New Year’s Honours: Arsenal player from Queen’s Park, nonagenarian from Harlesden and headteacher from Wembley school
Norman Mitchell has been awarded an OBE (Pic credit: Myron Jobson) - Credit: Archant
A 92-year-old man from Brent is one of the oldest residents in the country to have been recognised in the New Year Honours List.
Rachel Yankey lives in Queen's Park - Credit: Archant
Norman Mitchell, who has lived in Harlesden for more than 50 years, has been made an MBE for his services to the elderly in London.
The divorced father-of-six, who has 15 grand children and five great grandchildren, founded the West Indian Senior Citizens’ Organisation (WISCO) in 1980 in a bid to help the “Windrush Generation” in the area who had become old, frail and isolated.
He said: “I’ve loved to help others from when I was young.
“It wasn’t hard forming WISCO because when you have that willingness to help people planted in you it becomes easy.”
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Two other residents with a Brent connection have been made OBEs.
Rachael Yankey (below left), who lives in Queen’s Park, was honoured for her services to football.
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The England and Arsenal footballer became an MBE in 2006 after a year in which she was voted as the Nationwide International Player of the Year.
Harjagbir Bal, the headteacher of Wembley High Technical College in East Lane, Wembley, was made an OBE for her services to education.
A full interview with Mr Mitchell will be in this week’s Times which is out on Thursday.
