Lambeth has hailed the recognition of one of its own,as a prominent local leader has been awarded an OBE in the King’s New Year Honours List. The accolade, announced this week, highlights years of dedicated service to the borough and its residents, and underscores Lambeth’s growing reputation for community-led innovation and public service. As praise pours in from colleagues, councillors and local organisations, the honor is being seen not only as a personal achievement, but as a milestone for the wider Lambeth community.
Profile of Councillor Claire Holland and her journey to the New Year Honours List
From a childhood shaped by community activism to becoming the first woman to lead Lambeth Council in a decade, Cllr Claire Holland has built a career rooted in public service and social justice. A former legal aid lawyer specialising in immigration and asylum, she brought her frontline experience of inequality into local government, first elected as a councillor for Oval ward. As council leader, she has championed fairer housing, climate action and neighbourhood-led regeneration, steering Lambeth through the Covid-19 recovery while amplifying the voices of residents often excluded from decision-making. Her work has consistently focused on those facing the sharpest end of poverty, displacement and the climate crisis.
The award of an OBE for services to Local Government in the New Year Honours List recognises years of patient, often unseen leadership across the borough and beyond. Under her leadership, Lambeth has become a national reference point for progressive local policy, especially around climate justice and inclusive growth.
- Ward represented: Oval
- Background: Legal aid and human rights law
- Key focus: Social, racial and climate justice
- Council role: Leader of Lambeth Council
| Milestone | Year | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Elected as Lambeth councillor | 2018 | Community rights |
| Becomes council leader | 2021 | Recovery & renewal |
| OBE awarded | 2024/25 NY Honours | Local government service |
How local climate action and social justice leadership shaped the OBE recognition
Colleagues point out that this national honour is rooted not in ceremony, but in years of grounded work on Lambeth’s estates and high streets. As cabinet lead, she pushed through a borough-wide Climate Action Plan that tied emissions cuts directly to household bills, air quality and access to green space, insisting that the transition to net zero must first benefit those hit hardest by pollution and fuel poverty. Under her stewardship, retrofit pilots on social housing blocks, community-owned solar schemes and school‑street closures were developed in partnership with residents’ groups and youth climate organisers, placing lived experience at the center of every policy draft.
- Climate action designed with tenants, traders and young people
- Social justice embedded in funding, procurement and hiring
- Accountability through open data and ward-level reporting
| Focus Area | Community Impact |
|---|---|
| Warm Homes | Lower heating bills for low‑income families |
| Clean Air Corridors | Safer walking and cycling to schools |
| Green Jobs | Training pathways for local young people |
This fusion of environmental ambition and social equity has drawn attention well beyond the borough. National officials reviewing candidates for honours were briefed on how Lambeth’s climate justice framework is reshaping mainstream policy, from integrating racial equity metrics into carbon budgeting to requiring major contractors to recruit locally and pay the London Living Wage. The OBE is widely viewed inside the Town Hall as recognition of a leadership style that treats climate as a public‑health, housing and jobs issue all at once, and that measures success not in headlines, but in cleaner air, warmer homes and fairer opportunities for residents who have long been overlooked.
What the OBE means for Lambeths communities and future borough wide priorities
The honour recognises not only individual leadership, but the collective effort of residents, community groups and local partners who have shaped Lambeth’s progress in recent years. It places national attention on issues that matter most to people who live and work here, from safer streets and thriving high streets, to secure homes and opportunities for young people. This recognition is expected to strengthen the borough’s voice in regional and national forums, helping to secure support and investment for long-term change. It also sends a clear signal that Lambeth’s diverse communities, with their rich cultural, social and economic contributions, are helping to set the agenda for inclusive urban growth across the country.
Looking ahead,the award is set to act as a catalyst for bolder,community-led priorities that reflect local ambition. These include:
- Stronger neighbourhoods: backing resident-led projects that build connection, resilience and pride in every ward.
- Inclusive economic growth: supporting local businesses,social enterprises and fair work opportunities for all ages.
- Climate and place: accelerating green initiatives that improve air quality, public spaces and enduring transport.
- Youth and opportunity: expanding programmes that give children and young people safe spaces, skills and clear pathways into work.
| Borough Priority | Community Benefit |
|---|---|
| Fairer futures | Better access to housing,education and support |
| Healthier lives | Improved local services and active travel options |
| Safer spaces | More visible community partnerships and prevention work |
| Greener Lambeth | Cleaner streets,more trees and resilient public realm |
Steps Lambeth can take to build on this honour and strengthen inclusive local leadership
Lambeth has an opportunity to turn national recognition into practical action by widening pathways into civic life and decision-making. This means investing in leadership growth for residents who are often underrepresented in public roles, and embedding accountability so that leadership reflects the borough’s diversity not only in symbolism, but in day-to-day governance. Key measures could include targeted mentoring, clear recruitment to advisory boards, and new forums where communities shape priorities from the outset rather than being consulted at the end of the process.
- Co-designed leadership programmes with community groups, youth organisations and faith networks
- Open data and dashboards tracking diversity in senior roles and decision-making bodies
- Micro-grants for resident-led projects that test new models of inclusive leadership
- Regular citizens’ assemblies on issues such as housing, safety and climate resilience
- Partnerships with local schools and colleges to nurture the next generation of civic leaders
| Priority Area | Action | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Depiction | Publish annual leadership diversity report | Builds trust and clarity |
| Skills | Offer free civic leadership workshops | Equips residents to lead locally |
| Access | Create accessible, childcare-pleasant meetings | Removes barriers to participation |
| Voice | Rotate community meeting venues by ward | Reaches overlooked neighbourhoods |
In Conclusion
As Lambeth marks this moment of national recognition, the honour serves as both a personal milestone for its leader and a broader endorsement of the borough’s direction. In a year defined by social and economic pressures, the OBE stands as a reminder that work done at local level can resonate far beyond borough boundaries.
As the New Year begins, attention will turn from ceremony back to delivery: how this accolade will be translated into renewed momentum on the priorities that matter most to residents – from housing and community safety to climate action, equality and opportunity.
For Lambeth,the challenge now is to build on this recognition,ensuring that the values and vision it celebrates are felt in every neighbourhood,on every estate,and in the daily lives of the people who call the borough home.
