BILL Brough, a tireless worker for local charities and christian organisations, has been honoured for his outstanding contribution to the community.

He was presented with the Newton Abbot Rotary Good Citizens Award, which is funded by a trust left by Arthur Newcombe, at the Queens Hotel.

Mr Brough is pictured (left) receiving his award of £250 from rotary president Hugh Anderson. He is donating the money to Children in Need.

Since arriving in Newton Abbot in 1988, having retired after 30 years with IBM, Mr Brough, who now lives in Teignmouth, served on Newton Abbot Town Council from 1991-1994, being mayor in 1993-1994.

Between 1991-2001 he was chairman of governors at Canada Hill Primary School, Ogwell, and from 1994-2001 was chairman of Ring and Ride until it merged with Newton Abbot Community Transport and chairman of the latter through merger with Shopmobility from 2007-2009 and remains a trustee.

He has been chairman of the Newton Abbot Rent-Deposit Guarantee Scheme since 1994 – around 1,000 people have been helped into accommodation – and has been on the Credit Union Management Committee since its inception in 2005.

Mr Brough was on the executive of Newton Abbot Christians Together from 1995 to last year and has been its chairman in 1998-1999 and 2006-2008. Since 1995 he has been a Baptist lay preacher.