Two sporting leaders from North Hertfordshire are among those to receive awards in the King's Birthday Honours list.

Liz Nicholl, from Hitchin, is to become a Dame in recognition of her services to sport.

Liz, who has been World Netball president since 2019, told PA that she felt "overwhelmed" by the honour and added: "It has been a real privilege to serve in various roles in sport over the last 40-plus years, working alongside really talented colleagues, and I take huge delight in seeing the recent significant growth in opportunities for women and girls to enjoy participating in sport, both in the UK and internationally.

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"I feel incredibly privileged to have now been awarded the honour of becoming a Dame."

Liz led UK Sport between 2010 and 2019, a period during which Great Britain achieved unprecedented success in the Olympic and Paralympic games.

She previously played netball for Wales, before moving into sports administration where she has served as CEO of England Netball and Championship Director for the 1995 World Netball Championships.

Liz is no stranger to palace awards, having been awarded an MBE in 2000, an OBE in 2005, and a CBE in 2015.

The Comet: Jill Eaton has been awarded an MBE.Jill Eaton has been awarded an MBE. (Image: Jill Eaton)

Another local success story is Jill Eaton from St Ippolyts, who is receiving an MBE for services to further education and skills. Since 2011, she has been a director of Sporting Futures Training in Stevenage.

Their mission is "to deliver high-quality apprenticeships and bespoke CPD [continuing professional development] options for schools, academies and multi-academy trusts".

Following her award, Jill told the Comet: "I am immensely proud to receive the MBE and would like to recognise and thank all the individuals who have been with me on my journey, from Norton School in Letchworth, through to our team at the Stevenage School Sports Partnership, and now with my current work family at Sporting Futures Training.

"Giving opportunities to young people in particular to aspire and achieve has always been at the heart of everything and to receive this honour for further education and skills gives both me a great sense of achievement and pride.

"I just want to say thank you to all those people out there in schools and the community who shared a belief that a home-grown workforce through apprenticeships could succeed and bring immense benefits and value to all involved."