Walter Pattison, of Seamer, near Stokesley, was given an MBE for services to disabled people in the North-east of England.
He is the current chairman of the Northern Games for People with Disabilities.
The ex-company director said: “I’ve been chairman of the games, which happen in the Eston Leisure Centre every year.
“I’ve been involved for 23 years. I went the national competition in Coventry and realised there was nothing at all like it in the North-east of England.
“I approached my rotary club, The Rotary Club of Middlesbrough Erimus, and asked if there was anything we could do. It took a while to get established, but now its very successful. Every year we have something like 250 disabled people taking part in events.”
Walter, who is also a member of the Seamer and Stokesley Parish Council, is “humbled” to receive the honour.
He said: “The first thing I did was think I’d done something wrong! I was just a bit flabbergasted by it all. You think how there must be thousands of other people who are also doing good deeds.”
Story courtesy of the Gazette. Read the full story on Teessiders reciving honors on the gazette website http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/teessiders-honoured-queens-new-year-12386959