Emily Norton

The UK’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam, bestselling author and campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez, and a Windrush military veteran Sidney McFarlane will be honoured during University of Lincoln graduations next week.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam will be awarded a Doctor of Science by the University of Lincoln, UK, in recognition of his contribution to public health.

Hailing from Boston in Lincolnshire, Professor Van-Tam was appointed to the role of Deputy Chief Medical Officer in 2017 and has played a vital role in the Government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

His work, straight-forward nature and colourful metaphors earned him The Lincolnite’s Person of the Year title in 2020, and an honorary degree from Lincoln’s Bishop Grosseteste University earlier this year.

Health secretary Matt Hancock tweeted a photo of himself being given the coronavirus vaccine by Boston’s Jonathan Van Tam. | Image: @MattHancock

Award-winning author and campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez will receive a Doctor of Laws alongside students from the University’s College of Social Science.

As founder of the Women’s Room project, Caroline has campaigned for the increase of female experts in the media and was instrumental in influencing the Bank of England to feature a female public figure on a banknote, with Jane Austen appearing on £10 notes from 2017.

Caroline Criado Perez won the NDR Kultur Sachbuchpreis 2020 for her book Invisible Women.

Also being honoured will be Royal Air Force veteran and well-known Lincolnshire resident Sidney McFarlane, who will receive the award Doctor of the University. Part of the Windrush generation, Sidney was one of thousands of Carribeans who answered the ‘Mother Country’s’ call for assistance after World War II and went on to have an illustrious 30-year career with the RAF.

Sidney McFarlane MBE

Further honorary degrees will be awarded to Jeff James, CEO and Keeper of the National Archives, responsible for the integrity of the UK’s public record system; Smita Jamdar, a leading legal expert in the field of education and Partner at law firm Shakespeare Martineau; and business executive Bryan Carr, Chair of world-leading engineering and manufacturing company Castlet.

Graduation ceremonies will be held over four days from September 6-9, 2021 at Lincoln Cathedral.

Vice Chancellor Professor Mary Stuart, said: “Graduation is the highlight of the academic year and it will be an honour to welcome our distinguished guests who have all made outstanding contributions to society and their respective fields.

“We are immensely proud of each and every one of our graduating students and we can’t wait to celebrate their achievements together with their family and friends in the magnificent Lincoln Cathedral.”

The booking system enforced at Lincolnshire tips during lockdown comes to an end on Wednesday, September 1.

People wishing to use the Lincolnshire County Council’s Household Waste and Recycling Centres had been instructed to book a slot through the system to avoid long queues and comply with COVID-19 safety advice during the pandemic.

Bookings are no longer necessary from today, as agreed by the county council’s environment and economy scrutiny committee, meaning it’ll be easier for people to dispose of recycling, garden waste and general waste.

Permits are still required for vans and larger trailers.

According to a report before the council in July, the booking system cost around £9,000 a month, around £126,000 across the 14 months it was in place.

It also noted a 12-15% no-show rate, which represented “an inefficient burden on the service when the greater demand of frustrated residents could be satisfied.”

There was no evidence that fly-tipping increased as a result of the system, council officers said – despite some complaints suggesting so.