The real Deborah Bone was a pioneering mental health nurse born in the band’s hometown of Sheffield.

The 51-year-old had been suffering from multiple myeloma, and died on December 30, shortly before the announcement of her MBE. As well as setting up the Step2 health service for the Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust in Stevenage, she developed the Brainbox, a visual resource that helped young people cope with stress and anxiety, and helped launch the Bright Stars programme, used in primary schools across Hertfordshire.

Bone won several awards for her work in the mental health field, and wrote a book on the subject, The Sticking Plasters for Children’s Souls – Stories to Improve Emotional and Mental Well-Being, which was illustrated by local children.

Bone’s mother was a close friend of Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker’s, hence her appearance in ‘Disco 2000’ – a single from the group’s 1997 album Different Class that opens with “Well we were born within one hour of each other / Our mothers said we could be sister and brother.” Cocker sung the song at her 50th birthday party last year. [via The Comet]