Pennies chief executive Alison Hutchinson was awarded a CBE for services to the economy and charities in the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours list on Saturday..

The woman who lives in Hindhead told The Herald this week: “I am proud and over-awed to be named alongside such respected individuals, all of whom have made significant contributions to their fields.

“For me, this honour is as much about Pennies and the hard work of the whole team in unlocking so much money for UK charities through technology, retail and customers’ generosity.”

Pennies is a leading financial technology charity, helping customers make their pennies count for good causes when they pay by card. Commending his chief executive, who has lived in Hindhead for 20 years, Pennies chairman Robert Leitão said: “We are incredibly proud of Alison receiving a CBE.

“She has enormous vision and a powerful business acumen, and is driven by her philanthropic core to apply financial technology to grow the charity sector.

“Under her leadership, in just five years from launch, Pennies has collected 30 million micro-donations raising over £6.5 million to support more than 100 charities, and continues to grow strongly, as more and more retailers and consumers join the movement.”

In addition to her full-time role as chief executive since its conception in 2010, she holds a number of non-executive positions including Aviva Life Holdings UK, she is also a trustee of the Charities Aid Foundation.

Alison was previously chief executive of financial services company Kensington Group and has also held senior positions in Barclaycard and international technology group IBM.

• Wendy Varcoe, the executive director of the Community Foundation for Surrey, which has benefited many good causes in Haslemere and villages, has been awarded a MBE for her dedication and hard work in supporting communities across the county.

She said after the honour’s list was released at the weekend: “It has been a privilege to have been involved with building a Community Foundation for Surrey and to have had the opportunity to work with such an inspiring and dedicated team.

“Building the Community Foundation has been a joint effort over 10 years with many people involved.

“I would particularly like to recognise and thank our founding chairman, Professor Patrick Dowling, current chairman, David Frank, and our amazing donors, trustees, staff and supporters.”

Over the past 10 years the Foundation has inspired families, businesses, trusts and individuals to come together and invest in their own communities both now and for generations to come.

Since it was established in 2005, the Surrey Community Foundation has awarded more than £6million in grants to voluntary groups, community projects and individuals across Surrey, and has built permanent community resources of £10 million, which generates on-going funding in perpetuity.

Thanks to its partnership with the Community Foundation, the Haslemere Challice Community Fund set up to benefit the town and its residents, is now worth more than £1million.

• Surrey’s Acting Chief Constable Nick Ephgrave received the Queen’s Police Medal in last Friday’s honours and looks set to be confirmed as chief constable next month.

He said he was “genuinely moved” to have been nominated by colleagues, “let alone lucky enough to then actually get awarded it”.

His route into policing was slightly unusual, having previously worked as a physicist in the NHS before joining the Metropolitan Police in 1990 and rising through the ranks, spending time policing inner city London, before becoming a detective.

He then worked on the South London Murder Squad and received a judge’s commendation for his role as senior investigating officer in charge of the successful re-investigation of the tragic murder of 10 year-old Damilola Taylor.

He was responsible for designing and implementing the National Counter Terrorism Co-ordination Centre at New Scotland Yard

Mr Ephgrave was also in command of one of London’s most challenging inner city boroughs in Lambeth, before moving to Surrey as deputy chief constable in 2013.

He has been acting chief constable since January.

Police and crime commissioner David Munro, has said he is his preferred candidate for the top job.

Mr Munro and his appointments panel considered two applications following the assessment day, which included preparing and delivering presentations and undergoing a test TV?interview on a difficult but realistic scenario.

The Surrey Police and Crime Panel will meet to confirm Mr Ephgrave’s appoinment at County Hall, in Kingston, on Tuesday, July 5.