Joe Longthorne at The Barbican London Sat 17 September 201 following the ceremony to bestow him with an Honorary Degree from The Open University.

It’s a great pleasure to announce that Joe has been bestowed with an Honorary Degree for ‘Services to the Educationally Underprivileged’ from The Open University. The graduation ceremony took place on Saturday 17th September 2016 at the world famous Barbican Centre in the heart of the City of London, with fellow dignitaries attending including Colin and Livia Firth and John Cleese.

Joe, now ‘MUniv' or to give the full title ‘Master of The University’, had been nominated at the end of last year for this highly prestigious award by a fellow graduate of the university. This is a very rare honour as it comes direct from the University Senate, given to people who merit special recognition for outstanding achievement and distinction in their lives. Previous recipients include the late Nelson Mandela, Sir David Attenborough and Dame Judi Dench.

Joe is highly delighted and humbled to have been chosen and would like to express a sincere note of gratitude to everyone at The Open University. He sees this honour as not being just for him but also for all his family, friends and countless fans who have followed his career and supported his extensive charity work throughout his life. Joe is and always will be ‘a man of the people’ and is looking forward to using his degree in many ways to help his fellow citizens, as he has to great effect with his MBE awarded in 2012.

Many Congratulations to Joe now officially ‘Joseph Patrick Longthorne MBE, MUniv’.

Joe Longthorne MBE, MUniv