Birthday Honours 2026
Barbara Connell BEM
British Empire Medal (BEM)
Founder and Chair
“For services to Education and Young People in The Gambia.”
Timeline
British Empire Medal (BEM)
For services to Education and Young People in The Gambia.
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London Gazette notice
British Empire Medal
Civil Division Overseas and International List
Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood
St. James’s Palace, London SW1
13 June 2026
THE KING has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of the Celebration of His Majesty’s Birthday, to approve the award of the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) to the undermentioned:
B.E.M.
Barbara Helen CONNELL
Founder and Chair, Kotu Trust
For services to Education and Young People in The Gambia.
Source: The London Gazette, issue 65091 · Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0
In context
Each honour in context
Role, region and citation as recorded for each award.
British Empire Medal
Birthday Honours 2026- Role at the time
- Founder and Chair
“For services to Education and Young People in The Gambia.”
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Birthday Honours 2026
Barbara Connell
British Empire Medal (BEM)
“For services to Education and Young People in The Gambia.”
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Birthday Honours 2026
Barbara Connell
British Empire Medal (BEM)
“For services to Education and Young People in The Gambia.”
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Birthday Honours 2026
Barbara Connell
British Empire Medal (BEM)
“For services to Education and Young People in The Gambia.”
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In context
The bigger picture
How common is this award?
The British Empire Medal was awarded 328 times in the Birthday Honours List 2026 — about 23% of the list.
What organisation were they with?
Founder and Chair.
How widely is this recognised?
5,862 people have been recognised for Education.
Counts reflect the 2000–2026 honours lists in our records; earlier years are not yet included.
Honoured alongside them
Others awarded the British Empire Medal in the Birthday Honours 2026
Adam Joolia
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Brighton, East Sussex
“For services to Young People and to Music.”
Adrian Isaac
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Boston, Lincolnshire
“For services to the Environment.”
Adrian Richards
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Ferryhill, County Durham
“For services to the community in Chester-le-Street, County Durham.”
Alan Grigg
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands
“For voluntary services to the community in Solihull.”
Alan Halcrow
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
“For services to the Drainage Industry.”
Alan Hiatt
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Cwmbran, Gwent
“For services to Ty Siriol and Hafan Deg Wards, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.”
Alan Parker
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
“For voluntary services to Rugby League Football and to the community in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire.”
Alan Thurlow
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Swimming.”
Alexander Kelly
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Maybole, Ayrshire and Arran
“For services to the Voluntary Sector in South Ayrshire and Scotland.”
Alexander Rigby
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Liverpool, Merseyside
“For services to Charity.”
Alice Hamilton
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Grangemouth, Stirling
“For services to the community in Grangemouth, Stirling and Falkirk.”
Alice Outten
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Llandudno, Clwyd
“For services to Young People.”
Alice Sutherland
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Alness, Ross and Cromarty
“For services to Vulnerable Young People in Alness, Ross and Cromarty.”
Alice Wintergold
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Haywards Heath, West Sussex
“For services to People with Disabilities.”
Alison Brittle
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Oldham, Greater Manchester
“For services to the community in Saddleworth.”
Alison Hickman
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
“For services to the community in Sierra Leone.”
Alison Turner
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to the Learning Disabled and Neurodiverse Community.”
Allison White
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Aycliffe, County Durham
“For services to Supporting People with Cancer.”
Alpa Raja
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Veterans’ Welfare.”
Amanda Caldwell
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Brighouse, West Yorkshire
“For services to the community in Rastrick.”
Andrew Burden
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Grimsby, Lincolnshire
“For services to Defence, to Veterans and to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Maritime Safety.”
Andrew Sheldon
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
South Benfleet, Essex
“For Political and Public Service.”
Angela Manson
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Lisburn, County Antrim
“For services to Youth Musical Theatre.”
Anita Pugh
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Swansea, West Glamorgan
“For services to Armed Forces Veterans and to the community in St Thomas, Swansea.”
In the same field
Others recognised for Education
Across the 2000–2026 honours lists in our records, 5,862 people have been recognised for Education. See the full list →
Henry Cyril Grunwald
PersonCommander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Holocaust Remembrance and Education.”
Stephen Thurston Munby
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2026
Kendal, Cumbria
“For services to Education.”
Shelagh Jane Legrave
PersonDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Chichester, West Sussex
“For services to Education.”
Rachael Ross
PersonOfficer Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Hinton Daubnay, Hampshire
“For services to Education, to Policy and to People with Down Syndrome.”
Debra Gray
PersonCommander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Dronfield, Derbyshire
“For services to Further Education.”
William Smith
PersonOfficer Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Witney, Oxfordshire
“For services to Education.”
Dawn Tinley
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
“For services to People with Learning Disabilities in Jersey.”
Keri Scott
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
“For services to Education in Gibraltar.”
Glenda Mctaggart
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
“For services to Education in the Cayman Islands.”
Catherine Grove
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
“For services to Education and Young People in The Gambia.”
Julia Downey
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
“For services to Children and Education in Moldova.”
Diane Willson
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Bognor Regis, West Sussex
“For services to the Education Community in Bognor Regis, West Sussex.”
Caroline Tyerman
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Durham, County Durham
“For services to Education.”
Patricia Wells
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Early Years in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.”
Alison Turner
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to the Learning Disabled and Neurodiverse Community.”
Louise Sutherland
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Leatherhead, Surrey
“For services to Early Years.”
Peter Scobie
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Newtownards, County Down
“For services to Higher Education.”
Audrey Moore
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Limavady, County Londonderry
“For voluntary services to Special Education.”
Fiona Mccullough
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Tamworth, Staffordshire
“For services to Education and Outreach.”
Rita Lewis (helen Hopkins)
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Carmarthen, Dyfed
“For services to Music and Music Education.”
Iraklis Kolokotronis
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to the Early Years.”
Fiona Knight
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Corwen, Clwyd
“For services to People with Learning Disabilities and to Autistic People.”
Eleanor Keeley
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Education.”
Sandra Howes (cassandra Howes)
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Bedford, Bedfordshire
“For services to Education and to Inter-Faith Relations in Bedfordshire.”
Source & provenance
Where this record comes from
British Empire Medal · 2026
London Gazette (official record), issue 65091, notice 5154239. View the official notice ↗
Cabinet Office / gov.uk published honours list (Birthday Honours List 2026).
Published 12 June 2026.
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