Anybody in the UK can make a recommendation for a British national to receive an honour.

The aim is to ensure that the large numbers of people not in the public eye who give valuable service are recognised.

They could be charity volunteers, members of the emergency services or Armed Forces, industrial pioneers or specialists in various professions.

While The Queen is 'fountain of honour' in the United Kingdom, honours are actually awarded on the advice of the Cabinet Office.

For this reason, honours nominations are handled not by Buckingham Palace but by the Honours and Appointments Secretariat, part of the Cabinet Office.

In order to nominate someone, you should obtain a copy of the nominations form and read the guidance notes.

These can be downloaded and printed off from the Honours website of the Cabinet Office, or obtained through writing, telephoning or emailing the Cabinet Office for paper copies.

You can contact the Cabinet Office Honours and Appointments Secretariat at:

Honours and Appointments Secretariat
Admiralty Arch South
London SW1A 2WH.
Tel: 0207 276 2777

Read more about the system and download a nomination form from www.honours.gov.uk.