The University of Cambridge Physical Education Department is delighted to report that its director, Mr Tony Lemons, has been awarded an MBE for Services to University Sport.

With a career spanning over 44 years, including positions at the Universities of Liverpool and Edinburgh and the National Sports Institute in Paris, Mr Lemons has been the Director of Physical Education at the University of Cambridge for 30 years. During this time, he has transformed the position of sport within the University and the community at large, by developing extensive partnerships and delivering new opportunities for sport, exercise and health related fitness across the region.

2013 will see the completion of Phase 1 of a £50m Sports Centre for the University, the result of 15 years of negotiation, planning, design and fundraising work, led by Mr Lemons. This is a huge moment in the history of sport at the University, and will provide world-class facilities. During the last 30 years, he has also delivered an £8m Grade 1 athletics track, synthetic hockey pitch and pavilion based at Wilberforce Road, and a £1.2m Indoor Cricket School based at Fenner’s. Whilst the aim has always been to provide the best quality sports facilities for the University and its sportspeople, he has also worked closely with the city to ensure that all of the facilities are available to the wider community.
 
In addition to his work on developing the sporting facilities in Cambridge, Mr Lemons is a founder and Head of the Cambridge MCC Universities Centre of Excellence, one of only six in the country. He also helped to establish the Eric Evans Fund to provide financial support to student athletes, coaches and officials, and he is Director and Company Secretary of CU Cricket and Athletic Club Ltd. Until 2005 he was a coach and team manager at Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club and still supports the Club as a Committee member, and he became a Council Member of the Lawn Tennis Association in 1997, before being elected to the Main Board of Directors in 2010 and re-elected in 2012. He has recently been working closely (as a non-executive) with the Edgbaston Lawn Tennis and Squash Club on their £12m redevelopment, on behalf of the Lawn Tennis Association who have invested £5m in the project.

As well as focusing heavily on sporting activities, Mr Lemons was elected a Fellow of Hughes Hall in 1985, was Domus Fellow from 1995-2003, Acting Vice President from 2008-09 and Chairman of the Financial Advisory Committee from 2009-10. He has been a member of the College Council since 1993 and continues to dedicate his time to the development of the College.

Mr Lemons has dedicated his working life to University Sport, and to ensuring that the sportspeople of Cambridge and beyond have access to top quality sports facilities across the region. As such, he is an exceptionally worthy recipient of this award.
Tony is one of five members of the University to have been recognised in the birthday honours list. See the University News Pages for a report on all honours recipients from the University.

"I am absolutely thrilled to receive this honour and particularly at this time when we are about to open our wonderful new facilities in West Cambridge. All projects are a team effort and I have had the privilege of working with many talented and dedicated people over the years especially here in Cambridge both in the University and the City. This award reflects their achievement as much as my own".