BRITAIN’S VIRUS HEROES
Gongs go to medics, carers & kind souls who went the extra mile in crisis
HEROES of the pandemic are today honoured by the Queen for their work.
They include England star Marcus Rashford who fought for free meals for poor kids.
The PM said their hard work and dedication “has helped us through”.
MARCUS Rashford leads the heroes honoured by the Queen today for bringing hope to the nation during the pandemic.
The England and Manchester United star, 22, becomes an MBE for services to vulnerable children after shaming Boris Johnson into continuing free school meals for 1.3 million poor kids over the summer holidays.
Manchester-born Rashford paid tribute to mum Melanie last night, saying: “As a young black man from Wythenshawe never did I think I’d be accepting an MBE, never mind at the age of 22. This is a very special moment for myself and my family, but particularly my mum, the real deserving recipient of the honour.
“The fight to protect our most vulnerable children is far from over.”
Also honoured was fitness guru
Joe Wicks, 35, whose daily PE classes streamed on YouTube kept children fit during lockdown and raised £580,000 for the NHS.
He said of his MBE: “It’s just incredible. I’m so proud I’ve done something which helps so many people.”
He thanked those who joined the workouts, saying: “To all the children, the parents, the dinner ladies, the school teachers, everybody who took part in any one of my workouts – thank you for being there.”
He said he would celebrate with “a nice gin and tonic” with wife Rosie, a former model, and “have a nice sitdown meal” with their two children.
There is also an MBE for “Mr Motivator” Derrick Evans, 67, who also encouraged locked-down Brits to exercise. He created online home exercises and hosted a week-long workout with actress Linda Lusardi to raise money for Age UK’s Emergency Coronavirus Appeal.
He said: “It is a real blessing and it is wonderful to be acknowledged in this way. If only my parents were really here with me now, they’d be so chuffed, but I think in spirit they are actually hovering up there and they are saying, ‘Boy, you done good’.”
He said he nearly deleted the message telling him he was to be honoured with an MBE, saying: “I thought, ‘ This has got to be a scam’.”
The Queen authorised the delay of her traditional Birthday Honours from June so that those who stepped up when their country needed them could be recognised.
They include 100-year-old Dabirul
Islam Choudhury, who gets an OBE after raising over £420,000 by walking 970 laps of his garden in Bow, East London, while fasting for Ramadan.
He said: “I feel proud they have honoured me. I thank everybody from the bottom of my heart.”
His son Atique Choudhury, 57, said: “Where we are from in Bangladesh, we don’t get much recognition for the work we do, so this is for all the people who contributed towards my dad’s success and all the victims of Covid-19. We are very proud of my
father for raising money for a great number of people.
“He said his work has not finished and he is going to carry on working and raising money for people affected by Covid.”
Of the total funds raised by Mr Choudhury, nearly £ 116,000 was donated to the NHS.
The rest was divided between 30 charities in 52 countries as part of the Ramadan Family Commitment Covid-19 crisis initiative, a charity run by British-Bangladeshi broad
caster Channel S. Mr Choudhury had initially set himself a challenge to walk 100 laps after being inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore, the Second World War veteran who was knighted in July after raising almost £33million for the NHS by walking laps of his garden.
A council worker who helped bring more than 200 homeless people into safe accommodation at the start of lockdown is honoured with a British Empire Medal.
Ajitha Sajeev, 52, who has worked for Newham Council in East London for 30 years, helped 191 people off the streets and 40 out of shared accommodation to keep them safe from coronavirus.
Glass artist Stephen Clare, 62, from Wells, Somerset, who has helped restore windows at Wells Cathedral, St George’s Chapel at
Windsor and King’s College Cambridge, is made an MBE.
And there is a CBE for the head of a school that makes children attend a “behaviour boot camp” on arrival.
Katharine Birbalsingh, founder of Michaela Community School in Wembley, North West London, said the honour was a tribute to her staff and their traditional style of teaching.
The Prime Minister said last night: “This year’s honours recipients are a testament to the sort of country we are – caring, compassionate and resolute in the face of a global pandemic. The hard work and dedication of these local, often unsung heroes has helped carry us through. I congratulate them all.”