An Oscar winner, West Yorkshire’s Chief Constable and the King’s representative in West Yorkshire will all receive honorary degrees this summer.

The University of Huddersfield will give the honours during graduation fortnight in July to Oscar-winning costume designer Jenny Beavan OBE, West Yorkshire Chief Constable John Robins QPM and Ed Anderson CBE, Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire.

Jenny’s career stretches back to the early 1980s and her costume designs have won awards and acclaim across a diverse range of British and international films.

She worked on several period dramas including A Room With A View, Maurice and Howard’s End. Her other credits include Gosford Park and Sherlock Holmes.

Jenny won Oscars and also BAFTAs for her costume designs on A Room With a View, Mad Max: Fury Road and Cruella, and she recently worked on the forthcoming Mad Max prequel, Furiosa.

In 2023 she spoke at a symposium at the university about how budding costume specialists can break into the screen industry.

Jenny Beavan

John Robins has 34 years of policing experience and, uniquely for a Chief Constable, all of his service has been for one police force, West Yorkshire.

Beginning as a constable in 1990, John became the operational superintendent for Bradford 13 years later, commanding high-profile events, policing operations and helping communities to recover after periods of heightened tension.

After a spell leading the Criminal Justice Department, John returned to operational policing in 2008 as the district commander for Kirklees and became an Assistant Chief Constable in 2011, leading on workforce, development and standards and, after roles in local policing and professional standards, ethics and equality, he became Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police in July 2019.

John was awarded the Queens Police Medal for distinguished service in the same year and, in 2022, was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant of West Yorkshire.

John Robins

Ed Anderson (main picture) is an economics graduate and accountant and has been the Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire – the Monarch’s personal representative in the county – since 2018.

Following a career in local government he has had a range of senior roles including at Leeds-Bradford Airport, the Airport Operators Association, Mid-Yorkshire NHS Trust, Yorkshire Building Society and National Savings & Investments, which he will chair until June 2024.

Ed is a former chair of governors at Leeds Trinity University where he currently serves as Pro Chancellor. He was also a council member of the University of Leeds for 15 years and served as deputy chair.

Ed has also been a board member of Opera North, Leeds International Piano Competition and St Gemma’s Hospice. In 2022 he was awarded the CBE for services to the finance sector and public life in Yorkshire.

Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.