Maternal health expert named in New Year Honours
- Published
A maternal health expert who started her career as a midwife is among people from Derbyshire named in the New Year Honours List.
Prof Sara Kenyon, from Long Eaton, has been appointed MBE for services to midwifery.
Her achievements include developing a maternity triage system which is now used in the majority of UK maternity units.
Prof Kenyon, who works at the University of Birmingham, said she screamed and burst into tears when she found out.
'Make things better'
"I've just had a knee replacement and when I rung my husband to let him know he thought I'd re-broken my leg or something, because I was screaming down the telephone at him," she said.
"And my children are beside themselves with pride, they're really pleased for me.
"I don't really promote myself, I just get on and try to make things better for mothers and babies, that's what I've always done.
"Nobody works in isolation, so thank you to all the people I've worked with over the years, and my family, because without them I couldn't have done this."
Other recipients include Brell Ewart, who is Deputy Lieutenant of Derbyshire and president of Ashbourne Royal British Legion, and has been appointed MBE for services to the community.
Joseph Heeney, who founded the charity Resolve and lives in Buxton, has been appointed MBE for services to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
Lisa Haythorne, a senior solicitor at Derbyshire Law Centre, has been appointed MBE for services to vulnerable and homeless people.
As part of her work she advocates for disadvantaged people who need help and are impacted by poverty, discrimination and deprivation.
'Demand greater than ever'
"I am very excited and very pleased and very happy that the work of the Law Centre is being recognised," she said.
"We work to keep people in their houses, dealing with eviction notices, rent arrears and applying for grants.
"The need and demand is greater than ever so we are looking at working with people for longer to prevent homelessness."
Anthony Butler, executive director of Derby Museums Trust, has been appointed OBE for services to the arts.
Wendy Daunt, a deaf studies teacher at the Royal School for the Deaf Derby, has been appointed OBE for services to deaf children and the young adult and deaf communities.
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