A former high ranking British Army officer injured in Afghanistan and the President of Decca Records Group UK are among figures who will receive honorary awards from Bucks New University during a week of graduation celebrations next week.

Thousands of students will be donning gowns and mortar boards to make the memorable walk across the stage at the Wycombe Swan Theatre in High Wycombe from September 3 to 7 to receive their certificates in a series of ceremonies.

David Richmond commanded Forces in Afghanistan and underwent four years of reconstruction surgery and rehabilitation after being shot by the Taliban during a Battle Group operation near Musa Qaleh, in Helmand Province.

He has been recognised for his inspirational leadership and work with the charity Help for Heroes.

Rebecca Allen is President of Decca Records Group UK, the first woman to head up the label in its long and distinguished history.

She will be honoured for her outstanding contribution to the UK’s music industry and her international reputation.

Yvonne Coghill CBE is NHS England's Director of Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) Implementation, introduced to the NHS in April 2015 to ensure employees from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds have equal access to career opportunities and receive fair treatment in the workplace.

She is recognised for her outstanding contribution to race equality and diversity in the healthcare sector and her inspirational leadership.

Dr Crystal Oldman CBE, Chief Executive of the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI), is honoured for her leadership of the organisation and services to community nursing.

Dr Oldman is a Governing Body Nurse with Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group and has chaired the NHS Improvement working group on safe caseloads in the District Nursing service.

Professor Lu Wenming, of the Chinese Academy of Forestry in Beijing, is recognised for his international contribution to environmental sustainability for social and economic benefit in the UK and China.

The High Wycombe-based University will present degrees across a range of courses, including Fashion, Nursing, Music Production, Psychology and Business.

Professor Rebecca Bunting, Vice-Chancellor of Bucks New University, said: “Our week of graduations is a wonderful celebration for the town, the University, our students and their families and friends.

“It provides a great opportunity to recognise and reflect on the success of our talented and hard-working students and wish them well as they embark on their careers.

“Graduation comes at the end of a very successful year when the University earned a Silver Award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2018, which recognises excellence in learning and teaching in higher education.

“We are looking forward to another memorable week of celebrations.”