster.

MEDALLISTS OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (BEM)

• Louis Connor Johnson. For services to the community in Wolverhampton

• Dr Jennifer Ann Frow. Volunteer, Bewdley Tennis Club. For services to lawn tennis.

• Sundeep Kaur. Director, United Sikhs. For services to the community in the West Midlands during Covid-19.

• Tracie Ann Pal. For services to the community in Hockley Heath.

• Martin Dymock Harrison. For services to the community in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire and the West Midlands.

• William Ellis Nixon. Honorary Secretary, Social Enterprise UK. For services to Young People in the West Midlands.

• Martin Peter Wild, Barton under Needwood, services to Community in Tamworth

• Herbert Proctor, Stoke-on-Trent, services to Community in Audley

• Stephen Roger Lees JP, South Staffordshire, services to community in Himley, Swindon and South Staffordshire

• Elaine Hutchings. Services to Community in Lichfield during Covid-19

• Peter Stewart Clemson, Burton-on-Trent, services to performing arts and the community.

KING'S POLICE MEDAL (KPM)

• John Price. Sergeant in the West Midlands Police force.