Champion of LGBT+ inclusion ‘gobsmacked’ to receive MBE

Gobsmacked: Elly Barnes (middle, crouched), with proud members and supporters of Educate and Celebrate

A former Stoke Newington school teacher has been awarded an MBE for her work in championing the rights of the LGBT+ community.

Elly Barnes, the founder and CEO of local charity Educate and Celebrate, was included in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list last week in recognition of her commitment to making schools and organisations inclusive places with social justice at their core.

Whilst working as a head of year at Stoke Newington School in 2005, Barnes successfully introduced LGBT celebrations into the school calendar and pioneered a mini Pride march for students.

It gave her the impetus to launch the charity Educate and Celebrate, which provides a ‘best practice programme’ for schools that “gives staff, students, parents and governors the confidence and strategies to implement an LGBT+ inclusive curriculum to successfully eradicate homophobia, biphobia and transphobia”.

Barnes’ topped the Independent on Sunday’s Rainbow List in 2011, achieved Ofsted Best Practice in 2012 and a Highly Commended Award from TES Teacher of Year.

Writing on the charity website, Barnes described herself as “absolutely gobsmacked” to have received the award.

“I can’t believe that my stubbornness, attention to language, and unwavering belief in equality and social justice has been recognised,” she said.

“My friends, family and the Educate and Celebrate team have played a huge part in this process and we are all completely over the moon. The years of research and obsessive planning to change opinion will not stop – this gives me further momentum to continue the vital journey to LGBT+ inclusion.’’