Presentation for Northumberland man

The Duchess of Northumberland presenting Christopher Matthews-Maxwell, from Belford, with his MBE at a ceremony in Alnwick Castle.
Picture by Jane Coltman — The Duchess of Northumberland presenting Christopher Matthews-Maxwell, from Belford, with his MBE at a ceremony in Alnwick Castle. Picture by Jane Coltman

For more than 30 years, Mr Matthews-Maxwell has given dedicated service to the voluntary sector, holding a number of wide and varied public appointments.

He is currently chairman of Leukaemia CARE, a national charity with which he has been involved for 20 years, and vice-chairman of DISC (Developing Initiatives Supporting Communities), which operates in the North East. He has been involved with this charity since 1998.

The Duchess of Northumberland said: “In all his roles, Mr Matthews-Maxwell has displayed extraordinary commitment and dedication. His length of service to the voluntary sector is an incredible achievement and he has every right to be proud of the honour bestowed on him by Her Majesty The Queen. It is very well deserved.”

Mr Matthews-Maxwell said: “I am greatly honoured. In many ways I feel the award is a recognition of the enormous contribution made by the voluntary and charitable sectors to help the vulnerable and less fortunate members of society. I am just one of the many millions in the UK who each year give their time, skills and experience to help others.”