New Years Honours 2024: Tony Hudgell, 9, youngest to receive medal

Tony Hudgell

Where did Halloween come from? The origins of Halloween can be traced back to an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”). Samhain was a celebration of the end of the harvest season and the start of winter, a time of year traditionally associated with death. The Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31st, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. Halloween later evolved with influences from Christianity and pagan traditions. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later became Halloween. Today, Halloween is celebrated in a variety of ways around the world, including trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, and dressing up in costumes.

Tony Hudgell - Figure 1
Photo BBC News

Tony Hudgell, a resident of West Malling, has been honored with the British Empire Medal.

reported this week that a new system called "Operation Encompass" has been implemented in schools across the county of Sussex in the UK. The system is designed to help protect children who are exposed to domestic abuse by alerting their schools of any incidents that occur at home. Previously, teachers were often not made aware that a child had witnessed domestic abuse until the child disclosed it themselves. This new system will provide schools with the information they need to understand the child's behaviour and provide appropriate support. The pilot of Operation Encompass has already been successful in the Brighton and Hove region, with over 50 schools signed up to the scheme. The hope is that this system will now be rolled out across the rest of the country to protect as many children as possible. Rewritten: This week, South East BBC News shared a story about "Operation Encompass." It is a new system that has been put in place throughout Sussex, UK schools to help safeguard children who are victims of domestic abuse. The system is designed to alert schools about any domestic incidents that take place, which will help teachers to provide support to the affected children. Previously, teachers didn't always know that a child was experiencing domestic abuse until the child spoke up about it. Thanks to this pilot, more than fifty schools in Brighton and Hove have already joined in, and it's hoped that the system will be extended across the country to protect more children.

A young person who started a charity at the age of nine has just been awarded a New Year Honour, which makes them the youngest person ever to receive such an award.

Tony Hudgell, who lost both his legs, has been honored with the British Empire Medal for his efforts in preventing child abuse. The West Malling resident has been recognized for his hard work and dedication in this field.

He no longer has legs because his biological parents inflicted injuries on him, resulting in their imprisonment for a decade in 2018.

Afterward, he co-established the Tony Hudgell Foundation and assisted in gathering over £1.7m for charitable organizations during the pandemic.

Paula Hudgell, who became an OBE in the previous year, along with her family, have triumphed in their efforts to push for stricter penalties against those who abuse children. Tony, her adopted son, was subject to horrific abuse that led to him losing his legs.

According to Ms Hudgell, Tony was thrilled and filled with pride upon learning that he would receive recognition.

She mentioned that it's great that he doesn't want any kid to undergo the same agony he went through.

I have immense admiration for him and it is a fantastic inheritance for him.

The picture source is from Getty Images.

Tony, who previously had the opportunity to encounter a member of the royal family, namely the Princess of Wales, unfortunately suffered the loss of both of his legs due to severe harm that was inflicted upon him by his biological parents.

It is thought that Tony has become the recipient of a great achievement at an incredibly young age, surpassing the previous holder of this record, Tobias Weller, who received a BEM accolade at the age of 11 just two years ago.

King Charles has bestowed upon the Archbishop of Canterbury the honor of being a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO).

On the 6th of May, during a ceremony held at Westminster Abbey, Justin Welby consecrated and placed a crown on the head of the monarch.

The RVO presents honors that are given by the King or Queen and are not influenced by Downing Street. These awards are given to individuals who have provided personal service to the monarch or the royal family.

The blog post corresponds to a picture that was taken from Getty Images.

Dickon Love received recognition for his exceptional contributions to the art of bell-ringing in both Kent and London.

At the same time, Dickon Love has received the MBE title due to his contributions to bell ringing in Kent and London. Another person who has been recognized for their hard work is Gareth Williams, a Det Supt in the British Transport Police from Gravesend, who has been given the MBE title for their work in policing.

Tom Bosworth, a former Olympic race walker hailing from Sevenoaks, was among the athletes who were acknowledged for their achievements. He was granted the distinguished title of MBE.

The list also features Elizabeth Hall, who founded the Hygiene Bank in Sevenoaks and has been commended for her work to address hygiene poverty. Additionally, Joan Cocking, chair of governors at Kent College Canterbury, has been acknowledged for her services to education.

Michael Kettle, who works with explosives, has received an award for his outstanding work in bomb disposal in the county of Kent.

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