Carol Ann Duffy, made a Dame(01 of07)
Open Image ModalThe poet and playwright was the first woman, the first Scot and the first LGBT poet laureate. She was a passionate reader and poet from the age of 11, inspired first by the work of Yeats, who she later wrote a poem about.
As poet laureate, she never shied from the awkward stories, tackling the expenses scandal by way of sonnet, and also used climate change, the Icelandic volcano flight delays and the war in Afghanistan for inspiration.
Professor Eileen Sills, made a Dame(02 of07)
Open Image ModalProfessor Sills was first honoured more than a decade ago for her tireless work in overhauling patient care across the NHS, first in Leytonstone and later as Chief Nurse at Guy's and St. Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust.
Sills is a great believer in encouraging greater nursing leadership and was one of the key implementers of the "modern matron" scheme to improve care after a number of care scandals, which sees senior nurses taking on responsibilities for departments and budgets.
Sue Bruce, made a Dame(03 of07)
Open Image ModalAfter 38 years working in local government and four as chief executive of Edinburgh City Council, Susan Bruce is made a Dame for services to local government in Scotland.
Before she worked in the Scottish capital, she had been chief executive of two other councils. Last year, she was awarded the 'Chief Executive of the year' in the Hr Network National awards. (credit:Shaiith via Getty Images)
Professor Sharon Peacock, made a CBE(04 of07)
Open Image ModalA clinical microbiologist, Professor Sharon Peacock, has worked extensively in the field of disease prevention.
She directed bacterial disease research in her seven years at the Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme in Thailand.
She returned to the UK in 2009 and is now based at Cambridge Univeristy's Department of Medicine, working with Public Health England. (credit:University of Cambridge)
Virginia Beardshaw, made a CBE(05 of07)
Open Image ModalVirginia Beardshaw is chief executive of I CAN, a charity that helps children communicate.
She served on the advisory group of John Bercow's independent review of services for children with speech, language and communication needs.
She also helped found The Communication Trust, a coalition of almost 50 charities working with children with communication needs in 2007.
In 2006, she was interviewed by the BBC about her experiences as a parent of a daughter with celebral palsy and autism and a son with a serious speech and language impairment.She said parents often struggled to get help from the NHS, saying: "Our parents go demented. They think they finally are going to get what they need and then they don't get it." (credit:I CAN)
Joyce Plotnikoff, made a Dame(06 of07)
Open Image ModalJoyce Plotnikoff's work for children and vulnerable witnesses sees her made a Dame.
She worked a probation officer and social worker in the UK before travelling to the US, where she also did social work and took the Bar exam, making her licensed to practice law there.
After returning to Britain in 1983, she worked as a children’s guardian for 10 years and has done extensive research on the criminal justice system's handling of young people. (credit:Lexicon Ltd)
Dame Mary Peters, made a Companion of Honour(07 of07)
Open Image ModalShe won the gold medal in the women's pentathlon at the 1972 Munich Olmypics. For that, she got death threats from her native Belfast.
After her victory, the BBC received direct threats against her life, saying: "her home will be going up in the near future." Peters could not return to her flat for three months, but she insisted on remaining in Northern Ireland, and rejected offers to move to England or the US.