College vice-principal 'humbled' by OBE

A college vice-principal has been recognised in the King's New Year Honours list for her "exceptional contribution" to further education.

Lynette Leith, the vice-principal for curriculum and skills at Hull College, has been appointed OBE.

She is joined on the list of the region's recipients by Janet Farmer, a former director at Pocklington Arts Centre, who is recognised for her services to the arts.

Former sub-postmaster Lee Castleton, from Bridlington, is also honoured, along with David Corfield, the chief executive at Prismatic Ltd, a subsidiary of BAE Systems.

Speaking about the honour, Ms Leith said it was "incredibly humbling".

"For me, this reflects the wonderful FE [further education] sector and the many teams and individuals that have coached, counselled and guided me along the way.

"Most importantly this is recognition of the entire Hull College team," she added.

"I'm immensely proud of what we've achieved together."

Last year, Ofsted inspectors gave the college a "good" overall rating, having previously said it required improvement following inspections in 2019 and 2022.

Debra Gray, the college's principal and chief executive, said Ms Leith had played a pivotal role in transforming the institution into "a thriving hub of learning and opportunity".

"Her leadership and the collective efforts of the team has cemented our status as a vital education, training and skills resource for the community," she added. "This is a proud moment for all of us at Hull College."

Janet Farmer, who retired in 2022, has been appointed MBE for her contribution to Pocklington Arts Centre during her 25-year association with the East Yorkshire venue.

As well as spending three years fundraising prior to the venue opening in 2000, she raised over £1m in public funding to support the venue, overseeing more than 3,500 film screenings, 900 live events, along with numerous festivals and community events.

Her former colleagues described her as the "driving force" behind the venue's success.

Speaking about the honour, Mrs Farmer said she was "shocked, but absolutely delighted".

She also praised her former colleagues, adding: "You are only as good as the team you work with."

Other recipients from the region include Lee Castleton, a former sub-postmaster from Bridlington, who played a leading role in the fight for justice for other victims of the Horizon IT scandal.

Gill Hodgson, who was appointed MBE for services to floristry.

She is the founder of Flowers from the Farm, an association championing artisan growers of British cut flowers, and of The Farewell Flowers Directory, an online listing service that aims to remove plastic floral foam from the funeral industry.

Speaking about the honour, she said: "I am utterly delighted to be awarded an MBE in recognition for my work in raising the profile of British flowers, and for encouraging so many more people to make a career out of growing them for market."

Meanwhile, Val French, 67, was awarded a BEM for services to sport after this year becoming the first British Cycling Breeze Champion to lead 1,000 women-only bike rides.

The Breeze programme aims to get more women riding bikes for fun.

A British Cycling spokesperson said: "Since 2011, Val has helped more than 5,000 women on to bikes and played a huge role in narrowing the gender gap in participation in the sport."

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