Civic Honours

Freedom of the Borough

The Honorary Freedom of the Borough is the highest honour a council can give and is awarded to ‘persons of distinction and persons who have, in the opinion of the Council, rendered eminent services to the Borough’. Recipients of this honour are:

2021 - Nirmal (Nims) Purja MBE

2013 - Dani King MBE

2013 - David Smith

2011 - Philip Spearey

2008 - Doreen Wellfare*

2006 - Christopher Tapp

2005 - Lord Chidgey*

1986 - Frank E Brown*

2003 - Margaret Kyrle OBE JP BA*

1995 - George E Raymond MBE*

1989 - Suzanne Bartlet*

1986 - Dennis A Tranah LLB

1977 - Peter A T Green*

1977 - Norman F N Norris*

1977 - Godfrey G Olson OBE*

1977 - Sir David E C Price DL*

In addition to conferring the honour to individuals, the Freedom of the Borough was also awarded to The Royal Hampshire Regiment in September 1991. This gives the Regiment the right ‘to march through the Borough with drums beating, bands playing and due ceremonial’.

In September 1992 The Royal Hampshire Regiment amalgamated with The Queen's Regiment to form The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (Queen’s and Royal Hampshires). The honour of Freedom has been transferred to the new Regiment.

Citizen of Honour

The title of Citizen of Honour was created by the Borough Council in 1987 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Borough Charter. This award is given every two years with the next one due in 2023. If you would like to nominate someone for this award, please email mayorsoffice@eastleigh.gov.uk with the reason why they should be nominated.

The 2021 additions to this roll of honour are:

Melanie Phillips: for encouraging recycling and raising money for Kicks Count

Melanie runs a local group from her home in Bishopstoke: Recycling in aid of Kicks count -Eastleigh, Winchester & Southampton. The scheme encourages residents to recycle waste that would otherwise end up in our black bins.

Melanie has set up drop off points across the borough and her team of volunteers take bags of rubbish to her house, where she spends a considerable amount of time sorting and bagging it all up. There is also a milk bottle collection box in Sainsburys.

Not only does this help the environment it raises much needed funds in aid of Kicks Count, the UKs leading baby movement awareness campaign, helping to reduce the UK stillbirth rates.

Pat Statham: for services to the community

Pat shows a high level of dedication, enthusiasm, energy and commitment in all her work both on a personal and professional level.  She is passionate about Equality and Diversity. She worked for many years in the Health and Community Team at Eastleigh Borough Council. While working, she made time to become a governor at her children’s school. She also has expertise in safeguarding ensuring that children and vulnerable people are looked after.

Now retired from the Council, she dedicates her time to the community by volunteering.  She is a Trustee of the Asian Welfare and Cultural Association and she is also a trustee of One Community, a charity providing voluntary sector support and service to people wishing to live independent lives. Pat also has also volunteered her time for Shop Equality in Eastleigh.

Stan Newell: for services to the community and the Netley and Hamble Branch of the Royal British Legion

Stan is 92 years old and lives in Netley Abbey. In his early years, he was a Cub/Scout leader for the 4th Netley Division for almost 20 years. When he retired he used to drive the Community Bus for the area and helped the elderly.

He was a member of the West End Carnival band for many, many years, playing at Fetes, other village carnivals and many retirement homes and clubs. When the Band disbanded he joined the West End Brass Band, playing every week.

Stan is also a member of the British Legion and has been the President of the Netley and Hamble Branch for about 20 years. Stan has arranged the poppy collections and taken great pride in his duties on Remembrance Day. He visited schools in his area every year explaining to the youngsters the meaning of Remembrance Sunday.

Other recipients of this award are as follows:

2019 - Audrey Steele

2019 - Sri Kandiah

2017 - Mr D Carter MBE

2017 - Mrs R Carter

2017 - Mr G Taylor

2017 - Jim Vaughan MBE

2015 - Mr A Hunt

2015 - Mrs M Hunt

2015 - Kath Rau

2013 - Andrew Chesshire

2013 - Sonia Davison

2013 - Malcolm Young

2011 - Pam Baker

2011 - Tony Balcombe*

2011 - Ed Dawes BEM

2011 - Pat Higgins

2011 - Devan Kandiah

2009 - Jack Ashton MBE*

2009 - Vera Blunt

2009 - Derik Brooks*

2009 - Caroline Husain

2007 - Norman Brown MBE*

2007 - Geoffrey Owen MBE*

2005 - Barry Alford*

2005 - Phil Oates

2005 - Nick Wise

2003 - Robert Carey*

2003 - Dolly Dawes*

2003 - Cole Mathieson

2003 - Don Watson*

2001 - Jean Hawkins*

2001 - Colin Hearn

2001 - Sylvia J Williams*

1998 - Raymond Vincelot*

1998 - Derrick Shearwood MBE*

1997 - Robert Crompton*

1997 - Lloyd Nias*

1997 - Frederick O'Garr JP*

1997 - Gordon Pigney*

1995 - Mrs G Evans*

1995 - Phil Gardiner*

1995 - R P Moody*

1993 - A J Betts*

1993 - Harry Frith*

1993 - Mrs D G Hindmarch*

1993 - R A L Lofting*

1991 - William Allen BEM*

1991 - Mrs M A Browning*

1991 - Pearl Mace

1991 - Freda Molyneux*

1989 - Walter Mills MBE*

1989 - Iris Price

1987 - Una Collings

1987 - Gordon Cox*

1987 - Len Harvell*

1986 - M Faisse*

1986 - Ernst Fischer*

* deceased