Queen’s Jubilee birthday honours: Public health boss among honours

Dr Rupert Suckling has been the director of public health for Doncaster throughout the pandemic

A South Yorkshire health boss has been recognised for the leading local role he played during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Rupert Suckling, director of public health at Doncaster Council, has been appointed an MBE in the Queen's Jubilee Honours.

He is one of several who have been recognised for their work serving their communities in South Yorkshire.

Others being put forward for awards include university professors, midwives and headteachers.

Dr Suckling gave regular updates about how coronavirus had been spreading in Doncaster, advising the council and residents on how best to protect people in the borough.

He also worked with the government on one of the first pilot schemes for sport events.

However, he ordered the St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse to be held behind closed doors in September 2020 following a spike in Covid-19 cases.

Elsewhere, Prof Babak Akhgar from the Centre for Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence and Organised Crime Research at Sheffield Hallam University has been appointed an OBE.

Prof Akhgar was recognised for his work in security research.

Jane Fearnley, from Willow Tree Academy Trust, and Ioannis Koursis, principal and chief executive at Barnsley College, have been appointed OBE for services to education and further education.

Doncaster's Tariq Shah was recognised for his services to charity, also being appointed an OBE, along with Dotty Watkins at Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust for services to midwifery.

Dr Deborah Bullivant, who founded literacy writing centre Grimm and Co in Rotherham, has been appointed an MBE for services to children and young people's literacy in the town.

She joins Barnsley councillor Leah Higginbottom for public and voluntary service in the town, who has also been appointed an MBE.

Kelly Buddery, from Sheffield, has been recognised for her services to ice skating after organising online exercises to athletes who had to stop the sport during the pandemic.

She has been awarded a BEM.