Kim Roberts Appointed MBE for Services to Childhood Obesity Prevention

Saturday, June 15, 2024 - 09:07

UPDATED 4th July 2025.

We are thrilled to announce that HENRY’s Chief Executive, Kim Roberts, has been awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for her outstanding contributions to childhood obesity prevention.

A Well-Deserved Honour

Kim's twelve years of dedicated leadership have transformed HENRY from a small charity in 2010 into a national force across over 80 local authorities in the UK. This MBE recognises both her personal dedication and HENRY’s innovative, community-based approach to preventing childhood obesity, an approach highlighted as the UK's sole UK case study by the World Obesity Forum in 2021.

Kim’s Response

On receiving her MBE, Kim shared:

“I am honoured to receive this award, but I share it with the inspirational, skilled and dedicated HENRY team... By building trusting relationships and working in partnership with parents, we help them develop the emotional resources, confidence, skills and knowledge to provide a healthy family lifestyle for their children.”

She also emphasised the lasting impact of early action:

“Our early years really do last a lifetime. By helping the whole family to lead a healthier lifestyle, HENRY has enabled a brighter future for many thousands of children.”

Demonstrable Impact

97% of families participating in HENRY programmes report improved emotional wellbeing, stronger family bonds, and healthier eating and activity habits.
In Leeds, where HENRY is integrated into the child healthy-weight strategy, childhood obesity at age 5 fell by 10% in deprived areas, demonstrating the charity’s role in narrowing the health inequality gap.

One parent summed it up perfectly:

“I honestly don’t know where we’d be without HENRY. We are all so much happier and healthier…”

HENRY supports families from pregnancy to age 12 through practical programmes, workshops, resources, online help, and practitioner training.