Lincoln Cathedral stalwart and sporting leader receive New Year honours

A man who has served the Church of England in Lincoln for almost 40 years and a woman involved in the county’s sporting community since the 1970s have been named in the Queen’s New Year honours list.

John Campbell and Janet Inman have both received British Empire Medals (BEMs), awarded for a ‘hands-on’ service to the local community, such as a long-term charitable or voluntary activity.

In total, six men and women from across Lincolnshire were named in the New Year honours list.

Read more about John and Janet’s contribution to the community below.

John George Campbell, 62, Lincoln

For services to the church in Lincoln

John Campbell

For nearly 40 years John has served the Church of England in Lincoln.

Since 1990 he has been the Dean’s Verger at Lincoln Cathedral and for a number of years a member of the Lincoln Cathedral Council.

He has also served three spells as Mayor of Lincoln’s chaplain in 2007 to 2008, 2010-11 and 2014-15.

With the growth of the cathedral’s mission he is recognised as the leader of the team who not only prepare the cathedral for worship and see the liturgy is properly conducted.

He has changed the atmosphere of the cathedral and made it a more open, accessible and friendly place.

In recent years the cathedral has been used for so many major events including the production of major films.

The celebrations for the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta have meant a great many events in the cathedral requiring special responsibilities for the verger’s team.

He lectures on the cathedral widely at home and abroad, in particular in the United States and encourages visitors to the benefit of the cathedral and the country alike.

As well as serving the cathedral community he has acted as Lay Chaplain to two of the Mayors of Lincoln in recent years.

John told The Lincolnite: “It was unexpected and completely humbling.

“My family will get the surprise along with everyone else.

“It is a community thing and it is really nice to have a little payback.”

Janet Inman, 60, Lincoln

For services to volleyball and the sporting community in Lincolnshire

Janet Inman

Since 1979, Janet has been a committee member for Lincolnshire Volleyball Association and for a 25 year period, 1987-2012, she was the chairperson.

She has also been a committee member for the East Midlands Volleyball Association for many years and again was chairperson from the mid 1990s until 2014.

Janet has vast experience as a teacher, youth leader, coach, trustee and volunteer which she always willingly shared with numerous different organisations.

At a national level she has been heavily involved with the English Volleyball Association and has received two awards from England Volleyball at their national awards.

Since 2011, she has been the director and then chairperson of the Young and Safe in Gainsborough Charity and she is also currently the chief executive of Lincolnshire Sport, the County Sports Partnership for Lincolnshire.

Janet told The Lincolnite: “I’m both surprised and honoured to be recognised.

“The award is really shared across the teams I have worked with over the years.

“Volunteering is never something you do alone, it’s being part of a team that has always appealed to me and I would like to thank all those who have shared this journey with me.”

See the full list of people in Lincolnshire who received New Year honours on Lincolnshire Reporter.

The six Lincolnshire men and women who received New Year honours from the Queen