'I feel humbled' - 23-year-old cabinet maker near Banbury receives New Year MBE honour

Skilled cabinet maker James Boyes MBE was named in the New Year honours for his achievements representing Team UK at the WorldSkills Special Edition competition in Switzerland, where he claimed gold and was crowned the best cabinet maker in the world.

The 23-year-old was also awarded the prestigious title for his services to further education in relation to his work inspiring the next generation of cabinet makers at Moulton College, the same institution where he learned the trade.

James lives in Northampton but works at Monkeywood, a kitchen and furniture company based at Sugarswell Business Park near Shenington.

After winning a bronze medal at a 2017 national cabinet-making competition, James found himself frustrated that he was unable to translate his skills onto the international stage and considered changing career paths.

However, after joining Monkeywood, which provided him with better hours for practicing his skills, James said he found a rejuvenated enthusiasm and dedicated more time and energy to becoming the best in the industry.

James now leads training sessions at his former college as well as travelling to speak to young people, helping them train and inspiring them to compete at skills competitions.

Speaking about the honour, James said: “It was a big surprise; I wasn’t expecting it, and I was a little bit overwhelmed.

"I feel humbled, because I don’t feel like the small thing I have achieved is worthy of such a prestigious honour.”

James now hopes to spend time in 2024 training and inspiring the next members of the UK squad as much as he can ahead of this year’s upcoming WorldSkills Special Edition competition.

Employers Monkeywood have said they will continue to support James in his competitions and anticipate a bright future for the talented young cabinet maker.

Owner of Monkeywood, Tom Coleman, said: “We are absolutely over the moon for James and couldn’t be prouder of his hard work and achievements. We consider ourselves extremely lucky to have James as part of the Monkeywood team and can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.”