The King's New Year's Honours List 2026: Colonel awarded MBE for years of voluntary service to East Sussex
A colonel has been awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours List for 2026 for his service to the community in Rye.
Colonel (Rtd) Anthony Thomas Brice Kimber started his volunteering in Rye started in 2003 when he was elected chairman of the RNLI Rye fundraisers.
In 2004 when he was elected chairman of the Rye Art Gallery Trust.
In 2009, with others, Col Kimber started the local resilience team known as REACT (Rye Emergency Action Community Team), which monitors risks such as flood risk, animal disease, and industrial crises,
As president of the Rye Branch Royal British Legion (RBL) since early 2006, Col Kimber has coordinated Rye Remembrance, conducted 12 battlefield tours in France and coordinated the refurbishment of the Town Memorial in 2025.
In 2018, for RBL 100, he coordinated the start of the cross Sussex RBL torch event from St Mary’s, Rye.
For several years from 2018, Col Kimber was an independent member of the Southern Region Flood and Coastal Committee.
When the Rye Heritage Centre was established in its present form in 2020, he was one of the founding trustees and set up the CIO status and secured grants from the Lottery Heritage Fund.
He was made Honorary Freeman of Rye in 2019.
During the Covid pandemic, he contributed with others to the formation of Rye Mutual Aid and in Spring 2021 lobbied for the Rye Vaccination Centre to come to Tilling Green.
In March 2022, with Rother District Council and Rother Voluntary Action, he helped create Rother district’s 'hub system' for Ukrainian refugees.
He continues to lead the Rye Hub for Homes for Ukraine, for around 12 families.
Since 2012 Col Kimber has chaired the Friends of St Mary’s, Rye which has refurbished the West Window, the famous clock, renewed part of the sound system and installed CCTV.
Col Kimber has delivered a range of talks on historical subjects to organisations, such as U3A, Rye Art Gallery, Friends of St Mary’s Rye, Dymchurch Historical Society and Hythe Civic Society.
In 2023 the then MP for Rye, Sally-Ann Hart invited Col Kimber and his wife Elizabeth to 10 Downing Street, to meet the Prime Minister, as a Rye 'Community Champion'.
Col Kimber thanked his wife, saying she has provided 'unswerving support' to him since 1974.
A statement on behalf of the Rye and District RBL branch said: “Congratulations, on behalf of the committee and members of Rye RBL Branch, to Col Kimber, President Rye RBL, for being awarded an MBE.
“This is a well-deserved recognition for all Anthony's hard work and commitment over the past 20 years to Rye veterans, including Rye Remembrance, battlefield tours, Rye Roll of Honour and talks on local military history.”