COUNCILLOR Mac Cotterell, a prominent figure in Fenland education and local government, has been awarded the MBE in the Queen s Birthday Honours List for services to the community of Wisbech. Cllr Cotterell entered journalism after leaving the RAF in 1952

COUNCILLOR Mac Cotterell, a prominent figure in Fenland education and local government, has been awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to the community of Wisbech.

Cllr Cotterell entered journalism after leaving the RAF in 1952 and became news editor of what was then the Wisbech Advertiser. In the early seventies he went into business as a freelance photographer, setting up Nene Studios. He retired six years ago.

In the 1960s he was Wisbech Chamber of Commerce's youngest chairman. He later became president and is still a member. He is a former member of Wisbech Round Table and a current member of the Rotary and Probus Clubs.

He served on the Hill Street Youth Club committee and the North Ward Community Centre committee and was a founder member of the Fen Tigers Motorcycle Club, Wisbech Kart Club, of which he was chairman and then president, and Fenland Adventure, of which he is the current chairman.

In 1964 he was elected to Wisbech Rural District Council as a representative for Elm and 10 years later joined Elm Parish Council, of which he was chairman until two years ago. He is still a member.

In 1979 he was elected to Fenland District Council. He became chairman in 1987 and was the first councillor to serve three consecutive years as chairman. He subsequently became leader of the council's Conservative group for 11 years. For most of that time, with the Conservatives in power, he was council leader.

He is currently portfolio holder for the council's assets, marine services and special projects and has been involved in the organisation of Golden Age fairs for the elderly throughout the district.

He has represented Fenland Council on the Angles Theatre Council, is an active member of Wisbech and Fenland Museum committee, a member of the Fenland and Marshland branch of the Alzheimer's Society, a member of Wisbech St Peter's Church, a life member of the Royal Air Forces Association, serves on several drainage boards, is a former chairman of Fenland Citizens Advice bureau and still a director. He was also chairman of Fenland Mencap for many years and is currently a vice-president.

Cllr Cotterell, who lives in Elm, is a former governor of Elm Road and Meadowgate Schools at Wisbech and Elm School. He is currently vice-chairman of the governors of Christchurch School.

He served 23 years as a governor of Friday Bridge School, most of the time as chairman, until he resigned in 1997. He was a governor of the former Queen's Boys School at Wisbech and was chairman at the time of its merger with the Queen's Girls School in the mid-eighties. He resigned from the Queen's governors several years ago.

Cllr Cotterell said: "I have worked with many organisations for many years and I couldn't have won any award without so many of them working with me and helping me along the way.