Dr Maddie Blackburn OBE

Maddie was awarded an OBE in the Kings New Year’s Honours list 2025 for her services to people with life-shortening conditions. She is retired but remains academically and professionally active and is currently an Honorary Research Scholar at Nottingham Trent University.

Maddie originally trained as a Nightingale Nurse and was previously a trustee for the former Nightingale Fellowship. She is a retired solicitor, senior health professional, clinician and academic with extensive background in policy development, research, management, law, performance auditing and inspection. Over the decades, she has developed considerable experience in children’s and young people’s policy and legislation across health, social care, criminal justice, legal, regulatory and the charity sector. Her particular academic research and policy interests include the sexuality of young people with life-limiting and/ or life-threatening conditions. Maddie was the founding Chair of the Open University Sexuality Alliance and has recently co-edited and authored a book for Routledge, Taylor & Francis: Sex, Intimacy and Living with Life- Shortening Conditions (2024).

Maddie loves reading, writing, history, music and long-distance walking. With her husband, Paul Dennison, they assisted Jon Baines Tours with a visit to Florence and Villa Colombaia in 2022. Maddie and Paul also run historical tours of Embassy Court in Brighton.