New Year's honour for Mansfield volunteer and entrepreneur

Alex Peace-Gadsby, aged 42, was born at Sutton’s King’s Mill Hospital and attended The Brunts Academy in Mansfield before going on to found and support a number of charitable organisations in the area.

And now she has been honoured for her “services to entrepreneurship and the community”.

Alex is a trustee for the Mansfield-based Inspire and Achieve Foundation, which works to support young and disadvantaged people not in education, employment or training.

Alongside this, she is chairman of the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, a baby loss network.

She has also volunteered for UK Scouts for 14 years, being appointed as its chief commissioner three years ago.

She says working with and supporting young people as an important passion.

Alex said: “I get involved with various projects that give opportunities to young people, and support young people who have had a tough start.

“Often people who have this tough start are written off,but I think there is always a story behind them that needs to be explored.

“It is important that they have the right guidance and backing to achieve their potential – everybody has it in us to achieve whatever we want.

“With Scouts, it is fantastic working alongside children and seeing them develop.

“I started by attending my nephew’s group as a volunteer in the Carsic estate in Sutton and through that I got involved locally and then with the county and the district – it is a fantastic organisation.

“My volunteering means as much to me as work does and I put as much energy into that as I do my paid work – I don’t see things as work and play, it is all just life and I do the things I enjoy.”

The mum-of-two also has a background in supporting and investing in business by “injecting that magic sprinkle” – becoming a trustee or director and using her business knowledge to expand them.

She said: “I don’t just invest as a shareholder, I invest in the business and work with the business and help to bring out the best in people.

“It is not just about the business, it is about creating and saving jobs and providing people with a livelihood.”

Alex said she was “honoured and humbled” to be made an OBE.

She said: “I was surprised and humbled to receive it.

“No one does this for recognition, but it is a really kind gesture and I feel so honoured to have received it.”