New Year Honours for Richard and Nikki

Nikki and Richard have dedicated their New Year Honours to Tom whose brave battle with cancer inspired their charitable work.

The co-founders of the Foundation were named in the New Year Honours list for 2025 and have both been given the title of MBE.

Nikki works full-time in the charity and Richard is Chair of Trustees. They are both humbled to receive such an honour.

In February, the couple both received emails asking about the other and their work within the charity. Both were worried it was a scam and confided in their daughter Emma. However, when two very official letters from the Cabinet office arrived they realised it was all genuine. Nikki said she just kept reading the first few sentences over and over again.

The hardest part has been keeping it a secret and they were bursting for the embargo to lift so they could celebrate with family and friends.

Nikki said ‘I was totally overwhelmed, people use the word humbled, but this is huge, why did little me get honoured, it is just what I do, it is what Tom wanted us to do. There are so many people out there doing amazing things. We are totally thrilled but the charity is nothing without its donors and supporters so this is for them too.

Richard continued ‘ I am humbled and so proud that we have brought Tom’s vision to life. We wouldn’t be able to do this if it wasn’t for people who support the Foundation, in a way it is for them as well – they enable us to do the work that is needed. I am very proud to receive the honour and humbled to have been recognised for the work we have done.’