THE man behind the launch of Young Firefighters Associations in both Droitwich Spa and Redditch has been given an MBE by The Queen.

Watch commander Ade Taylor, from Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS), was awarded the honour when he visited Buckingham Palace on Friday, November 16.

Mr Taylor joined the service in 1993 as a retained firefighter and following full-time recruitment in 2003, now works as a watch commander with Redditch’s blue watch.

He was awarded the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in June of this year in recognition of his work for the fire service and the Young Firefighters Association (YFA) in particular. His wife, Sue, and other family members joined him at the ceremony in London to see The Queen present his award.

In 2000, while working as a retained firefighter, Mr Taylor volunteered to set up a branch of the YFA within the service area. Thanks to his efforts, a YFA group was started in Droitwich and has been thriving ever since.

He is the driving force behind not only the YFA in Droitwich, but has also co-ordinated the YFA for the whole service, with a second YFA group now successfully established at Redditch.

Over the last 10 years, he has devoted thousands of hours of his own time to the development of young people through the YFA. He never turns away a potential YFA recruit and has encouraged many disadvantaged young people to get involved.

Chief fire officer Mark Yates from HWFRS said: “Ade Taylor has had a profoundly positive impact on dozens of young people though his work with the YFA. I am delighted that Her Majesty has chosen to honour Ade in this way, and I know that I speak for everyone who knows him when I say that he thoroughly deserves this recognition.”