Dr Liz Davies

SHE was once ignored and dismissed as the powers that be refused to take her grave warnings about child abuse seriously.

But she refused to give up and now the whistleblower who lifted the lid on Islington’s care home shame has been recognised with an OBE in King Charles’ New Year Honours list.

Dr Liz Davies, who was as a senior social worker for Islington Council, went to the press when staff and politicians refused to act on her warnings about a paedophile ring and systemic abuse of children placed in council-run homes from the 1960s to the 1990s.

She now runs the Islington Survivors Network, which has helped more than 800 people and secured a public apology from the council in 2017.

At that time the Town Hall finally described the abuse scandal as “the darkest chapter in the council’s history”.

Islington had dismissed the claims in the early 1990s under the then leadership of Dame Margaret Hodge.

She later apologised for the council’s “shameful naïvety”.

A compensation scheme was set up for those affected, although there have been warnings about the qualifications required and a lament that it cannot help those who were abused in the care homes but have since died.

“It was the first time I had not felt vilified by council officials,” Dr Davies wrote after hearing Islington’s apology in the council chamber, adding at that time: “I just want to put it on the record that we are not going to stop. We are here for however long it takes. We want to see abusers convicted, and those who colluded removed from positions of influence.”

Dr Davies received the OBE for “services to child protection”.

Meanwhile, at the Whittington Hospital, there was an MBE celebration for specialist nurse Emma Prescott.

She supports people living with thalassaemia, a blood disorder which limits the body’s ability to make healthy red cells.

The hospital’s chief executive Selina Douglas said: “I am so pleased that her many years of dedicated service to her patients and the community of people living with thalassaemia has been recognised and rewarded with an MBE from the King.”

Kulwan Sehmi, who leads the imaging department at Moorfields Eye Hospital, was awarded an OBE.

There was yet another reason to celebrate for Arsenal vice-captain Leah Williamson, as she ended a year in which she won both the Champions League with the Gunners and the Euros with England with a CBE from the Palace.

The Arsenal team was also recently given the ceremonial ‘freedom of the borough’ award from Islington Council for being crowned champions of Europe.

Ms Williamson is one of the key leaders at the club she supported as a girl, and she is often reminded of the photo taken on the night she was a mascot and ran out with Arsenal’s then forward Theo Walcott.

Arsenal chief executive officer Richard Garlick said: “Leah’s achievements in 2025 have been inspirational to everyone connected to Arsenal and millions of people across the country.

“She played an integral role in our historic Champions League triumph in Lisbon in May, before becoming the first England captain in history to lead the country to back-to-back tournament wins in Switzerland in July.

“We’re immensely proud of the way Leah represents Arsenal and how she uses her platform to drive continued progress for women and girls everywhere.”