A dedicated fundraiser who has helped those less fortunate around the world has said he is "thrilled" to have been made an MBE in the New Year’s honours list.

Tom Drake, 76, of Sandy Lane, Kingswood, has been an active member of Ewell Rotary Club for 37 years and started volunteering at various charities after retiring as a businessman 15 years ago.

In his career, Mr Drake has run commercial refrigeration and shop equipment companies, as well as his main venture - a stationary company which he sold to the famous Filofax firm.

Becoming a member of Filofax’s board, he designed stationery for the company, including a telephone message book which allowed duplicate copies to be made of messages.

Mr Drake, who has also lived in Ewell, Epsom Downs and Walton-on-the-Hill, and in Kingswood for the past 10 years, served twice as president of Ewell Rotary Club.

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On being made an MBE, he said: "I am really thrilled to bits about it because when one does charity work you don’t look for rewards but it makes you very happy when it comes.

"I get enormous satisfaction working with charities nationally and internationally.

"I joined the Ewell Rotary Club as I felt that I needed to give something back and I also wanted good fellowship of other men."

A father of seven and grandfather to nine, Mr Drake’s charity work has included raising £10,000 through musical concerts at Bourne Hall and the Epsom Playhouse, which he organised with his wife, Primrose, a musical soprano. 

The couple have also played an active role at The Children’s Trust, in Tadworth, where Mrs Drake has entertained the children and her husband has dressed up as Father Christmas

Mr Drake said: "The highlight of my charity work was when we both went to Mali, as a result of which we raised £60,000 for Mali and £140,000 for other countries through Wateraid." 

He said the two-week trip, in 2008, was "life-chainging".

Mr Drake added: "We went to isolated villages with no water or toilets and where the people had never seen a white person before."

"Last year, they both received an award from Prince Charles for their voluntary service to Wateraid.

"It’s very nice to be in a position to help others who are not as fortunate as yourself.  There are many people like that especially in Africa, where they live on 50p a day if they are lucky. 

"It was a real eye-opener for us and we talk about it almost daily.  We wouldn’t have missed it for anything."

For now, Mr Drake is committed to continuing his work for charity and the Rotary club.

"I have no plans whatsoever to step down from my Rotarian work.  I want to keep fit and keep going.  And the club is growing," he said.