Yahoo News Two Rossendale women named on King’s Birthday Honours List
Two women have been named on the HM The King’s Birthday Honours List. Susan Ashby MBE, 62, from Crawshawbooth was nominated for the prestigious title for her services to homeless and vulnerable people in Rochdale.
People who have been selected have initiated a substantial change where it was needed and developed innovative solutions that have had an immeasurable impact on the lives of thousands of people across the country.
She said: “I am delighted and overwhelmed to be recognised. It is a big thing.
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"It is all about Stepping Stones and it has been a pleasure to build. It has been great to see the work the organisation has done, helping thousands of homeless people.”
Susan has been the Chair of Stepping Stone Projects (SSP) for 24 years. It is a North West charity, formed in 1984, to provide accommodation and supported housing to homeless and vulnerable people.
Since becoming a trustee, she has given her time, energy and expertise, to help rehouse and support many vulnerable people. Soon after joining the board, she became the chair and immediately led the charity to become fully independent of Rochdale Council.
When she joined SSP they provided 38 supported homes to people with complex needs and all were in Rochdale. It now provides more than 600 homes to more than 800 people, with another 200 homes currently in development.
During the pandemic she ensured that SSP’s board, executive and colleagues redoubled their efforts to help even more homeless and vulnerable people. She instructed SSP to reach out to local councils to see how SSP could help them house and support vulnerable people during Covid.
She ensured that the Board continued to meet regularly to provide clear direction and good governance. Board meetings continued to be held monthly using virtual means to support the executive by providing quick and effective decision-making and continued scrutiny and accountability.
This proactive approach to providing more homes and services has meant that during the Covid period SSP experienced unprecedented growth in the number of homes and services provided. In December 2022, SSP became an Investors in People Gold Accredited Employer for the first time.
Denise Harrison MBE, 57, from Rossendale has been chosen for her services to the bus industry. She has been an ambassador in the bus industry during her 39-year career.
She started work in the canteen, then at 18 became one of only six female drivers in the company.
Denise said: “It’s absolutely crazy that I’ve been nominated for an MBE. I was in shock, I just turned to my husband and said ‘I think I’ve been nominated for an MBE'.
“I think we’re going to Buckingham Palace!’ It’s an honour to be recognised for spending my entire career working and caring about the bus industry.
“I’m proud of myself. For me, buses are about connecting communities.
“If I can inspire more people to love and use the bus, then that’s my aim. I’ve spent four decades in the bus industry and can see the value that bus services bring to local communities and the economy.
“First Bus has been kind to me over the years. They’ve allowed me the time to gain qualifications and have trusted me to be authentic.
“I’ve had an absolutely amazing career – no regrets whatsoever!”
Her passion is health and safety, in which capacity she has served at First Bus for 18 years, initially as a depot safety responsible person, through to her current role as Head of Health and Safety for First Bus nationally. She is an influential Vice Chair of the Safety and Environment Committee of the industry body - Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT).
During the Covid pandemic, she developed the foundation of the risk matrices that were critical to keeping front line staff safe and worked with CPT and other operators to complete and socialise them across the sector. This work helped ensure reduced transmission rates amongst staff and saved lives.
She developed a national training programme for the safe management of road transport which has received accreditation from the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). Post-pandemic she became concerned about the growing issue of mental health in the industry.
In January 2023 she launched an initiative to recognise individuals in First Bus who go the extra mile every day. Burty Bus is a soft toy posted to such people, designed as a conversation starter particularly to encourage men to open up and talk about their mental health.
The recipient then sends Burty to someone else s/he considers worthy. Burty has travelled to more than 20 locations so far, from Cornwall to Sheffield, Dublin and Madeira.
