UK Fundraising’s blog post on this year’s (2011) New Year Honours list highlighted the fact that three quarters of those to have received an honour this year are local heroes.  I don’t know about you, but I’m pleased to hear that.  I suspect though, that the majority of them were offered MBEs or CBEs rather than becoming Dame Such and Such or Sir Blah de Blah – both of which seem to be reserved for sportsmen and women or actors.

Personally, I think more honours should go to those who tirelessly and for no personal gain go out of there way to support their local communities or to raise the profile of a cause close to their hearts.  Year after year, we hear how someone is being awarded for services to sport, theatre or film – which is largely them being awarded for doing their job, isn’t it? 

I don’t want to sound churlish – and I’m not disputing that there are some fine actors and sportsmen and women out there – but presumably, they want to be top of their game anyway, so it’s not been an entirely selfless act to get there.  Not like running the local youth club in a run-down estate or providing support for local elderly people either as a volunteer or as an employee doing a job with very little pay and without much complaint or need for recognition.

So, personally, I say ‘well done local champions’.  Let’s see more of them being honoured in the future.