Edge Hill University Chancellor Dawn Airey recognised in King's Birthday Honours

THE Chancellor of Edge Hill University Dawn Airey has been awarded a CBE in the King's Birthday Honours for services to theatre and charity.

Vice Chancellor John Cater congratulated Dawn and said the University was:- "immensely proud" to have her as Chancellor.

Dawn, from Preston, is Chair of the National Youth Theatre and the educational platform Digital Theatre+, a Fellow and Vice President of the Royal Television Society, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

She said:- "I was humbled and thrilled to receive this honour. But I regard it as a collective recognition for all the great work of the charities I work with."

As an internationally respected executive in the broadcast and media industries Dawn has been CEO of Channel 4, Channel 5 and Getty Images and worked at the highest levels within ITV, Sky and Yahoo.

She also chairs the Barclays FA Women's Super League and Championship Board.

Edge Hill University awarded Dawn an Honorary Doctorate of Arts in 2018 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the media industry and she officially became Chancellor in 2023.

Vice Chancellor Dr John Cater said:- "Dawn has long been a role model. Her interest in, and commitment to, the creative industries is evident in her many years of service not only in the media and the arts but also in her passion to nurture talent and give back to society. Because of the breadth of her interests, Dawn is an inspiration to our students across many disciplines; sport, media, business, creative arts and more; and this public honour confirms why, when we came to appoint a new Chancellor, Dawn was the undeniable 1st choice."

Edge Hill has a long history of championing women which aligns with Dawn's standing as a female leader who has the tenaCity to challenge inequality and break down gender stereotypes.

The University also congratulated Alison McKenzie-Folan, Chief Executive of Wigan Council, on her OBE for services to local government.

Alison was instrumental in the creation of a civic agreement between the University, Wigan Council, Wigan and Leigh College and Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, an important step in the levelling up agenda to boost education, skills and opportunities in the borough.

Discover more about studying at Edge Hill University.

Sunday Brunch star to join this year's guest chef line up at the 100th Southport Flower Show

WE are delighted to announce that Simon Rimmer will be joining us this year on:- Friday 16 August 2024. Simon Rimmer is the Chef and Co-Presenter of Sunday Brunch, the Sunday morning show waking up the nation with a mix of chat, current affairs, guests and food. Simon has a wealth of TV experience, and has appeared across many channels including:- BBC, ITV, C4, C5 and UKTV.

Following the success of Sunday Brunch, Simon co-hosted an initial four part Channel 4 documentary Tricks of the Restaurant Trade, giving insight into the tactics employed by many high end and high street restaurants to entice customers, which followed up with a popular Series Two.

Simon also presented BBC Two Sunday show; Something for the Weekend, on which Simon cooked and interviewed guests alongside his co host Tim Lovejoy. He has presented and cooked on a variety of shows and his numerous credits include: Win It, Cook It, Meals in Moments, Breaking into Tesco's, Recipe for Success and This Little Farmer went to Market and Eat The Week. Simon also hosted the podcast Grilling, which launched in November 2020. In association with Weber BBQ's, Simon chatted to world-famous chefs about their past experiences in the industry, and shared cooking tips along the way.

To add to his talents, Simon has written and published five successful books which continue to sell well, including the recent Sunday Brunch Cookbook. He also regularly contributes to food magazines including Delicious, Olive, and BBC Good Food Magazine and Vegetarian Living. Simon frequently works with brands on PR campaigns, and Corporate events. He is also a favourite at food festivals and demonstrations across the country.

He has in the past appeared at BBC Good Food Show and Grand Designs Live, as well as many local and regional events across the UK. Aside from his hectic filming schedule, Simon is a Chef/owner of fourteen restaurants in the northwest of England and one in Dubai. Simon's real passion for food began as a restaurateur and he continues to cook in the restaurants every week, which he enjoys immensely, but also keeps him in touch with the culinary trends of the moment. Away from television, Simon is a big football fan and he is involved with Manchester City Football Academy teaching young up and coming players about eating, nutrition and cooking at specially designed cookery courses.

Simon will be accompanied by his daughter Flo. The duo will be hosting two cookery demos 'On the go with Si and Flo' followed by a Q&A in the Garden Theatre.

Alan Adams, General Manager said:- "We can't wait to welcome them both to this year's show. Simon has showcased his cookery skills at the show before and Flo has been involved with the show for many years."

Southport Flower Show, sponsored by the Seventy Ninth Group, is the UK's largest independent flower show and attracts over 55,000 visitors across 4 days.

Visitors to this year's show can enjoy inspirational show gardens, spectacular floral displays, gardening advice, show jumping, pop-up shopping village, cookery demonstrations, live music, arena entertainment and so much more!

Gardening guests at this year's show are Carole Baxter and George Anderson of Beechgrove Garden, Adam Frost of BBC Gardeners' World, David Domoney of Love Your Garden and The Skinny Jean Gardener of Blue Peter.

Celebrity chefs at this year's show are Platinum Pudding winner Jemma Melvin, Matt Tebbutt of Saturday Kitchen, Nisha Katona MBE - restaurateur, cookbook author and TV chef and Phil Vickery of This Morning.

Special guests confirmed to date are CBeebeies Star Justin Fletcher with another announcement to come very soon!

So why not join us:- Thursday, 15 August to Sunday, 18 August 2024, to celebrate 100 years of Southport Flower Show.

Early bird tickets are available until:- Wednesday, 14 August 2024. Buy your tickets early and save. Tickets are flexible and can be used on any one of the show days. Children under 16 go free. Well behaved dogs are allowed on leads.

Keep your eyes peeled for more exciting announcements on our Southport Flower Show website and social media channels.