Birthday Honours 2026
Leslie France BEM
British Empire Medal (BEM)
“For services to Swimming and to the community in Wigan.”
Timeline
British Empire Medal (BEM)
For services to Swimming and to the community in Wigan.
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London Gazette notice
British Empire Medal
Civil Division
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.
Leslie Alan FRANCE
Swimming Coach
For services to Swimming and to the community in Wigan.
Source: The London Gazette, issue 65091 · Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0
Location
See other people honoured from Blackpool →
Location comes from the Cabinet Office / gov.uk published honours list, not the Gazette notice, and isn’t available for every honour.
In context
Each honour in context
Role, region and citation as recorded for each award.
British Empire Medal
Birthday Honours 2026- Region
- Blackpool, Lancashire
“For services to Swimming and to the community in Wigan.”
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Birthday Honours 2026
Leslie France
British Empire Medal (BEM)
“For services to Swimming and to the community in Wigan.”
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Birthday Honours 2026
Leslie France
British Empire Medal (BEM)
“For services to Swimming and to the community in Wigan.”
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Birthday Honours 2026
Leslie France
British Empire Medal (BEM)
“For services to Swimming and to the community in Wigan.”
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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.
In their area
93 British Empire Medal recipients are from Lancashire.
How widely is this recognised?
2,173 people have been recognised for Sport & Recreation.
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 Sport & Recreation
Across the 2000–2026 honours lists in our records, 2,173 people have been recognised for Sport & Recreation. See the full list →
Kevin Sinfield
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2026
Oldham, Greater Manchester
“For services to Rugby League, Rugby Union and the MND Community.”
Nigel Travis
PersonMember Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Manchester, Greater Manchester
“For services to Boxing and the community in Moss Side, Greater Manchester.”
David Dein
PersonOfficer Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Football and to Charity.”
Gabrielle Logan
PersonOfficer Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Buckinghamshire
“For services to Sports Broadcasting and to Charity.”
Emily Scarratt
PersonOfficer Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Coalville, Leicestershire
“For services to Rugby Union.”
Leah Williamson
PersonCommander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
St Albans, Hertfordshire
“For services to Association Football.”
Johanna Norman
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
“For services to Swimming in Guernsey.”
Raymond Pritchard
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
“For services to Sport, to Tourism and to UK/Switzerland Relations.”
John Wright
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Solihull, West Midlands
“For services to Cricket in Warwickshire and the West Midlands.”
David Workman
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Ballynahinch, County Down
“For services to Rugby and to Community Relations in Ballynahinch.”
Kim Watson
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Colchester, Essex
“For services to Grassroots Netball in East Anglia.”
Alan Thurlow
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Swimming.”
Steven Thompson
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Liverpool, Merseyside
“For services to Rugby Union Football and to the community in Crosby, Merseyside.”
Jennifer Smyth
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Londonderry, County Borough of Londonderry
“For services to Disability Sport.”
David Smallwoods
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Londonderry, County Borough of Londonderry
“For services to Local Football.”
Scott Rogers
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Saint Helens, Merseyside
“For services to Disability Sport.”
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.”
James Mcdonald
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Junior Athletics.”
Jason Land
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Grimsby, Lincolnshire
“For services to Association Football.”
Lynn Hay
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Amateur Sport in London.”
Linda Gaine
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Colchester, Essex
“For services to Grassroots Netball in East Anglia.”
Sarah Edwards
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Barnham, West Sussex
“Department for Work and Pensions. For services to Grassroots Sports.”
George Dodd
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Carlisle, Cumbria
“For services to Rowing.”
Edwin Bridges
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Crowborough, East Sussex
“For services to Young People and to Sport in Crowborough.”
Source & provenance
Where this record comes from
British Empire Medal · 2026
London Gazette (official record), issue 65091, notice 5154014. View the official notice ↗
Cabinet Office / gov.uk published honours list (Birthday Honours List 2026).
Published 12 June 2026.
Location (Blackpool, Lancashire) comes from the Cabinet Office / gov.uk published honours list, not the Gazette notice, which records no recipient home location.
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