Head of Keele's Language Centre receives British Empire Medal in New Year's Honours

The Head of Keele University’s Language Centre has been recognised for his services to Higher Education in the 2026 New Year Honours.

Russell Clark was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in recognition of his commitment to supporting refugees and asylum seekers across Staffordshire and Cheshire.

The honour recognises Russell’s tireless work over many years to help some of the most vulnerable members of society develop vital English language skills, integrate into their communities, and build confidence and aspiration to progress into employment, further education and higher education.

For two decades, Keele University's Language Centre staff and students have delivered free weekly English language classes to refugees and asylum seekers, supporting hundreds of learners to integrate, gain work and access higher education. Under Russell’s leadership, this work has continued to grow and deepen in impact.

One of the key community partners is Asha North Staffordshire, a charity promoting social inclusion for asylum seekers and refugees. Russell has coordinated Keele students to deliver English lessons at the centre, with outstanding results. In recent years, one learner progressed to study for an MA at Keele University, while higher-level students received support with CV writing, application forms and interview skills – with all those eligible to work successfully gaining employment.

In the past year, Russell has overseen the expansion of these free English classes into Crewe, extending Keele’s reach to support refugees and asylum seekers on a weekly basis.

Russell’s impact also extends well beyond the classroom. In 2022, he played a central role in establishing the Keele Refugee Football World Cup, bringing refugees from across the region together on Keele’s campus for a football tournament that fostered community, hope and belonging. The inaugural event featured eight teams and returned in June 2023 with 16 teams from Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Cheshire.

Russell’s involvement went far beyond coordination – from sourcing football kits and trophies, to driving a minibus to collect players, and even stepping in to referee matches when officials were unavailable. Alongside the tournament, he organised a programme of sessions with university staff to showcase pathways into apprenticeships, foundation years and higher education. The event attracted media coverage and has already become a much-anticipated annual fixture for many participants.

In 2022, Russell was also approached by Staffordshire County Council to support Afghan evacuees housed in local accommodation. Language Centre staff travelled twice weekly to deliver English as a Second Language classes, purchasing whiteboards and audio equipment to teach in a hotel function room with no facilities. As a result of this support, two young Afghan learners progressed onto Access to Higher Education programmes. Russell then arranged a visit to Keele for 25 young Afghan evacuees, working with the Students’ Union to deliver a campus tour, sample lecture and opportunities to meet current students and learn about studying at university.

Russell said: “I’m both honoured and extremely surprised to receive the award, really just for doing a job I love and which I'm very passionate about. I feel that this recognition is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the incredible people I work with at Keele, especially my fantastic colleagues within the Language Centre. I'm particularly proud of the work Language Centre staff and students do helping refugees to integrate into the local community. 

"I’m privileged to work with such talented professionals who consistently go above and beyond to support our students and each other. I also believe this award highlights the invaluable collaboration the Language Centre has with other areas across the university all of which are committed to ensuring our students have the best experience possible. 

“I’d also like to express my deep gratitude to the senior management team at Keele for their ongoing support. Their encouragement allows us to continue to develop and improve the work we do both for our students as well as for the wider university community.”