Businessman Jonathan Hammond made MBE in New Year Honours list for extensive work in the Bingham community
A man who has dedicated his spare time to fundraising, sponsoring and supporting local organisations and charities has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
Jonathan Hammond, 55, has been made an MBE for voluntary and charitable services to the community in Bingham.
He follows in the footsteps of his late mother, who was also made an MBE, and joins two others from across the Journal area in being honoured in the 2023 list. Corby Glen firefighter Bryan Lynch received a BEM, while Jason Harwin, former deputy chief constable of Lincolnshire Police, received the The King's Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
Mr Hammond said: "I am flattered and obviously honoured. I have been doing, I guess, lots of little things over the years, but I never expected this. I don't know who nominated me but someone obviously felt it worthy of a pat on the back.
"When the first email came through, I'll be honest, I deleted it. Anything you receive that wants you to follow a link is suspect. I thought it was spam, but thankfully they pursued me and somebody from the Cabinet Office rang and ran me through it all.
"It is humbling to know that I am also following in much larger footsteps, my mother's [Pauline Hammond] who we lost five years ago and who was awarded the MBE for services to the Nottinghamshire community and her charity work.
"I learned a huge amount from my mother in terms of community."
One of the good causes that Mr Hammond supports is The Dame Agnes Mellers Charity that aims to educate, provide recreation and relieve poverty for under-18s in Nottingham. In 2020 he raised £1,860 to fund a breakfast club for the charity.
To celebrate 30 years in business in 2018, the estate agent raised £8,000 to buy two guide dogs for the blind, and the Bingham community was asked to suggest names for the second one over Christmas.
Since 2007 he has written an annual quiz for Childline, which has raised over £30,000, and attracts entrants from all over the world, including the US and Romania.
In 2019, he organised a dinner that raised £25,000 for the Bomber County Gateway Trust towards a memorial to honour Bomber Command.
Mr Hammond is committed to helping and supporting the Bingham town community, and this was recognised through the Bingham Civic Awards in 2011.
He is an active sponsor of the Bingham RUFC, Scout Group, Football Club, along with a dozen other important community groups.
The Bingham and District Audio Magazine distributes a monthly audio magazine to the visually impaired and elderly within the community and is also a beneficiary of his sponsorship.
The Bingham Business Club was founded by him in 2009 and he took over chairmanship in 2014 to provide support for all local businesses.
He said: "I love Bingham. Bingham is the sort of place that nobody wants to leave and everyone wants to move to because of its sense of community and its amenities.
"Being in business here over the years, I have learned that it is the local organisations that make the place tick.
"Over time you find yourself helping out with hundred pounds here or a hundred pounds there. For instance, if we sell a house for a member of the bowls club, we give the bowls club a £100, if we sell a house on the estate that bears the names of the town's war dead, we give £100 to the Royal British Legion."
