East Yorkshire community champions recognised in the King's Birthday Honours

More than 60 people from Yorkshire and Humberside have received honours in HM The King’s Birthday Honours List 2024 - including four East Yorkshire champions.

Lisa Hilder, founder and director of nonprofit legal firm Affordable Justice, and the award-winning Preston Road Women's Centre, has been awarded an MBE.

The honour recognises Lisa's contribution to changing the way in which women's domestic abuse services are run and acknowledges the remarkable results achieved through her fundraising efforts, which have generated more than £23 million in grants and social investment in 20 years.

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"I truly believe that this award is actually in recognition of the work that all in the team have done over the years here at Preston Road," Lisa said. "When we established the women's centre, we were keen to create a service that was less reliant on charitable donations and grants, and more self sustaining in the way that it operated.

"Whilst working with many social investors over the years, we have used that funding in a way that has grown our operations and helped to make the women we support feel more independent and empowered."

The long-term plan for Lisa and her team is to create a blueprint of women's services that can be replicated not only across the country, but also across different issues and demographics, to tackle areas such as immigration and social injustice.

The Affordable Justice legal model, for example, has already caught the eye of investors looking at absorbing its knowledge and experiences into creating affordable legal services in other sectors.

All services within Affordable Justice and Preston Road Women's Centre subscribe to a number of key principles, which include offering a consistent quality across the delivery of the service., working within a financially sustainable infrastructure, and working within a feminist philosophy of practice

"The intention behind these values is to elevate the mindset of everyone within an organisation, making them feel less dependent and more in control. Most of the women we help leave an abusive relationship and do not return," explained Lisa.

"The average return rate across the sector for domestic abuse survivors is actually seven, meaning that women will leave and return up to seven times before they finally leave for good. Our women leave once, and once only."

Affordable Justice is a non-profit alternative business structure family law firm that works solely with women who are not eligible for legal aid. The company works out of the Preston Road Women's Centre in Hull, which offers a range of services to women escaping domestic abuse, such as housing, childcare and training.

David Kennedy-Harding, 77, from Bilton, has received a British Empire Medal for his 64 years of service with the British Red Cross. He says the award came as a complete surprise.

“It’s very nice, and I never expected it,” he said. “I have no idea who put me forward.”

David joined the British Red Cross in 1960 after taking a first aid course with the charity while working towards his Duke of Edinburgh Award. His volunteering career has seen him take on several roles with the organisation, including as a youth leader, rescue instructor and first aid trainer, as well as organising trips and social events for elderly and disabled people.

In 1993 he joined a pilot scheme which saw Red Cross volunteers working alongside emergency services in Humberside to support people affected by fires, floods, heat waves, power cuts and other emergencies. He says that while his role often involves supporting people in difficult situations, it’s important to stay calm.

“I’ve been out to all sorts of things, from incidents where unfortunately there have been fatalities to smaller incidents like someone’s toaster catching fire.

“Whatever it is, though, you need to stay calm and show compassion and professionalism, even if you’re churning up on the inside.

“If you’re dealing with someone who’s just been through something traumatic, they’re often not able to think clearly, so you need to stay positive and logical. You’re not trying to make decisions for them, you’re helping them be able to make decisions for themselves.”

Much of David’s emergency volunteering has required him to be available at a moment’s notice, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Over the years he has logged more than 262,000 hours on call. He says his partner Margaret’s support has been vital.

“She used to come out as part of the team on responses,” David said. “She’s always been there at fundraising events, and now if the phone rings in the night and I don’t hear it, she’s there to kick me out of bed.”

While he’s pleased to receive a Birthday Honour, David says the best recognition has been from the countless people he’s helped in the course of his volunteer career.

“All you ever look for in this role is a ‘thank you,’” he says. “‘Thank you’ is the biggest reward you can get.”

British Red Cross Chief Executive Officer Béatrice Butsana-Sita said: “David has helped so many people in his time as a British Red Cross volunteer. His skills, compassion and dedication to supporting others have made a real difference to people facing incredibly challenging circumstances. We are so grateful for his decades of devoted service, and pleased and proud to see him recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours.”

The full list of those from East Yorkshire honoured:

• Andrew Stephen Barber, from Beverley, is awarded the OBE for services to the community in East Yorkshire

• Lisa Mari Hilder. Co-Founder, Preston Road Women's Centre, Hull, MBE for services to Social Investment and to Charity.

• Bilton man David Arthur Kennedy-Harding, an emergency response volunteer for the British Red Cross in Humberside, is awarded the BEM.

• Ola Adel Zahran. Chief Technology Officer, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, is awarded the King's Ambulance Service Medal.

Recipients from Yorkshire and Humberside make up 5.6% of the total number of recipients receiving honours this year.

Anyone can nominate someone for an honour. If you know someone who has achieved fantastic things worthy of recognition, you can nominate them at https://www.gov.uk/honours.