"Unexpected Honour" for White City's Harry Audley
Community leader awarded British Empire Medal in New Year Honours
Harry Audley, who is a well known figure in Shepherd's Bush as chairman of the White City Residents' Association, has been awarded a British Empire Medal for services to the community in London.
Harry, 52, says his inclusion in the New Year Honours List came as a huge surprise.
He says: "
It is an unexpected honour and one that I happily share with the many enthusiastic members of the community, both in White City and the rest of the borough, who have been willing to contribute so selflessly and enthusiastically to the various committees, fora and projects I have been involved in.
" If this recognition does nothing else, I hope it will highlight the simple principal of Social Value. Supporting particularly hard working and successful communities in their various enterprises has an impact far beyond an accountants spreadsheet and factoring in that value in to all decision making is crucial if we are to continue to grow successful communities. "
Under Harry's leadership, the White City Estate is said to have improved beyond recognition. from an area where people loathed to live, to a community where people look after each other.
As well as being Chair of the White City Residents’ Association, Harry set up a Neighbourhood Forum allowing the whole community to come together and he also oversaw the successful creation of White City Enterprise, a community-led social enterprise, securing funding and local support for his vision.
Harry is one of four local residents included in the New Year Honours List.
In Fulham, two women have been awarded CBEs for services to their respective industries and to charity.
Amanda Wills has been honoured for services to the British travel industry and to charity. After starting work as a rep for Airtours in 1987, Amanda went on to become the company's first female board director. She then became the managing director of Virgin Holidays until leaving In May this year.
Alongside this busy career, she is also a trustee of the charity KidsOut and a board member of Breast Cancer Campaign’s Unlock the Cure appeal.
Amanda, who is currently chair of private online members club Urbanologie said: “This has come as a very unexpected and wonderful surprise. I take great joy and pride in both my professional and charity work and to be recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list is just amazing.
" I’ve been very privileged to work with some incredibly talented people and this award would not have been possible without their support.”
Professor Caroline Rush, also a resident of Fulham, who is chief executive of the British Fashion Council, was honoured for services to the Fashion Industry.
Caroline, whose role is promoting the fashion industry, particularly through organising events such as British Fashion Week,
was made an Honorary Professor at Glasgow Caledonian University in March this year.
She has led the British Fashion Council since 2009. Her appointment heralded the return of designers and brands including Burberry, Jonathan Saunders, Matthew Williamson, Preen and Pringle of Scotland to the London Fashion Week schedule.
On December 30, she praised colleagues at the council, tweeting @rushcaroline: " brilliant team!! Thank you. Feeling very proud x"
In W14, Mrs Lou Lockhart-Mummery, Founder Member of the Independent Monitoring Board at Heathrow Airport was awarded an MBE for services to Prisoners and Detainees. Independent Monitoring Boards work inside every prison, immigration removal centre and some short term holding facilities at airports.
IMB members are independent, unpaid and work an average of two to three days per month. Their role is to monitor the day-to-day life in their local prison or removal centre and ensure that proper standards of care and decency are maintained.
The Ministry of Justice describes members as " a group of ordinary members of the public doing an extraordinary job".
January 1, 2015
