Marvin awarded OBE for services to local government
Marvin Rees has been named on His Majesty The King’s New Year Honours list. Mayor Marvin Rees OBE said: “I’m deeply honoured to have been awarded an OBE for services to local government by His Majesty King Charles III. This would not have been possible without the support of my family, my team, and many other fellow Bristolians over a number of years.
“Together, we have delivered a lot. Since 2016, to give just two examples, Bristol has built over 12,500 new homes to tackle the housing crisis and secured the world-first Bristol City Leap deal, which plans £630 million of clean energy investment by 2028.
“In my final four months as mayor of my home city, our focus remains on delivering for Bristol as we continue building a City of Hope, where nobody is left behind.”
Mrs Peaches Golding OBE, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the County and City of Bristol, added: “I am delighted that the National Honour awarded to Marvin Rees OBE, and to other worthy recipients in the region, recognises the immense contributions made to strengthen the fabric of society. Congratulations to everyone!”
Mayor Rees’ two terms as mayor have seen £95 million secured to unlock 10,000 new homes and 22,000 new jobs in Temple Quarter, one of Europe’s largest regeneration schemes. Some £14.5 million has also been secured for the regeneration of Filwood Broadway.
The mayor also led Bristol’s successful bid to bring Channel 4 to the city, and has prioritised work to make Bristol an accredited Living Wage City, as well as to protect the Council Tax Reduction Scheme and all of the city’s libraries and children’s centres.
He led Bristol through the pandemic, steered the city through the aftermath of the toppling of the Colston statue, and supported Bristolians through the cost of living crisis, with 105 Welcoming Spaces opened across the city’s communities last winter. The mayor secured Bristol City Leap, which plans £630 million of clean energy investment by 2028, cutting 150,000 tonnes of emissions. As a founding member of both 3Ci and the Mayors Migration Council, he continues to advocate for cities to be at the heart of global policy around climate change and migration – including on a Ted Talk viewed by more than 1.6 million people.
Mayor Rees is chair of Core Cities UK, a grouping of the 11 largest cities outside of London, and represents the UK on the Commonwealth Local Government Forum. A Yale World Fellow and graduate of the Harvard Bloomberg City Leadership Initiative, the mayor received an honorary Doctor of Letters by Swansea University.
He is also an honorary fellow of both RIBA and the RSA, and was listed fourth on the latest UK Powerlist, ranking the most influential Black people in Britain.
In 2023, the Mayor ran the London Marathon for Southmead Hospital Charity having previously supported Empire Fighting Chance’s fundraising, including through the October Club, and abseiled down Castlemead, Bristol’s then-tallest building, for St Peter’s Hospice.
He also serves as an Ambassador for Tearfund, the international development charity, and as President of the British Exploring Society.