CHARITY founder Saeed Atcha is celebrating the New Year with a top honour.

The former Ladybridge High School pupil has become the youngest to be awarded with an MBE at the age of just 22-years-old for services to young people and the community in Greater Manchester.

He joins people from business, medicine, public sector and the voluntary services in Bolton to be recognised for their exceptional achievements.

Saeed, who spent much of his teen years in and out of care and at risk of being expelled from school, is the Chief Executive of Xplode Magazine which helps young people in Greater Manchester through volunteering, jobs and skills training.

He founded the charity at the age of 15 to promote a positive image of young people after the fallout from the 2011 riots.

Mr Atcha said: "I felt quite emotional when I found out. For me, receiving this is unimaginable. I don’t take time to reflect, I always want to conquer the next challenge but this serves as a tap on the shoulder to say, ‘well done, now push further and faster for what you believe in’ and what I’d say is don’t underestimate the importance of that tap on the shoulder to young people."

He added: "I never expected this at all, especially at my age. I certainly will be nominating young people for an award in the future and I would encourage others to do the same. The achievements of young people should be recognised like this, the work so many young people do should be recognised, I would encourage the community to recognise them."

The young chief executive combines the role with his studies at Manchester Metropolitan University and his trusteeships at Young Manchester and the national youth social action charity Step Up to Serve behind the #iWill campaign.

Saeed added: “I can’t take all of the credit for this honour. My incredible team and supportive family really deserve this award for supporting me through many steep learning curves that a young CEO faces. It mustn’t have been easy for them!”

Saeed was recently appointed Social Mobility Commissioner drawing on his past as motivation to champion for the disadvantaged and "help create a fairer society".

He has plans to train over 10,000 people in Manchester in employability skills. He has hosted training sessions around the country, producing a job tools kit, including tips on writing CVs and cover letters, and on interview technique.

Director of Nursing at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust also found herself on the list.

Trish Armstrong-Child has been awarded an MBE for her services to nursing.

Ms Armstrong-Child, who is also the Trust’s Deputy Chief Executive, said: "I’m delighted to receive an MBE. It is something I never imagined but feel humbled to have been nominated for. When I came into nursing I didn’t have a clear career pathway but I have been very lucky to be provided with many opportunities to work in a variety of roles and I have worked with some truly fantastic and talented people."

Ms Armstrong-Child, who has worked for the NHS for nearly 30 years, first qualified as a Registered General Nurse in 1992. She went into the nursing profession after being inspired by her mother, who worked as a Health Care Assistant in a nursing home.

Her career has seen her work in a number of hospitals in the North West as a Staff Nurse, a Sister, a Matron, going on to obtain senior positions in nursing and operational management, including holding the position of Deputy Director of Operations at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust, before joining the Board of Directors at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust in 2013.

Earlier in 2018, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Bolton for her ‘Outstanding Contribution to Health Care’.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has strong links with the University, with Ms Armstrong-Child working collaboratively with the organisation to establish a pre-registration nursing degree.

She added: "Sometimes nursing is referred to as a profession nobody wants to be in anymore, I cannot think of anything better."

The Board of Directors at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust now has two Executive members recognised by the British honours system. Chief Executive of the Trust Dr Jackie Bene has received an OBE for her services to healthcare.

Dr Bene said: "I am delighted for Trish that she has been awarded an MBE for services to nursing. It is truly well deserved and I’m sure I speak for many in saying that we are incredibly proud of her and very grateful for enormous contribution she has made to Bolton."

Dr Andrew Michael Dickson has been recognized for using his head for business to help those in his home town.

Mr Dickson has been awarded an MBE for services to business and to the community.

After running a successful award-winning travel agency thanks to the support of local people, he wanted to give something back.

He was a founder and now volunteer chairman of Bolton FM the local community radio station.

Mr Dickson is a keen supporter of Bolton Lads and Girls Club.

He said: “I’m thrilled with this award, Bolton FM received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The MBE is an individual award but you cannot achieve anything without a great team behind you.”

Mr Dickson, who received a doctorate from the University of Bolton and the Lifetime Achievement Award at Bolton Business Awards, added: “The people of Bolton supported me when I ran St Andrew’s Travel and when I sold it, I wanted to give something back, I didn’t want to stay at home all day. I was already a supporter of Bolton Lads and Girls’ Club and the council approached me to be involved in Bolton FM.

“It is a joy, you see young people come in not being able to look you in the eyes and then go on to work for the BBC.”

He said that young people with conditions, such as autism, had developed their confidence at Bolton FM, where he acts as a mentor, to go into paid work.

Trustee of Citizens' Advice, Salford Barbara Griffin, from Worsley, has been awarded an MBE for services to the voluntary sector and the community in Salford.

Mrs Griffin honour recognises her forty plus years of service to the trusted organisation. At Salford Royal, she set up one of the first full-time services based in a hospital setting.

As well as providing general advice, it now helps people in the community in drug or alcohol recovery, and those using mental health services, a model that has been adopted by other bureaux and local NHS services across the country. As a result, many thousands of people with significant health problems have received high-quality advice; and health professionals have seen how their treatment has been enhanced by patients having their practical problems resolved. Her specialist knowledge of disability benefits, and experience made her perfect to sit on panel for Social Security appeal tribunals, and as a local magistrate for 25 years on the Salford Bench. As well as serving Citizens Advice Salford in a voluntary role, most recently as Chair of Trustees for Salford Royal, she is also Chair of Booths Distributors, a large local charitable trust endowment that supports the work of over 20 Salford charities, giving funding and advice. Her other voluntary and charitable work includes founding the charity that was to become Salford's Child Contact Centre.

She said: "I was very surprised, I feel very undeserving of it, but I do feel honoured the Citizens' Advice put me forward for it. This honour is dedicated to all those volunteers in and around Salford.

"I started as a volunteer in 1977 as a volunteer.."

Mrs Griffin added that the work undertaken by the Citizens' Advice was absolutely necessary and well used by local people.

Others who have been honoured in the honours' list are Yusuf Mehmood Tai, the co-founder of Public Service Youth Foundation, and co-founder, Manchester with the Homeless, for services to Young People in Manchester, Dr Anthony Griffin for services to sport, to charity and to the community in Bolton, Bhagvati Parmar, migration planning coordinator at HM Revenue and Customs, for charitable services., Victoria Anne Dickens, consultant physiotherapist and clinical director of orthopaedics, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, For services to Physiotherapy.