THREE women from the borough of Woking have received accolades in the New Year Honours.

They are among 23 people from across Surrey rewarded for extraordinary achievements and service to the community.

Cally Palmer, from West Byfleet, has been elevated from a CBE – Commander of the Order of the British Empire – to become a Dame. Her DBE is for services to cancer medicine.

Elaine Tisdall, who lives at Knaphill, has been made an OBE – Officer of the of the Order of the British Empire – for services to adult learning.

Marilyn Scott, director of The Lightbox museum and gallery in Woking, becomes an MBE – Member of the Order of the British Empire – for services to Arts, Culture and Heritage.

Cally, 60, is chief executive of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in Chelsea. She was made a CBE in 2006 for her work with the health service.

Cally has also been national cancer director for NHS England and NHS Improvement since October 2015, leading the implementation of the NHS Cancer Strategy and advising on national strategy for early diagnosis, personalised medicine and equity of care.

She is also a Trustee of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and a member of the board of The Institute of Cancer Research.

Cally, a former pupil of Woking Girls’ Grammar School, said: “I feel incredibly fortunate to work for the NHS and to be surrounded by brilliant teams making great strides in progress for people affected by cancer. My role is simply to enable them, and all our staff, to do what they do best.

“We’ve seen exceptional and very significant advances in our knowledge and understanding about better ways of researching, treating and curing cancer in the time I’ve been at The Royal Marsden,” added Cally, who has three children with her husband, Phil Yeates.

Elaine Tisdall, 65, retired as chief executive of the Woking-based Surrey Care Trust charity, in April 2019. Much of her career involved helping adults find work through improving their education.

After gaining an honours degree in economics and international relations in 1975, she worked in accountancy while volunteering to help run adult literacy classes. She went on to teach at adult learning evening classes and then daytime classes in Surrey.

She was Surrey County Council’s curriculum manager for adult learning before joining Surrey Care Trust as business manager in 1999 and became chief executive in 2001.

One of her main focuses in recent years has been on building up the trust’s STEPS to 16 programme, which provides lessons and training for children aged 14 to 16 who struggle with mainstream education.

“Before I joined the trust, I was helping people with business studies up to A-level, people who wanted to start their own business,” she said. “We also ran courses for those who didn’t get any qualifications at school, to help them get into work."

Marilyn Scott has been director of The Lightbox since 2001. She has worked in museums, galleries and heritage attractions throughout her career, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Science Museum and the National Trust as places of work.

She has wide experience as a consultant and specialises in fundraising, income generation and sustainability, strategic and business planning and managing volunteers.

She managed The Lightbox from a feasibility study to the opening of the building alongside Victoria in 2007, having led a fundraising campaign which raised £7.2million.

Te Lightbox's art and wellbeing programme provides arts and heritage services to those that would not otherwise be able to access them. This includes workshops for those living with dementia and their carers, people affected by mental health issues, those in care homes and hospices and clients of the nearby York Road Project homeless shelter.

Of the award, Marilyn said: “I am naturally delighted to receive this honour and have to thank all my amazing colleagues who have supported me throughout my career.”

For the full story get the 2 January edition of the News & Mail