Cllr Bev Craig has been awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by King Charles III in the New Year Honours list 2026 for service to local government.
She is named in a list that recognises the impact recipients have made in their communities and the lives of the people they serve.
Cllr Craig has dedicated her adult life to public service, beginning a career in local government after graduating from the University of Manchester, before moving to higher education and trade union roles.
First elected to public office as a councillor in the Burnage ward in 2011, she has held several roles at Manchester City Council, including executive member for adult social care and health through the Covid-19 global pandemic, and latterly as Deputy Leader.
Cllr Craig was named Leader of Manchester City Council in December 2021 – the first woman to take up the post – overseeing the city’s ambitious vision to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy, tackle poverty and homelessness, increase investment into communities across the city and improve outcomes for young people. She oversees major regeneration in the city centre and neighbourhoods across the city and has led an ambitious new housing strategy and delivery programme to meet demand for genuinely affordable homes in Manchester, building record numbers of council and social housing for local residents.
At a national level, Cllr Craig is vice-chair of the Local Government Association and Leader of the association’s Labour Group – representing Labour Groups across England.
In Greater Manchester, she holds a range of responsibilities on behalf of Manchester on the Combined Authority, including as leader with responsibility for Economy, Business and Inclusive Growth.
Leader of the Council Bev Craig said: “To receive on OBE is a huge privilege, and to get awarded it for what I’ve been able to give back to our city is all the more special.
“Manchester is an incredible city, made special by its people and a place I’m proud to call home. Leading our city is a privilege I don’t take for granted so to get awarded an OBE for what we’ve been doing to make Manchester an even better place to live and improve the lives of Manchester people, while creating a city that is fairer and more inclusive for generations to come, is the real honour.”
Amongst others to receive honours is Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, who led delivery of the Bee Network, receives a CBE for services to transport
As Transport Commissioner and Chair of Transport for Greater Manchester’s Executive Boad, Vernon Everitt has played a pivotal role in the delivery of major transport improvements for the city region’s communities.
Advising Mayor Andy Burnham and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), he has led the development and delivery of the Bee Network – the city region’s joined-up public transport system bringing together buses, trams, and trains with better customer service, fares and ticketing and modern data analytics.
Two key members of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) have been recognised in the King’s New Year Honours list, for their remarkable contributions to wider communities.
Pete Fitzpatrick, who is one of the driving forces behind Manchester Burns Camp, which helps young people to recover after burn injuries, has been awarded an MBE for services to burn victims.
Pete has supported more than 1000 children and young adults on their journeys of recovery and confidence-building. He has also raised over £80,000 to support the charity and young people with burn injuries.
In 2022, Pete co-developed the Atlas Project for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. The project provides support and education to change the behaviour of adults with a history or increased likelihood of starting fires.
It is the first of its kind globally and is supported by clinical psychologists to understand the root cause of behaviours and provide positive change. The project has been recognised by His Majesty’s Inspectorate as promising practice across the fire sector.
Nigel Travis is one of the founders of Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club, where he coaches and mentors young people from the local area, helping them to improve their fitness, build resilience and gain life skills.
Along with two other firefighters, Nigel started the club in 2008. In recent years, he has taken on a full-time role as club lead and boxing coach, working to redevelop the facilities with an improved gym, and installed a community classroom. This has had a significant impact on the personal development of young people from one of the most deprived areas in the country.
Nigel played a role in the Atlas Project, helping to rehabilitate people convicted of an arson or a fire-related offence. He has also supported Manchester Youth Justice with the Athena Project, which provides alternative educational support to young offenders.
Detective Chief Superintendent Jon Chadwick, GMP’s head of serious crime, is awarded the King’s Policing Medal in the 2026 New Year honours. His nomination highlighted his ‘exceptional’ contribution to the field of disaster victim identification (DVI).
He has been involved in a senior leadership role regionally and highly regarded nationally in respect of DVI for several years.
He has worked extensively with the College of Policing and UKDVI to train senior police officers undertaking the Senior Identification Manager (SIM) course, sharing his experience and learning from numerous deployments including the Manchester Areana attack and the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, DCS Chadwick acted as the GMP lead on the multi-agency team which was tasked with all aspects of death planning. He led on the force response to excess death, ensuring that community deaths continued to be attended and mortuary capacity was not exceeded. This work was replicated across the region and wider UK and was held up as the benchmark for good practice in extremely exigent circumstances.
He has encouraged the use of DVI principles within GMP in other categories of death, such as road traffic collisions or fire, resulting in higher numbers of officers trained in DVI processes, and more awareness of the benefits of using a SIM to work alongside the senior investigating officer role.
Lisa O’Loughlin, Principal and CEO of East Lancashire Learning Group (ELLG) and former Principal of The Manchester College, has been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year Honours 2025 for her exceptional services to post-16 education.
The honour recognises Lisa’s 30-year career championing technical education and her pivotal role in shaping the future of learning for young people across England, most notably as one of only two further education representatives on the government’s landmark Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR) panel.
Lisa has also been announced as one of the members of the new Young People and Work Group – a government-linked advisory group focused on improving how young people (typically aged 14-25) are prepared for, supported into, and sustained in education, training and employment.
“I’m truly humbled by this award and deeply grateful to those who took the time to nominate me. Excellence in education is never the result of individual effort; it is built through strong collaboration between students, parents, employers, partners and the exceptional teachers and support colleagues I have the privilege to work alongside every day. I’m immensely proud of what we achieve together, and thankful that our collective commitment is being recognised at a national level.”
