Tue 30 Dec 2025 08:40

JLGB CEO Neil Martin Elevated to CBE in New Year Honours

The Jewish Lads’ & Girls’ Brigade (JLGB) is proud to announce that its Chief Executive, Neil Martin, has been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year Honours 2026.

This distinction elevates him from the OBE he received in 2016, recognising two decades of sustained national impact on young people, interfaith cohesion and Holocaust remembrance.

Fittingly, 2025 also marks the 20th anniversary of Neil’s appointment as Chief Executive of JLGB. Over two decades, he has transformed the UK’s oldest Jewish youth charity into an award-winning national exemplar of inclusive, culturally sensitive youth provision—enabling tens of thousands of disadvantaged and minority young people to thrive and contribute to British society without compromising their religious or cultural identity.

⭐ National Youth Leadership and Sector Innovation

Neil’s tenure has reshaped faith and culturally sensitive youth provision across the UK through major national initiatives, including expansion of kosher and Sabbath-compliant Duke of Edinburgh’s Award access, now a rite of passage for over 50% of Jewish teenagers each year.

⭐ COVID-19 Crisis Leadership

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Neil created JLGB Virtual, a groundbreaking daily digital youth platform that ran for nearly two years. Featuring over 150 prominent guests from entertainment, sport, politics and public life—and achieving more than 3 million views—it became a nationally recognised blueprint for youth engagement during crisis.

⭐ A National Custodian of Holocaust Remembrance

Since 2011, Neil has served as Chair of Yom HaShoah UK, the Jewish community’s annual Holocaust memorial day, revitalising national Holocaust remembrance and setting new standards for intergenerational commemoration.

On 23 April 2025, he produced the UK’s National 80th Anniversary Commemoration of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen by the British Army—an event of historic civic significance held outside Parliament in Victoria Tower Gardens, the proposed site of the new National Holocaust Memorial. The ceremony brought together over 4,000 in-person attendees and more than 500,000 online viewers.

⭐ Interfaith Leadership and National Civic Service

Neil also chairs the Interfaith Youth Trust, supporting grassroots interfaith projects across the UK.

Through this work, Neil has become one of the UK’s most influential leaders in faith-based and culturally sensitive youth work, shaping national practice far beyond the Jewish community.

His wider civic contributions include:

Trustee of the Youth United Foundation, supporting uniformed youth groups nationwide
Former Trustee of the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS)
Military Bands Liaison Officer for AJEX at the annual National Jewish Remembrance Parade at the Cenotaph

Messages of congratulations from across civic, communal and youth leadership include:

Lord Michael Levy, President of JLGB, said:

“Neil Martin is one of the most visionary, creative and effective leaders in British civic life. His elevation to CBE is richly deserved and speaks to the enormous national contribution he continues to make for the future of young people and our entire community.”

The Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP said:

“Neil has spent two decades strengthening the fabric of British society through youth empowerment, Holocaust remembrance and interfaith understanding. His elevation to CBE is a testament to his tireless service and unwavering commitment to building a more cohesive, resilient and compassionate country. I warmly congratulate him.”

The Rt Hon Sir Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said:

“London is proud of leaders like Neil, whose work has brought communities together, supported young people across our city, and ensured that the lessons of history are never forgotten. His CBE is richly deserved, and I congratulate him on this national recognition.”

Ruth Marvel OBE, Chief Executive, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said:

“Neil has played an instrumental role in expanding access to the DofE Award for thousands of young people who might otherwise have faced barriers. His leadership has helped ensure that opportunity is truly inclusive. We at DofE are delighted to see his contribution recognised with a CBE.”

Henry Grunwald OBE KC praised Neil’s leadership as:

“A model of indefatigable leadership, vision and tenacity. Without Neil proudly returning Yom HaShoah as ‘our day to remember’, our 80th anniversary once-in-a-generation national act of remembrance would simply not have been possible. I am delighted for him and his family, and everyone at JLGB on this much deserved recognition.”

Marie van der Zyl OBE, former President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said:

“Neil Martin’s elevation to CBE is a moment of real pride for our community. For two decades, he has shown what principled, values-driven leadership looks like in practice, investing in young people, strengthening interfaith relationships, and ensuring that Holocaust remembrance remains meaningful for future generations. His impact has been felt not only within the Jewish community but far beyond, across British society, and this honour rightly recognises that contribution.”

⭐ Reflections from Neil Martin

Speaking about his elevation to CBE, Neil said:

“I am profoundly humbled by this honour. More than an individual achievement, it reflects the dedication of the young people, volunteers, survivors, colleagues and partners who make this vital work possible, and whom I am so privileged to work alongside. JLGB shaped who I am, and every day I remain inspired by the next generation. In a time when community and resilience matter more than ever, I remain deeply committed to ensuring the lessons of the past, combined with the energy and spirit of today’s young people, help shape a stronger and brighter future for us all.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

JLGB (Jewish Lads’ & Girls’ Brigade), founded in 1895 and marking its 130th anniversary this year, is the UK’s longest-standing Jewish youth charity.
Further information on JLGB Virtual: www.jlgb.org/virtual
Yom HaShoah UK is the national umbrella body for Holocaust remembrance for the Jewish community.
Further information on Yom HaShoah UK: www.yomhashoah.org.uk
Neil Martin was previously awarded an OBE in 2016, and under his recent leadership JLGB received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Volunteering Award and secured Royal Patronage from His Majesty King Charles III.

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