James Gibson Fleming has been named in the King’s 2025 Birthday Honours List, awarded an MBE for services to charity, community and business.
Though well known in the region for pioneering rural broadband, the award recognises far more than just his role in transforming digital access. For more than 40 years, James has been quietly but consistently building a legacy of service, shaping the county’s charitable landscape and supporting long-term regional development.
His voluntary work began in 1994, when he played a key role in establishing Cancer Care Dorset, a charity offering home-based support for families affected by cancer. As Chairman, he oversaw its merger with Joseph Weld Hospice to form Weldmar Hospicecare – Dorset’s only specialist palliative care provider, and regarded as one of the best hospice organisations in the country – and continues to serve as Vice President.
James’s impact extends beyond healthcare. He spent 36 years as a trustee of the Talbot Village Trust, guiding a major regeneration project around Bournemouth University’s Talbot Campus that has generated significant economic benefits for the local area. From 2006, he also served as Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset, acting as a tireless ambassador for the county and its communities.
Alongside these roles, James has led an impressive business career. After military service in Cyprus, Germany and Northern Ireland, he trained at the Royal Agricultural College before heading up Hanford Plc and later founding Wessex Internet in 2010. The idea came from lived frustration with rural connectivity in North Dorset. Starting with a few wireless links between farms, the firm now delivers full-fibre broadband across four counties, employs more than 300 people and has won numerous national awards for its rural innovation.
Despite the scale of his achievement, James is keen to share the credit.
‘I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition which really belongs to the volunteers at Weldmar and the Talbot Village Trust, the incredible teams at Wessex Internet and the communities who have supported us every step of the way,’ he said.
‘The approach has always been the same – take the long view, invest in your community, and build something sustainable that will serve people for decades to come.
‘Any success we have had – whether with the hospice work or building Wessex Internet – has been down to the dedication of local people who believe in serving their communities for the long term. I’ve simply been fortunate to work alongside such committed individuals who do the real work of connecting and caring for Dorset. This honour is theirs as much as it is mine.’
