Ian Jones, the Chairman of the Pride of Manchester group of websites - which includes ManchesterTheatres.com, LiverpoolTheatres.com, LondonTheatres.com, ManchesterRestaurants.com and ManchesterBars.com among many others - has been awarded an MBE in the King's New Year's Honours List, in recognition of his charitable work in the education sector.

After retiring as a corporate director of the Royal Bank of Scotland in 2003, the Manchester-born, Wythenshawe and Trafford Park-raised avid Manchester United fan has kept himself busy with a number of high-profile positions at the other end of the East Lancs Road, helping steer each of the institutions he served through challenging periods of massive government austerity cuts, the negative effects of Brexit and a COVID pandemic.

Alongside his role as Chairman of the Pride of Manchester group of websites (since its launch in 1999), he also served as Treasurer and Vice-Chair of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, from 2004 for the maximum permitted period of 12 years.

During his time at the World’s oldest tropical medicine research and teaching institution, the school grew significantly with research grants increasing from circa £15M to well over £100M, with about £65M invested in new research and teaching facilities.

Also in 2004, Ian accepted an invitation to join the Council of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, the higher education institution founded by Sir Paul McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty.

Ian was elected Chair in 2009 and served in that capacity for the maximum permitted period, until 2021, during which time he was a founder member of three new state schools created as part of the increasingly influential LIPA Learning Group.

A new Primary School, High School and a Sixth Form College have been very successfully established and are now part of a multi-academy trust.

During his time at LIPA, Ian witnessed many future stars graduate from the school, including musicians The Wombats, Sandi Thom, Hannah Peel, and Jonas Alaska, actors Liz White, Leanne Best, Gavin Spokes and Theo Nate, Oscar-nominated producer Lynette Howell-Taylor, dancers Alleviate, and Thomas Carsley, and award-winning theatre designers Amanda Stoodley and Grace Smart.

In 2011, Ian completed a trio of appointments in the Higher Education sector when he joined the Council of the University of Liverpool to serve a three-year term.

His range of community work has extended beyond education, as for seven years, until 2021, he also held the role as Senior Independent Director on the Board of Warrington & Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

During his time on the hospital's board, the Hospitals’ CQC rating moved from "In need of improvement" to "Good".

While still enjoying his retirement, if not Manchester United's recent performances, Ian continues to Chair the Pride of Manchester group of websites and retains an ongoing relationship with LIPA and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

He is enormously proud to have been so closely involved with all of these important institutions and describes the award of the MBE as a great honour and the icing on the cake after a very fulfilling and rewarding period of his life.

Congratulations Ian, we are incredibly proud of you and this recognition is thoroughly deserved.