Lady Marguerite Hunter Blair and Stephen Neilson have been awarded an OBE and MBE respectively in the 2025 King’s New Year honours list.
Lady Marguerite Hunter Blair received an OBE for her services to play, learning and health, as chief executive of Play Scotland, chair of the Carrick Centre in Maybole and a deputy lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran.
Stephen Neilson received an MBE for his services to handball. Stephen, a former national coach, is chair of the British Handball Association.
South Scotland MSP Sharon Dowey has now congratulated the pair at Holyrood with separate motions.
They read: “That the Parliament congratulates Lady Marguerite Hunter Blair, of South Ayrshire, who has been appointed as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in The King’s New Year honours list 2025 for her services to play, learning and health; understands that Marguerite is the chief executive of Play Scotland, which promotes the importance of play and works strategically to create increased play opportunities for all children and young people across Scotland; recognises Marguerite’s role as chair of the Carrick Centre and as one of the Deputy Lieutenants of Ayrshire and Arran; commends Marguerite for the work that she does to help improve the lives of children and young people across Scotland, and wishes her well for the future.
“That the Parliament congratulates Stephen Neilson, from Troon, who has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in The King’s New Year honours list 2025 for services to handball; understands that Stephen, who is chair of the British Handball Association, was recognised as having ‘worked tirelessly for many years in support of the development of handball across Scotland and the UK’; recognises that Stephen was also chair of the Scottish Handball Association, coached the Scotland Men’s and Women’s teams in the 1990s and was the Team GB Men’s assistant coach from 1997 to 2001; commends Stephen for the work he has done to promote handball as a sport and wishes him well for the future.”