Julie Bell recognised in King's Birthday List for services to Public Libraries

Julie Bell, who has been an advocate for the creative and cultural sector in Lancashire for over 40 years, has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for her services to Public Libraries as part of this year's King's Birthday Honours List.

Julie Bell, who is Preston-based, stepped down from her long-standing role as Head of Cultural Services for Lancashire County Council earlier this year. 

We are proud to have been able to feature Julie in our International Women's Day campaign for #IWD2025. 

Julie worked for Lancashire County Council for her whole career, upholding their vision of providing Library and Museum services to support the people of Lancashire to lead happier, healthier and enriched lives through access to culture, heritage and creativity.

Read more about Julie and her thoughts on ways to #AccelerateAction in her interview here.

The Honours List recognises a wide-range of people, from well-known personalities to local community heroes, for their achievements and service to the country.

The full list of Honours List 2025 awardees from Lancashire recognised for their contributions are as follows:

Knights Bachelor

Stephen Watson QPM - Chief Constable, Greater Manchester Police. For services to Policing. (Lancaster)  

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

Mark Foy - Chief Executive and Chief Nuclear Inspector, Office for Nuclear Regulation. For services to the Safety and Security Regulation of the Nuclear Industry. (Ormskirk)

Hon Lady Arabella Lennox-Boyd - Landscape Designer. For services to Horticulture and to Charity. (Lancaster)  

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Professor Karen Elizabeth Broadhurst - Professor of Social Work, Lancaster University. For services to Child and Family Justice Research. (Lancaster)

Mary Elizabeth Murphy - Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Riverside College Widnes & Runcorn, Halton. For services to Further Education. (Leyland)  

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

The Reverend Peter Martin Abrams - Hospital Chaplain and Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy Manager, Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. For services to the community in Merseyside and West Lancashire. (Southport)

Arthur Roberts - Lately Chair, Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside and Trustee, Community Foundation for Lancashire. For services to the community in Lancashire and Merseyside. (Poulton-Le-Fylde)

Danielle Barnett - For services to People with Disabilities and their Carers in Lancashire. (Blackpool

Julie Bell - Head of Cultural Services, Lancashire County Council. For services to Public Libraries. (Preston)

Kathryn Helen Shane - Managing Director, Blackpool Tourism Ltd. For services to the Visitor Economy and to the community in Blackpool. (Blackpool)

Shahbaz Hussain Shah - Firefighter, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. For services to the community in Lancashire. (Nelson)  

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)

Dr Christopher Alan Goddard - Consultant in Anaesthetics and Intensive Care, Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. For services to the community in Merseyside. (Ormskirk)

Martin Johnson - Operating Department Practitioner, Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Southport General Hospital. For services to the community in North West England. (Southport)

Paul Smith - Senior Paramedic Team Leader, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust. For services to the community in Merseyside. (Southport)

Ram Prakash Gupta - For services to the community in Lancashire and Greater Manchester. (Blackburn)

Jayne Mushet - General Manager, Haven Holidays. For services to Hospitality, Travel and the Leisure Industries in the North West. (Blackpool)

Images of Julie Bell by Christina Davies, Fish2Photo