Unsung heroes: Parents of women killed by men among advocates honoured

Two women whose daughters were murdered by ex-partners have said a "bereaved mother is not to be messed with" after receiving honours for their campaign to strengthen domestic violence laws.

Carole Gould and Julie Devey were appointed OBEs for their work co-founding the group Killed Women after their daughters - Ellie Gould, 17, and Poppy Devey Waterhouse, 24 - were killed.

Nick Gazzard, whose daughter Hollie, 20, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2014, was also appointed an OBE for his work on domestic violence and stalking.

They are among around 1,200 people recognised this year in the New Year Honours list, including scores of activists, charity workers and community advocates.

Estimates put out by watch groups say there were at least 80 cases this year where women were killed by a man, often their former partner.

Ms Gould and Ms Devey said the honours could help them to "continue to shine a light" on their campaign and keep domestic violence in the "spotlight".

They have jointly called for an increase in the starting tariff for murders in the home from 15 years to 25 years. In March 2021, Ms Gould successfully fought to change a law on sentencing for teenage killers - dubbed Ellie's law - so they could be given longer sentences.

Ellie Gould was stabbed to death at her home in Calne, Wiltshire in 2019 by Thomas Griffiths after she ended their relationship.

Because he was 17 at the time, Griffiths received a more lenient sentence than an adult defendant. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 12 years and six months.

Poppy was murdered by Joe Atkinson in Leeds in 2018, after the end of their three-year relationship. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 15 years and 310 days.

A joint statement from Ms Devey and Ms Gould said: "Getting this far has been really hard and emotionally draining and, of course, will not bring our darling daughters back, but as we learn more and more about the injustices, and more and more families reach out to us, we are fired up to continue our work. A bereaved mother is not to be messed with."

Reacting to his honour, Mr Gazzard said he didn't want his daughter to be a statistic and that his aim "was to use her story to help others avoid what she went through".

"I'm sure she's looking down on us with that huge smile, and proud about what is being achieved in her name."

Several other people working to combat violence and discrimination against women and girls were also recognised.

Nicole Alison Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales since 2019, was made a dame.

Dame Nicole was a vital voice of advice to the government during the Covid-19 pandemic, representing helplines and charities on the many ways victim-survivors were affected.

She also helped to shape the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and has continued to innovate in Domestic Abuse policy and practice.

Hawa Daboh Sesay, who leads the Hawa Trust Foundation, was appointed an OBE for her work with victims of female genital mutilation and other forms of abuse.

The East London based charity aims to combat the procedure and reduce the risk of girls and young women having to undergo it in the UK and Sierra Leone.

Wendy Ansell is a specialist midwife in Wales for women seeking sanctuary and survivors of harmful practices. She was appointed an OBE.

She has looked after pregnant women who have come to her during their pregnancy, particularly vulnerable due to their circumstances and traumatic experiences.

She has previously said her role at the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is to help guide them through their pregnancy and support them once they've had their baby.

Gillian Yvonne Arukpe was appointed an MBE for services to charity and mental health.

After experiencing homelessness as a teenager, she dedicated herself to setting up women's refuges and supporting vulnerable people.

"It take a huge amount of people to make people's lives better so to be singled out and be awarded an MBE is a real privilege and I hope to be able to share it with the people who I work with," she said.

John Hardy, a campaigner raising awareness of accessibility for blind people, was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to veterans.

The former soldier has been awarded for his work volunteering for Blind Veterans UK and for his volunteer work at the Bridgwater Community Hub. During Covid, he walked more than 1,000 miles to help deliver prescriptions to people.

Mr Hardy, however, said he could only take credit for 50% of the honour.

He insisted his guide dog Sidney had earned the other half "because I couldn't do anything at all without him," he told the BBC.

Mikayla Beames, 18, received a BEM for her children's cancer charity Team Mikayla, which she founded in 2014. It has distributed thousands of gifts at Christmas and Easter.

Ms Beames, who was diagnosed with cancer at four years old, said it was "absolutely unreal" to be honoured.

"It's just heart-warming knowing that you're making that little bit of a difference to those who are going through such a tough time," she said.

"It will inspire me to even more things for children who are going through a terrible time."

Jason and Gail O'Shea said they did not expect MBE honours when two official-looking envelopes arrived at their house.

"I thought mine was a speeding fine," Mrs O'Shea told the BBC.

The Essex couple have been honoured for charitable services to terminally and seriously ill children through their charity Wipe Away Those Tears.

In 18 years they have helped raised more than £1.5 million to bring some joy to more than 1,000 ill children.

"We always say it's the families that need the most that ask for the least, so just to be able to do what we do - our job is the easy job," Mrs O'Shea said.

"To just put a smile on their faces for a short period of time and give them some respite is a very rewarding thing," Mr O'Shea said.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the list this year celebrated "more of these unsung heroes" and "I thank them for their incredible contribution".

"Each and every day, ordinary people go out and do extraordinary things for their communities," he said.

"They represent the very best of the UK and that core value of service."