Former Chair of the Corporation’s Police Authority Board, James Thomson, has been awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours for services to policing and inclusion.
A former Special Constable, James joined the Police Authority Board in 2015 and served as Chair from 2020 to 2024. He campaigned for national reforms to combat fraud and cybercrime, and championed local safety initiatives, including tackling violence against women and girls.
James also served on the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners board and is a Non-Executive Director at the Serious Fraud Office. An advocate for diversity and inclusion, he has been instrumental in ensuring that the City Police is on a clear path to becoming one of the most trusted and inclusive police services in the country.
James Thomson CBE said:
“I am truly humbled to be awarded a CBE. It is a privilege to work with so many committed people at a local and national level, in tackling fraud and economic crime which is essential to the UK’s economic security.
“I am also proud to have been recognised for my work in promoting a fairer, safer, more inclusive society, a journey that started for me 30 years ago working with the South African Government of National Unity and which spans my interests in policing, housing, education, and philanthropy.”
Former Sheriff of the , Liz Green, received an OBE for voluntary service and services to prisoner rehabilitation in London and Hertfordshire.
As Sheriff of the she championed prisoner rehabilitation and charity fundraised significant sums to support that work. As volunteer for Shannon Trust, she has a standout reputation for the charity, which mentors and trains prisoners with low literacy and numeracy.
As High Sheriff of Hertfordshire she has leveraged her role to convene and champion the need to improve literacy among those in prison, those with lived prison experience, and individuals in local communities. She visited all forty-six libraries in Hertfordshire to champion the importance of literacy, and at the same time raised substantial sums for Hertfordshire Community Foundation.
Liz Green OBE DL MStJ said:
“I am deeply honoured to receive this award, and to have had the opportunity to serve both in the and in Hertfordshire.
“Whilst many of us take reading for granted, sitting in court and talking with HM Judges at the Old Bailey taught me a great deal about the practical day-to-day limitations and the reality for those with low literacy.
“Volunteers give of their time, and they also personally gain, both from those they work with and from fellow volunteers, and when visiting prisons, I see first-hand the positive impact that one-to-one help can have for those who struggle.”
Basketball Academy Director at the Academy Southwark (CoLA Southwark), Jackson Gibbons, has been awarded a BEM for services to basketball, sport and young people.
CoLA Southwark is a member of the Academies Trust, which runs the Corporation’s ten high performing sponsored academies.
He founded the CoLA Southwark Basketball Academy, now one of the UK’s most successful youth basketball programmes, in 2013, and has had a transformative impact on basketball coaching in the UK at both a grassroots and elite level.
At the academy, he has developed teams for under-12s, under-14s, under-16s and sixth formers, plus a community club. Jackson has guided his pupils to unprecedented success, with victories in multiple national championships including, in the 2023-24 season alone, U17 Girls National Champions, U19 Girls National Champions, and U19 Boys National Runners-Up. Across the past decade, the Academy has won 33 national titles.
Through his coaching and mentorship, Jackson has supported over 90 students, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, to gain full scholarships to US universities.
Jackson Gibbons, BEM, said:
“I feel extremely grateful to be acknowledged in this year’s honours list.
“It truly is a testament to being surrounded by such an amazing support network and some phenomenally brilliant young people who make the journey so worth it, without whom there wouldn’t be a programme at CoLA Southwark.
“I’m looking forward to the direction the program is moving in and impacting many more lives through basketball.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors
About the Corporation:
The Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally successful UK –
More on James Thomson:
This Honour reflects the work James has carried out over a long period to ensure the City remains one of the safest business districts in the world.
The Corporation’s Court of Common Council is the Police Authority for the Square Mile. The Police Authority Board is responsible for holding the Commissioner of the Police to account. It aims to make sure the force is running an effective and efficient service, ensuring value for money, and setting policing priorities considering the views of the local community.
More on Liz Green:
As a result of the Covid lockdown in April 2020, through the Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters, Liz conceived and subsequently led a ‘Knit for Community’ project, which has to date distributed over 2,000 blankets to charities, and has engaged lonely people suffering isolation to help give life meaning.
She is a strong supporter of a Hertfordshire hospice both as an ambassador and as a former meals on wheels volunteer, she is a long serving parish secretary, safeguarding officer and fundraiser.
She has a notable record of other voluntary service in both in prisoner after-care and in education.
More on Jackson Gibbons:
Jackson’s focus on fostering personal and academic development is cited by parents as having a profound and empowering impact, especially for female students. At least five Academy graduates are now professional players in Europe. A mentor in his free time to other young coaches, his achievements have led to his peers voting him National Coach of the Year 12 times across the National Basketball League and Women’s Elite Academy Basketball League.
His successes with CoLA Southwark Basketball Academy have also led to him making significant contributions as the Men’s Assistant Coach for Great Britain’s national team, with a focus on player development.
CoLA Southwark is part of the Academies Trust, which runs ten high-performing academies sponsored by the Corporation across Hackney, Islington, Newham, and Southwark. The City Corporation is also the local education authority for one maintained primary school in the , and the proprietor of four independent schools. Five out of 10 Academies Trust schools hold an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating, and three are rated ‘good’ with ‘outstanding’ features.
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