The University’s Grounds Maintenance Manager Gordon Eastham has been honoured in the New Year’s Honours list.
The grounds chief was given a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to higher education.
He was congratulated via Twitter upon announcement of the award by the City of York Council’s Labour leader James Alexander.
“Congratulations to Gordon Eastham, @UniOfYork Grounds Maintenance Manager on his BEM for services to HE in the New Year Honours List,” he said.
Mr. Eastham’s work as a grounds maintenance manager includes maintaining the sports and campus features, as well as keeping the external environment clean and assisting in the University’s waste management strategy.
His work also helped the University to pick up a prestigious Green Flag award earlier this year for the quality of the campus’s green space.
Mr. Eastham told Vision that he was “surprised” to receive the award, but “immensely honoured.”
Meanwhile, nationally, the New Year’s Honours list is for the first time female dominated.
Football boss Karren Brady picks up a CBE, whilst former Loose Women star Lynda Bellingham gets an OBE.
They, alongside 609 other women, have helped to make up 51 per cent of the awards list.
You can see the full New Year’s Honours list here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-years-honours-lists-2014.