A champion of social justice who serves on De Montfort University Leicester’s (DMU) Board of Governors is among those with university connections to be named in the New Year’s Honours.
Lisa Capper, an independent governor at DMU since August 2020, was awarded an MBE for Services to Young People, having worked in a number of roles related to education and skills development over the years.
She is a member of the Audit Committee and is the lead governor with responsibility for ongoing strategic oversight of DMU’s Ofsted-level programmes.
The governor is currently responsible for leading the educations and skills provision for national social justice charity Nacro and was a former trustee and Chair of the National Deaf Children’s Society for nine years.
Lisa is joined in the New Year’s Honours list by DMU alumna Glynis Wright, who has been awarded an MBE for Services to Female Entrepreneurship, and DMU honorand Matt Hampson, of the Matt Hampson Trust, who has become an OBE for Voluntary and Charitable Services.
Glynis has mentored DMU students for many years and is Chair of the Advisory Board in DMU’s Faculty of Business and Law.
Matt has also offered mentoring to students within his foundation and supported DMU’s inclusivity work and the work of Disability Advice and Support at the university.
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Glynis graduated from DMU’s Legal Practice Course (LPC) as a mature student in 2001. After graduating, she quickly worked her way from trainee solicitor to partner within a law firm within three years, before deciding to establish her own firm in 2011.
Glynis Wright & Co went on to win numerous prestigious awards in the legal sector, including Small Law Firm of the Year 2018 at the National Law Society Excellence Awards. Glynis is also former president of the Leicestershire Law Society in addition to her professional career, working to give back to the legal community.
Glynis Wright & Co was acquired by law firm Nelsons in December 2020 where Glynis is now a partner and head of Nelsons’ family law team in Leicester.
Former England rugby player Matt received an honorary degree from DMU in 2017 for his fundraising work through the Matt Hampson Foundation.
The inspirational former Leicester Tigers and England Under-21 prop was paralysed from the neck down when a scrum collapsed during international training in March 2005.
Matt has described how, on his first night back home after 17 months in Stoke Mandeville Hospital, he decided he could make a difference to other people’s lives.
A few years later he set up the Matt Hampson Foundation and has devoted his time to providing support and assistance to others who have suffered catastrophic injuries through sport.
Matt’s £1million Get Busy Living Centre was officially opened in 2018. The disused former aircraft hangar in Burrough on the Hill near Melton was converted into a state-of-the-art two-storey complex which offers physical rehabilitation as well as social and mental support.
Speaking on his website about his OBE, Matt said: “This was a complete shock and I’m blown away to be recognised in this way. After my injury I just decided to get busy living and focus on the positives in life.
“I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved with the Foundation over the past ten years and the amount of people we have helped to rebuild their lives following serious injury.”
Posted on Monday 4 January 2021