A DEDICATED man from Fladbury, near Pershore, has become the first person to be awarded the Cross of St Wulfstan for his outstanding contribution to the life of the Church.

David Hawkins, aged 72, has long been involved with the Church of England, working under four separate Bishops of Worcester during his time in the Diocesan Senate.

He was also Lay Chairman of the Diocese of Worcester for nine years, and for the past five years has been co-convenor of the Lay Chairs of the Church of England.

He said: “I’m amazed to have been awarded this medal, I’m not used to having these kinds of prizes and it was something I did not expect.

"However, I’m greatly honoured to have been awarded it in Worcester Cathedral as a Worcestershire man. It was one of the proudest moments of my life.

"These things don’t drop off trees, and it’s lovely to be thanked for something which I enjoy tremendously.”

The Cross of St Wulfstan bears the name of a bishop of Worcester – who was the only Anglo- Saxon bishop to retain his position after Norman Conquest in 1066. The award was introduced this year.

Mr Hawkins said: “My greatest privilege and joy over the years has been meeting men and women in their parishes all over the diocese, sharing their concerns and enthusiasms in their week-by-week care of their church buildings.

"There are so many who are perhaps only recognised for their quiet and dedicated work by their immediate friends and colleagues. It is for them that this award is so important to me.”