THEY are the Winchester district heroes who have been recognised for their efforts.
The 2021 list of New Year's Honours has been released and it features 11 people who have contributed to the district.
Whether it is in the field of health, media or community service, they have all played their part – especially in what has been a difficult year.
They are:
Vivien Loveday, 75, of Bishop’s Waltham, is awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the community.
For the past 40 years she has run the Bishops Waltham Gateway Club, which helps people with learning disabilities take part in leisure, social and creative activities.
The Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “She has built and run a vibrant club which provides the highlight of the week for its members, from organising social activities, arts and crafts, and organising outings for members.
“It provides an opportunity for adults with a learning disability the chance to socially interact with friends in a warm friendly environment.”
Merv Rees, pioneering liver cancer surgeon, has been recognised in The Queen’s New Year Honours by being awarded an OBE.
The world-renowned Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) surgeon, who created a trailblazing liver surgery team in Basingstoke, has been honoured for his services to liver cancer surgery.
The trust also runs Winchester Hospital.
Mr Rees, who is a Fellow of The Royal College of Surgeons and a Fellow of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Ad Hominem, is a widely-acknowledged leader in the field of Hepatobiliary (liver and biliary surgery).
In the 1980s, Mr Rees pioneered the procedure of liver resection in the United Kingdom when many medical professionals said that it could not be done. Liver resection involves the surgical removal of a part of the liver to remove cancer – liver cancer is usually a secondary condition that has spread to the organ from a primary cancer in another part of the body.
Speaking about his OBE honour, he said: “When I received the news, my first thoughts were about my team, the people I have worked with, and the thousands of patients we have been able to help over more than 33 years.
“From the outset, I was fortunate to work in a hospital in Basingstoke that supported innovation, and with colleagues throughout England who referred patients despite the scepticism of so many doctors.”
“This award is a great personal honour but at the same time, it is recognition of the outstanding work that has been done in Basingstoke by my liver surgery team colleagues Tim John, Fenella Welsh and Ben Cresswell."
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
CBE- Margaret Adela Miriam Carver. For services to Sport and to the Media Sector. (Winchester, Hampshire)
CBE - Professor Greta Westwood. Chief Executive, Florence Nightingale Foundation. For services to Nursing and Midwifery. (Hambledon, Hampshire)
Order of the British Empire
OBE - Professor James David Forbes Calder TD. Professor, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London. For services to Sport and to Exercise. (Alresford, Hampshire)
OBE-Gavin John Edgerley-Harris. Director, Gurkha Museum. For services to Gurkha and Military Heritage. (Winchester, Hampshire)
OBE -Dr Edgar Joseph Feuchtwanger. Historian. For services to Anglo-German Understanding and History. (Winchester, Hampshire)
OBE - Phillipa Maria Spencer. Senior Principal Statistician, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. For services to Defence, particularly during the Covid-19 Response. (Stockbridge, Hampshire)
Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
MBE - Christine Dominique Beresford. Chair of Trustees, Whitchurch Silk Mill Trust and Winchester Military Musuem. For services to Cultural Heritage in Hampshire. (Andover, Hampshire)
MBE - Richard Hugh Osgood. Senior Archaeologist, Defence Infrastructure Organisation. For services to Defence and to Heritage. (Winchester, Hampshire)
MBE- James Russell Gouldie. Supply Chain Director for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Bidford. For services to the Vulnerable during the Covid-19 Response. (Winchester, Hampshire)
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