Berkshire teacher and newsagent made MBEs

  • Published
Alison Borgese
Image caption,
Alison Borgese has taught at All Saints School for nine years

A deputy head teacher and a newspaper distributor from Berkshire are listed alongside the county's Olympic heroes in the Queen's New Year's Honours list.

Alison Borgese, 59, assistant head teacher at All Saints Junior School, Maidenhead, and Richard Brighton, who founded Reading-based Brighton's Newsagents, have both been made MBEs.

Ms Borgese has been honoured for her services to education.

The mother of three, from Slough, said she was "honoured" and "excited".

Ms Borgese, who has taught at All Saints for nine years, added: "Whatever I have done, it's no more than most teachers do every day."

'So touched'

She said the first people she planned to tell about the award were her children and her head teacher, Bridget McGregor.

She said: "It's such an honour - I'm so touched that anyone would think me worthy of an award.

Image caption,
Champion rowers Helen Glover and Heather Stanning have both been appointed MBE

"It's a pleasure to be in any classroom with children. Every child has a talent and it's wonderful finding that talent."

Mr Brighton, who founded one of the largest newspaper distribution companies in the UK, has been made an MBE for services to the news delivery trade.

Mr Brighton, 72, who is now semi-retired, set up Brighton's Newsagents in 1981.

It is now one of the largest purchasers of newspapers in the UK behind the major supermarket chains and retailers.

'No sleep'

Now the business, which is mostly run by Mr Brighton's sons, has four depots and delivers to businesses in Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire.

He said: "I couldn't believe it when I opened the letter. I didn't sleep that night.

"I'm amazed, surprised and humbled."

Other Berkshire recipients include former Wokingham mayor and councillor Annette Drake, who has received a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her public and voluntary service to the community, and Anthony Hopkins, from Sandhurst, associate director of day care services at Broadmoor Hospital, who has also been awarded a BEM, for services to nursing.

Their names appear alongside Olympic gold medallist rowers Katherine Grainger, who has been appointed CBE, Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, who have both been appointed MBE, and other stars of the 2012 Games.