Jade to be given highest hometown honour

Jade will receive the Freedom of South Tyneside

Pop star Jade and the owner of one of north-east England's best known restaurants will receive their home borough's highest honour.

South Tyneside Council voted to grant the honorary Freedom of the Borough to Jade Thirlwall, from South Shields, who rose to fame as part of Little Mix before launching a solo career.

The local authority also agreed to award the honour to Richard Ord MBE, the owner of Colmans Fish and Chips and Colmans Seafood Temple at an extraordinary meeting on Thursday.

Council leader Tracey Dixon, said the pair "could not be more deserving of the marvellous tribute".

An honorary Freedom of the Borough is the highest honour the council can bestow on an individual or organisation.

Jade won the Brit Award for best Pop Act earlier this year

Jade was nominated for the accolade "in recognition of her outstanding contribution as a cultural ambassador and her ongoing commitment to South Tyneside", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The 32-year-old has a bar on Ocean Road called Arbeia and is the honorary president for South Shields Football Club.

Councillor David Francis, of the Green Party, said he was aware of Jade primarily because she used her "platform to speak out and amplify the voices of the marginalised".

He highlighted how she had challenged "the politics of hate and division, welfare cuts, the silencing of protest and the selling of arms, and indeed her speaking up in support of the LGBTQ+ community".

'Raising industry standards'

On Mr Ord, council chiefs said he was being bestowed the honour "in recognition of exceptional entrepreneurship, philanthropy and services to the hospitality industry" in the borough.

The Labour leader said: "He's advocated for sustainability in the fish and chip industry, trained hundreds of young chefs and fryers through an open-door policy, sharing expertise and raising industry standards."

She added his family businesses supported local initiatives, including the sponsorship of the likes of The Custom House theatre and its pantomimes, local football teams and charities.

Mr Ord was granted an MBE in the 2021 New Year's Honours list for his service to the hospitality industry and regeneration of South Tyneside.

Jade and Mr Ord will both receive their honours at formal ceremonies at a later date.