New Year Honours 2019: Women from Eastbourne area recognised

Two women from the Eastbourne area have been recognised in the Queen’s New Year Honours list.
Holocaust survivor Dorit Oliver Woolfe, photo by Peter CrippsHolocaust survivor Dorit Oliver Woolfe, photo by Peter Cripps
Holocaust survivor Dorit Oliver Woolfe, photo by Peter Cripps

Dorit Oliver-Wolff has received the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to Holocaust education and awareness.

The 84-year-old, from Chiswick Place, Eastbourne, has been speaking in schools and other organisations about her experiences for more than a decade.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In the last five years alone more than 8,000 adults and children have heard her testimony through the Holocaust Educational Trust’s outreach programme.

Born in Novi Sad, in the former Yugoslavia, she was unaware she was Jewish until she was five, when a woman spat at her in the street and called her a “stinking Jew”.

In 1941 Dorit and her mother fled to Hungary. She hid in a cellar for nine months without lighting or heating.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

When the Soviet army liberated Hungary, they discovered her father and the rest of her family had been killed.

Now Dorit shares her life story and has addressed international embassies and government departments.

Meanwhile, Kaiya Rose Swain, from Pevensey, has received the BEM for services to the WorldSkills competition.

The 25-year-old was awarded the gold medal for beauty therapy at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The competition brought together the world’s most talented young people across the full range of skills that are vital for global economies.

To achieve a medal at this world-class level is the pinnacle for young people involved in apprenticeships and vocational and technical learning. Winning a medal in these circumstances is only achieved by the most skilled and resilient young people.

Kaiya Rose has been described as one of the best young role models the country has at this crucial time for apprenticeships and technical careers.