MBE for fundraising London teacher in New Year Honours 2025

Since being diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer, Mr Dye has raised more than £37,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support through challenges including walking from Land’s End to John o’ Groats and running the London Marathon while playing the trombone.

He urged more people to learn the signs of cancer and see their doctor early if experiencing symptoms, and said he waited too long to take action in his own case.

Mr Dye said he planned to continue “being useful” after being appointed MBE, and “trying to do as much living as I can”.

He recently released the album Matters of Life and Death, exploring his experience of living with terminal cancer.

He said: “The way I see it is: what if it’s a springboard to something else?

“Maybe this will get people listening to me a bit more. Being a dying man, it doesn’t necessarily get you a yes, but it gets you a listening.

“I’ve never played at Glastonbury, it would be good if it led to that.”