Bush Theatre Star with Down's Syndrome Awarded MBE
Sarah Gordy, set to act in Jellyfish 'surprised and thrilled' by Queen's Birthday Honour
Sarah Gordy, an actress with Down's Syndrome who will star in the Bush Theatre's next production Jellyfish has been awarded an MBE in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Sarah, who is Mencap’s first celebrity ambassador with a learning disability was awarded the honour for Services to the Arts and People with Disabilities.
Sarah said: " I am so surprised and thrilled to receive such an honour. I am hoping it will be an inspiration to young people with disabilities and their parents.
" I have been a professional actor for 17 years and I am pleased to say things are beginning to change. My industry has started to understand that diversity is an opportunity not a problem."
Sarah who recently spoke at the World Down Syndrome Day events at the UN plays the lead character, Kelly in Jellyfish, a new play by Ben Weatherill at the Bush Theatre, London from 27 June.
Jellyfish is the story of a first kiss, chips by the beach and coming of age with Down’s Syndrome in a seaside town. It’s a unique romance across uncharted waters which asks: does everyone really have the right to love as they choose?
Jellyfish is produced by Mark Cartwright in association with the Bush Theatre. Find out more here.
An MBE has also been awarded to the Reverend Tom Jackson, who lives in Fulham, for Services to Young People and the Community as founder and Chief Executive of the Resurgo Trust.
Tom, a former litigation lawyer and entrepreneur who is now a Church of England minister at Holy Trinity Brompton, tweeted @TomJackson_uk:" Truly humbled HM the Queen has graciously granted me an MBE today - deeply aware the real merit belongs to our young people, volunteers, supporters, entrepreneurs & amazing team."
The awards say of Tom: " He has consistently strived to bring about social change for disadvantaged youths by harnessing the capacity of his community, particularly the local Church. He is the Founder of Resurgo Trust, where he served as Trustee from 2003 until 2010, and Chief Executive since 2010. He also co-authored various publications on religion and social transformation.
" One of the primary initiatives of the Resurgo Trust is the Spear Programme, which helps young people in poverty by equipping them with business skills to gain employment or enter further education. Resurgo now operates in eight churches throughout London, through which has helped 5,000 young people.
" In recognition of this remarkable feat, Resurgo won a Guardian Charity Award in 2013, and the ERSA Award for Youth Employment in 2015. He was ordained into the Church of England in 2015 as a Self-Supporting Minister. He has not only spearheaded social investment and performance management himself, but has motivated other church-based projects to raise their aspirations and diversify their income streams to make them more sustainable too."
You can find out more about the Resurgo Trust here.
At Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, chief nurse Professor Janice Sigsworth, has been awarded a CBE while associate medical director, Dr Bob Klaber, receives an OBE.
Professor Sigsworth joined the Trust as director of nursing in 2008 from the Department of Health where she was deputy chief nurse for England. She began her nursing career 38 years ago at Charing Cross Hospital, now part of the Trust, working as a student nurse and, following qualification, as staff nurse.
Professor Sigsworth has honorary professorial appointments with King’s College London, Buckinghamshire New University and Middlesex University. She is also a member of the NMC Nursing and Midwifery Pre-Registration Advisory Boards, special Trustee of the General Nursing Council for England and Wales Trust and co-chair of the National Safe Nurse Staffing Facility Steering Board and is chair of the Shelford Chief Nurses Group.
Professor Sigsworth said: "I'm thrilled to receive this recognition of my work and, I believe, the success of nursing and midwifery at Imperial. I’m so proud of our hospitals and staff – and, of course, our nurses, midwives and care assistants especially."
Dr Bob Klaber studied at Cambridge University and Barts and The London School of Medicine before completing his postgraduate training in paediatrics in hospitals across London. He was appointed as a consultant at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in 2009, working with hospital, community and primary care colleagues as well as children and parents to pioneer integrated models of care for child health.
He has also been at the forefront of education and leadership developments at Imperial and across north west London area. He was appointed to a new associate medical director role at the Trust in 2015 to develop and lead an organisation-wide quality improvement approach.
Commenting on the award, Dr Klaber said: "The Birthday Honour is a wonderful surprise and reflects the outstanding work of the colleagues, patients and communities I am fortunate enough to work with. It makes me even more determined to keep working hard to improve how we provide health and care within our fantastic NHS."
You can read the Trust's announcement in full here.
June 11, 2018June 11, 2018