A FORMER deputy headteacher at Giggleswick School, and an ex-chairman of Glusburn and Cross Hills Parish Council have been recognised by the Queen in the New Year's Honours List.

Brian Christian, whose home is in Clapham, was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to education and the community in Tokyo, while Gill Birks, who lives in Glusburn, received a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the South Craven community.

Mr Christian, who was born in the Isle of Man, is a graduate of Cambridge University, where he read English Literature.

He has spent 40 years teaching in independent schools, first in the UK and then in Asia. He was deputy headteacher at Giggleswick for seven years before becoming Principal of Liverpool College and then moving overseas to lead international schools in Shanghai and Singapore.

For the last seven years, he has been Principal of the British School in Tokyo and has served as a board member of the Council of British International Schools. Married to Lynda, he has three sons, two step-daughters and three grandchildren. He is due to retire in July at the end of the current academic year and is looking forward to returning to spend more time in Clapham, which has been home to him and Lynda since their days at Giggleswick.

"I am proud to accept this unexpected but very welcome honour as it offers recognition of the hard work of so many people who have helped to make the British School in Tokyo such a vibrant community hub in recent years. It has been a genuine team effort and I have simply been privileged to play a part in that team," he said.

A former colleague, former headmaster at Giggleswick School, Anthony Millard, said in a tweet: "One of the most professional and decent educationalists I have known (and one of the best read), Brian’s honour so well-deserved and received with his typical humility. Congratulations to Brian Christian MBE."

Gill Birks, who was born in London, has lived in Glusburn since 1972.

She was a councillor for about 20 years, including a spell as chairman on Glusburn and Cross Hills Parish Council.

She was also chairman of the trustees of the village hall, Glusburn Institute, at a time when the management was in danger of collapse, its finances in a poor state, and the building in a dilapidated state.

Leading her fellow trustees and directors, she turned the situation around, so there are now 30 user groups running weekly sessions and entertainment centred at the building.

She helped revive a luncheon club at Glusburn Institute, which continues today, and was chairman of South Craven Over 50s Forum for about 15 years.

She has been a member of the Parish Planning Team, initiated a grant funded project in 2015 to establish the needs of elderly and disabled people in the community, including the setting up of activities.

Since 2003, she has been chairman of Glusburn Community and Arts Centre.

Mrs Birks said: “There are many people in this area who deserve an award and I don’t think I’m alone in making a positive impact on the community.

“At Glusburn Community and Arts Centre we work very much as a team, and the progress we’ve made in getting the building to be used by more groups is the result of the hard work of a number of different people.”