British Empire Medal for Dr Ian Humphreys

The Larne resident, who has been at the body for 13 years, said he was “pleasantly surprised” to get the accolade.

Speaking to the Larne Tines, Dr Humphreys said: “You can’t achieve much on your own. There are tens of thousands of volunteers and a great team and this award is recognition for them and the great work that they do.

“The environment is in dire need of our help. There is a climate crisis, but people are becoming more aware of the issues. There is still a lot of work to do, but it has got easier as awareness has grown.

“There are activists, both locally and globally, including Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough, who have helped to draw attention to the environment and the issues it is facing.”

Detailing some of the highlights, Dr Humphreys added: “During my time at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, all schools have been registered with Eco Schools and I’m very proud of that.

“Live Here Love Here was also set up working with 10 of Northern Ireland’s 11 councils, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and DAERA and there is a very strong programme in place.”

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