- 13 June 2025
- |Uncategorized
So it seems I am now James Batchelor MBE and have been kindly honoured for Services to Technology For Older People as part of The King’s Birthday Honours List 2025.
Frankly, there’s a real novelty in getting some official recognition like this, and I’m more chuffed than I probably should be.
For those of you who are too young to know what this is, or are from country other than the UK – then, essentially it’s an ‘award’ issued to someone on behalf of the government, via the King, for generally slogging away at something positive and trying to leave the country in a better place than it was before.
There are several honours like this, and what you receive if ever chosen apparently depends on your ‘impact’, and to some extent whether you’re a civilian, civil service worker or been armed forces personnel. There’s a little more info in the official press release my colleagues have written which I have pasted in below.
It also transpires that several of my wonderful friends and professional contacts (who read this blog) were involved with my surprise nomination and writing letters of support more than a year ago – so thank you! I was totally shocked when I got notified a few weeks ago, but delighted too.
Aside from allowing my child to get married in St Paul’s Cathedral which is apparently one of the ‘perks’ and the option of 3 letters after my name – which could easily stand for Might Be Exhausted – it’s really just ‘business as usual’.
My focus this year is pushing harder than ever to get housing providers and other organisations that have vulnerable customers – to have more regular and vigilant contact with them.
I’m now 40+ interviews in with leaders across social housing – to get more great ideas for my written guide ‘Preventing Undiscovered Deaths and Increasing Customer Contact’ – the next version of which I will publish before the year end.
And, we’re having fun developing some ‘artificial intelligences’ that will save our Alertacall team from routine tasks – so they can focus on having more actual conversations with people.
As it happens I‘m going to be sharing my thoughts on AI, the potential great opportunities created by it, and the profound risks that will go with it too, across all the sectors I work with this year or so – because, quite simply – everyone who works with older or vulnerable customers, needs to get that just right.
Oh and, the mentoring and tree planting in the Lake District will continue too (we’ve just planted 5k more!)
Thank you to everyone who has supported my efforts over the years If you are interested, there is a more ‘formal statement’ below which the press team at Alertacall put together for 14th June 2025 – the day this was announced:
MBE for James Batchelor in King’s Birthday Honours List 2025
James Batchelor, inventor of the ‘I am okay’ button and technology that protects the lives of many older people, and founder of Alertacall, has been made an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 for ‘Services to Technology for Older People’.
Over twenty years ago, and inspired by the needs of his own grandmother, James started creating technology to increase contact with older people and campaigning to prevent them from ever being left isolated and alone for long periods.
Alertacall, the organisation James founded, now protects tens of thousands of people in social and retirement housing, regularly saves lives, and won The Queen’s Award For Enterprise in Innovation – one of the most prestigious awards available to a British company.
James was subsequently nominated for an honour by several people who recognised the many benefits to society brought about by his inventions. In his nomination, reference was also made to his considerable giving to disadvantaged groups, volunteering with charities and other community initiatives, mentorship of other socially minded founders and having arranged the ongoing planting of tens of thousands of trees in the Lake District.
To be considered for an honour, a nominee must typically have accomplished one or more outstanding achievements, been of service to the community, had a long-term significant impact and served as a positive example to others. James was made an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by King Charles having demonstrably met all these criteria.
James said “It’s genuinely exciting to be recognised like this, and when I received the letter informing me about it, I was both shocked and delighted. I’d like to say a big thank you to all the wonderful people who decided to nominate me, and also to my late grandmother Eveline, who inspired me to use my technology expertise to help older people.
With exciting advancements in technologies, like artificial intelligence – there’s a risk that organisations will forget the critical importance of real human contact and connection. This will now be my focus; educating people about how to use these new technologies to actually enhance that connection, and also fighting the battle to ensure that the kind of profound isolation that leads to tragic undiscovered deaths around the UK, becomes a thing of the past.”
All public honours nominations are assessed by an independent government committee for recommendation to the King, with only very few succeeding each year. Recipients of this particular honour are typically styled MBE after their name and are invited to an investiture ceremony with a member of the royal family at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle.
Notes and additional content for editors
James Batchelor, who has been made MBE in the Kings Birthday Honours List 2025 invented the ‘I am okay’ button because of his staunchly independent grandmother Eveline, who was 86, and refused to wear a ‘panic button’ around her neck or wrist.
James realised that an overwhelming number of older people with ‘panic buttons’ are not actually wearing them most of the time, and even those who are might not be able to activate them in an emergency because they might be incapable of doing so, or refuse to do so because of issues around personal pride.
After regularly telephoning Eveline for several months he then invented the ‘I am okay’ button for her, which she could press in her own time, or otherwise receive a call from him. This gave her the freedom to get on with her day, but always the option of contact if she needed it.
The invention has grown to support tens of thousands of people and evolved into a wide range of other technologies all focused on improving regular contact with older and vulnerable people. James has made access to these inventions free of charge to many people who would otherwise not be able to benefit from them. Others in the ‘telecare’ industry have also copied rudimentary aspects of the ‘I am okay’ button, and consequently, James has impacted both an entire sector and potentially the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
Alertacall, the company James founded to distribute these inventions has offices in the Lake District, as well as Cheshire. It has over 100 team members and has won a number of awards, most notably The Queen’s Award For Enterprise in Innovation, firmly establishing that Alertacall is one of the most innovative companies in the UK.
Alertacall works with around 60 housing associations and retirement living providers offering vital daily contact services to older and vulnerable people.
Under the leadership of James, Alertacall has also supported several charities, including The Silver Line helpline for older people founded by Dame Esther Rantzen (of which James has also served as a Trustee) and has also planted over 25,000 trees in the Lake District. It plans to plant tens of thousands more over the coming years.
In his spare time James mentors many other founders, several of which have gone on to considerable success. He volunteers as an ‘Entrepreneur In Residence’ for Lancaster University – supporting entrepreneurship programmes in the management school, and along with several other initiatives also supports a mentorship programme for young adults called Positive Enterprise facilitated in part by the Cumbria Community Foundation.
James is also a supporter of several other charities including Mind Over Mountains and The Michelle Jurd Trust, both of which he has given time and money to.
James lives in the Lake District, spends his spare time walking the Wainwrights – the 214 mountains popularised by the writer Alfred Wainwright. He enjoys public speaking on matters surrounding technology for the ageing population, founding ventures and social matters.
James founded his first business as a teenager – born out of a passion for computing – and has essentially ‘worked for himself’ via ventures he has founded or cofounded ever since.
Further information on James Batchelor is available at www.jamesbatchelor.co.uk