College Clerk to the Governors at Ashton Sixth Form College, Derek Truffas has been nominated to receive an MBE in the New Years Honours list for 2011, he will be the first ever Clerk to receive the award.

This year those honoured work in a wide range of fields, including academia, local arts and sports projects, school governors, community work, heritage projects and benefits offices.

In total 997 people have been recommended to The Queen for an award. 74 per cent of the recipients are local heroes, who have undertaken outstanding work in their communities.

Derek has been nominated alongside fashion designer Katherine Hamnett, David Suchet, artist Steve McQueen and Annie Lennox.

Derek was nominated for a variety of reasons, his life has been, and continues to be, an exemplar of public and community service. Including his work as former Senior Manager and Clerk at 8 FE and HE institutions, his past role as Chair, National Education Officer and National President of the Association of College Registrars and Administrators (ACRA).

Derek is a founder member of the Rotary Club of Bolton Le Moors and is Chair of the Club’s International Committee, the key project of which is to raise funds in order to contribute to the building of water tanks in areas of Kenya where there is currently no running water.

Ashton Sixth Form College would like to congratulate Derek on his nomination and look forward to seeing him collect his honours at Buckingham Palace later in the year.