A man who has spent 40 years working with the homeless and people with drug and alcohol problems, was one of many Kent people to be named in the New Year's Honours List.

Godfrey Featherstone, 65, the former director of the Kenward Trust in Yalding, was made an MBE for his services to disadvantaged people.

Mr Featherstone retired from the trust, which he joined in 1966, earlier this year, but is still involved in its work and lives nearby.

He first began working with the homeless while living in London, volunteering with the London Embankment Mission, but a few years later moved with his wife, Carol, to Yalding.

When he joined Kenward House, as it was then, he said: “It was brand new, so in those days it was a matter of doing anything and everything.”

Mr Featherstone said of his work: “It touched something very basic within me seeing people sleeping in the streets and sleeping on park benches.”

“It still touches me in the way that it did. I still think it’s a shame on us that we have these people still in such a dreadful circumstances.”

He added of the news that he had been made an MBE: “Individuals get these awards but they are not one-person organisations. I have managed to collect around me dedicated, inspirational, driven people who have seen Kenward Trust from the one project that I first volunteered for to the more than 20 programmes it has now.”

Mr Featherstone and his wife have three children, Natalie, Colin and Matthew.

He added: “I am delighted. To somebody from a Cockney family, it isn’t the sort of thing that you ever think of. It is the kind of thing that happens to other people.”

He is also still involved with the Tower Hamlets Mission.

Rail Freight expert Bob Prince, of Sutton Road, Maidstone, has been made an MBE for services to the rail industry.

Mr Prince, 60, has worked on Kent’s railways since 1963, when he joined British Railways as a junior porter at the age of 15.

He became a driver in 1971 and rose through the ranks to supervisory and management roles during the 1990s, before joining freight company Victa Railfreight Ltd as operations standards manager.

Colleagues said he had “battled through” and supported the business with “experience and humour”, despite suffering from ill health in recent years.

Another Kent man to be honoured was Kent’s Chief Fire Officer Charlie Hendry who has been made a CBE.

Mr Hendry, 47, led fire and rescue operations during the 1999 Paddington rail disaster.

He joined the fire brigade in London in 1983 and spent 17 years climbing the ranks to become one of the brigade’s most senior officers.

As well as Paddington, Mr Hendry also attended the fatal Wembley train crash in 1984.

In 2000 he moved to Kent Fire and Rescue Service and became deputy chief fire officer. He was appointed Chief Fire Officer in May, 2006.

Mr Hendry was awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal for outstanding service in 2004.

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Hear Charles Hendry speaking about being awarded his CBE >>>

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Olympic cyclist Jamie Staff, formerly of Ashford, who won gold in the Men's Team Sprint in the summer's Beijing Olympics, was awarded an MBE for services to sport.

Speaking to the KM group, Jamie said he was "over the moon" to be given the award.

He said: "It's like a bit of icing on the cake really."

The full Kent list

OBE

Jane Mary Gardam, author. For services to Literature (Kent)

Michael John Glover. Arup Fellow and Technical director and Deputy Project director, Channel Tunnel Rail Link. For services to Engineering. (Sevenoaks)

Dr Alan John Heyes. Formerly Deputy director, International Nuclear Policy and Programmes, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Hildenborough)

Hilary Riva. Chief Executive, British Fashion Council. For services to the Fashion Industry. (Kent)

Howard Hughes. For charitable services (Sevenoaks)

Karen Winfield. Team Leader, Student Loans Company Strategy Relationship Team, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. For public and voluntary service. (Welling)

CBE:

David Keith Dingle, Chief Executive Officer, Carnival UK. For services to the shipping industry (Hildenborough)

Hugh Christ o pher Emlyn Harris, founder London First Global Network. for voluntary service to community relations in the City of London (Sevenoaks)

Charles Donald Hendry, QFSM, Chief Fire Officer, Kent Fire and Rescue Service. For services to local goverment (Doddington)

Clive Andrew Maxwell. For public service (Beckenham)

Richard John McCarthy, director-general of housing and planning, department for communities and local Government (Tunbridge Wells)

David George Moorhouse. Chairman, Lloyds Register. For services to the Maritime Industry (Meopham)

John Esmond George Vaux. Formerly Speaker's Counsel, House of Commons (Weald)

MBE:

Terry Edwards. Team GB head boxing coach. For services to sport (Orpington)

Godfrey Eugene Featherstone. Formerly director, Kenward Trust. For services to disadvantaged people (Maidstone)

Susan Piggot-Forster. Formerly senior executive officer, learning and development unit, UK Border Agency, Home Office (Tonbridge)

Susan Patricia Gower. For voluntary service to disabled children and young people in Bexley (Welling)

Bridget Jones. For services to Canterbury Gypsy and Traveller Support Group (Canterbury)

Harold Alderman, boxing historian. For services to sporting heritage (Canterbury)

Michael John Bolton. Undermaster, Sevenoaks School, Kent. For services to education (Sevenoaks)

Wynne Creasy. Leader, Bexley Clerkship Practice, London Borough of Bexley. For services to education (Kent)

Bimla Devi Lyall. Executive officer, South East Area Enforcement Office, Sidcup, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Department for Transport. For public and voluntary service (Sidcup)

Derek McCarrick. For charitable services (Sheppey)

Dr Heather Nunnerly. For services to Healthcare in South East London (Beckenham)

Janette Vicki Plumridge. Secretariat Administrator, Enemy Property Claims Assessment Panel, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Bexleyheath)

Robin Kingsley Prince. Operations standards manager, Victa Railfreight. For service to the rail industry (Maidstone)

Jamie Staff. Cyclist. For services to Sport (Ashford)

Patricia Elizabeth Stewart. Community Payback Supervisor, Kent Probation Area. For services to the Probation Service (Chatham)

William Alfred Wells. Messenger, Cabinet Office. (Kent)

Carole Wendland, Senior Executive Officer, Low Cost Home Ownership Division, Department for Communities and Local Government. (Longfield)

George Wilson. For Services to Business in Kent. (Whitstable