New Year Honours 2024: Westminster terror attack survivor honoured
- Published
Travis Frain has been honoured for services to counter-extremism and to victims of terrorism
More support is needed to help victims of terror incidents, according to a survivor of the Westminster Bridge attack who has been appointed an OBE for his work to combat radicalism.
Travis Frain was mown down by a car driven by Khalid Masood on London's Westminster Bridge in 2017.
Mr Frain, of Darwen, said he still thinks about the attack every day.
The 25-year-old has been honoured for services to counter-extremism and to victims of terrorism.
He said: "I think in many ways this honour is a recognition of the countless late nights chipping away behind the scenes to try and lobby the government for change.
"My only hope is that with this honour I am able to continue to drive home that message to get changes that are needed."
Masood, who was British-born and converted to Islam, drove along a pavement on Westminster Bridge, killing four pedestrians.
He then stabbed a police officer to death outside Parliament before being shot dead at the scene.
Mr Frain spent eight days in hospital and one of his visitors was the King, who was then the Prince of Wales
Mr Frain said: "If I am going to think about the incident - and I will remember it for many, many years to come... I want to look back with a sense of pride and to know I have done everything in the years since then to make something positive out of something so negative."
He visits schools and colleges to share his experience and has run educational workshops.
The University of Salford lecturer has created the Resilience in Unity Project in 2021, which records the testimonies of people affected by terror attacks to stop radicalisation.
Elsewhere a Blackburn mum whose son was killed by a single punch has also been honoured for her work in trying to steer young people away from violence.
Patricia Rogers, 71, has received an MBE for services to young people with her charity Every Action has Consequences which was set up after the murder of her son Adam, 24, in 2009.
Her late husband, Dave, was also honoured with an MBE in 2015 for his contributions to the charity and she continues to lead it in both Adam and Dave's memory.
"I'm overwhelmed, I'm just sorry Dave's not here to see it," she said.
Mrs Rogers added: "This is really a recognition for our work - I'm just a face.
"I don't go into schools as much these days but my son Tim is carrying on the work."
Antony Lockley has helped attract more than £100m in regeneration funding for Blackpool
The citation for her award said her work had a "profound impact" and had "touched the lives of more than two million people in schools, young offenders institutions, and prisons using a 13-minute film and a special animation for younger children".
A senior council officer who played a key role in Blackpool's regeneration has also been appointed an OBE.
Antony Lockley, director of strategy and assistant chief executive at Blackpool Council, has been recognised for services to local government.
Among the other MBE recipients were dancer and choreographer Carolene Euleata Sargeant, 59, from Blackpool, who was involved in the choreography and mass movement direction of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games and Nirmal Singh 72, who has pioneered Sikh prison chaplaincy services in the north west.
Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, external, X, external and Instagram, external? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk
Related topics
- Published26 January 2023
