A NEW campaign is being launched in Cumbria on Monday to encourage more people to nominate their friends, colleagues or relatives for an honour.

The plea comes as the latest statistics show that less than nine per cent of honours have gone to people in the North West over the past two years.

In last year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours the figure was just seven per cent despite the region making up more than 11 per cent of the population.

The campaign is being supported by Keswick resident Peter Barron, who was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the Lake District earlier this year.

The 58-year-old ranger at the Lake District National Park developed a trusted relationship with farmers during the foot-and-mouth crisis in 2001, co-ordinated and led emergency support and recovery work during the severe floods in 2009, and formed the highly successful Lake District Osprey Project.

MORE TOP STORIES:

He has also volunteered with the Keswick Mountain Rescue team for over 20 years.

“I was very surprised when I heard I’d been nominated for an honour as it’s not something you expect to receive,” he said. “I wanted to be a park ranger since I was a child and inquired about a job when I was just 16. Luckily my application was successful a few years later.

“I’ve had some very nice letters and emails since receiving the British Empire Medal which has made me realise just how many people I’ve got to know over the years. You don’t do the work for awards but it’s nice to get recognition for what you’ve achieved.

“I’d definitely encourage people to nominate someone for an honour as there are plenty of committed people who are equally, if not more, deserving of recognition.”

Nationally, up to 1,300 individuals are recognised through the honours system every year.

In addition to nominations from members of the public, government departments ask schools, hospitals, local authorities, and similar organisations for suggestions of potential candidates.

All recommendations are considered by one of nine independent expert honours committees, each chaired by an independent non-Civil Service chair and comprising a majority of independent members, all selected after open advertisement.

Sir Bob Kerslake, the head of the Civil Service, said: “We encourage nominations from all sections of society from all over the country and we’d particularly like to see more people from the North West receiving recognition for their achievements.

“Some people may think honours are largely reserved for certain professions or backgrounds but they really are for everyone who has done a great job for their community and helped make the country a better place to live.

Detailed guidance on the honours process and a nomination form can be found at www.gov.uk/honours or phone the honours team in the Cabinet Office on 020 7276 2777.