INSPIRATIONAL Kent-born entrepreneur Liz Jackson was "chuffed to bits" after hearing of her MBE in the Queen’s New Years Honours.

The blind managing director of Great Guns Marketing was given the accolade for services to business, a recognition of her remarkable achievements and her splendid example to budding entrepreneurs.

She was born in Sheppey and attended Barming Primary School before her family moved to Basingstoke in the 1980s.

Liz, 33, is a regular business speaker who has enthralled audiences with her story of success over adversity. Last July, she impressed business people of all ages at the Kent County Show with a passionate speech about her amazing life since leaving school with just one GCSE.

She started her telemarketing business in 1998 with just a £1,000 grant and £4,000 loan from The Princes Trust. The has won praise from the charity's founder Prince Charles who called her "an inspiration to young business people everywhere".

Great Guns now has six branches across the UK and Ireland and employs more than 100 staff. Turnover is close to £3 million.

"Receiving an MBE is a huge honour and I’m chuffed to bits," said Liz. "I love the world of business and it’s been the best thing I’ve ever done. Getting honoured in this way for something I love doing is incredible.

"It’s amazing what you can achieve if you put your mind to it. I’ll never get tired of setting huge goals, and then going after them. My MBE is a huge achievement and represents a major milestone for me and the brilliant team here at Great Guns Marketing."

Liz will receive her MBE from The Queen at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace later in the year.

An MBE also went to Cllr Alex King, deputy leader of Kent County Council, who has been closely involved in promoting the county’s economy over the past few years.

He has been the driving force behind burgeoning links between the county and the Commonwealth of Virginia, continuing this summer with the launch of direct flights between Manston and Norfolk, Virginia.

Cllr King also backed a controversial £100,000 investment in EUjet, the low-fares airline that helped put Manston back on the passenger aviation map but collapsed inside a year following the financial demise of parent company PlaneStation.