New Year's Honours: Historian who uncovered 'Gentleman Jack' diaries and Calderdale A and E life-saver honoured by The King

King Charles has chosen them to receive MBEs in his New Year Honours list – his first since becoming monarch.

Among them is Helena Whitbread, the historian from Elland who decoded Anne Lister’s diaries.

Her painstaking work revealed for the first time the contents of the Halifax heroine’s journals, which had before been hidden for more than 100 years.

Helena grew up in Halifax and was forced to leave school at 13 because of ill-health. She returned to education later and, after graduating from university at the age of 52, began looking for a research project.

An inquiry into Anne Lister’s letters led to her discovering the diaries and the “crypthand” code that filled a large amount of the journals.

After much meticulous decoding, she was able to uncover their contents and share Anne’s story – which inspired Sally Wainwright’s hugely popular TV show Gentleman Jack and has attracted visitors from around the globe to Calderdale.

She has been given her MBE for services to history and literature.

Also on the list is Emergency Medicine Consultant at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, Professor Andy Lockey.

The consultant in emergency medicine, who is also President of the Resuscitation Council UK, will receive an MBE for services to resuscitation training.

Alongside his work for the trust, Professor Lockey has led the Resuscitation Council UK’s ‘Restart a Heart’ initiative since its inception in 2016.

The campaign resulted in CPR training becoming mandatory for all children in the UK.

Professor Lockey said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be receiving this incredible honour.

"This is a reflection of the hard work of lots of different people and organisations who have come together in a campaign that truly puts people at the heart of the matter.

“The Restart a Heart campaign has meant that more than one million children have learned the life-saving skill of CPR. To be part of something that will make such a difference is the greatest honour of all.”

Brendan Brown, Chief Executive of Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is wonderful news and we couldn’t be prouder of Andy and everything he has achieved.

“He is an asset to the trust and the impact of his work through Restart a Heart to increase the number of people trained in CPR will be felt across the country.”

James Cant, Chief Executive at Resuscitation Council UK, said: “Andy has been at the forefront of resuscitation across the UK, and internationally, for many years now.

"His clinical work and countless hours devoted to the wider resuscitation community has saved numerous lives, and significantly advanced our approach to public engagement on what is the ultimate medical emergency.”

And Janet Forshaw, from Sowerby Bridge and Head of Education at Coram Life Education, has been awarded an MBE for services to education during the pandemic.

The former teacher helps lead the charity which provides relationships, health, wellbeing, and drugs education to children across the UK.