A Beverley man has been recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for his environmental and community work.
Phil Young, who was born in Hull but brought up in Beverley where he still resides, has been awarded an MBE for services to the community, environment and flood risk management.
Phil, who works for the Environment Agency, said: “To be honest, when I was first told that I had been nominated for an MBE I was shocked and thought ‘flippen ‘eck’ why me, I’m just a simple lad from Hull?
“I’ve had a smile on my face since and I feel chuffed to bits. I am honoured and delighted and I really, really would like to thank the people who nominated me.”
He added: “My motto in life is turn up to work, do the best you can, be positive and keep smiling. I have pride in working for the Environment Agency and with all its committed and passionate people. There is no better feeling dealing with and managing incidents when everybody mucks in together. There is always a real buzz knowing that you are making a difference by protecting people, properties and the environment.”
Phil started his career back in 1985, when he was 17, working for the former Humberside County Council Waste Regulation Authority as a Technical Clerk.
His career path has taken him down a variety of different roles from waste regulation enforcement, water quality, fisheries and biodiversity, FCRM (flood and coastal risk management), operations asset performance and he is now a team leader in the Mechanical and Electrical, Instrumentation, Control and Automation (MEICA) division covering Yorkshire and the North East.
He said: “My current role as MEICA Team Leader involves managing a fantastic team of dedicated engineers and support staff. The work involves managing, maintaining and modifying all mechanical and electrical equipment on behalf of the asset owners, whilst working closely with our internal partners and framework contractors. The team plays an important role in incident management, ensuring our flood risk assets perform when it really matters.”
Phil has also been a volunteer Rescue Officer with Her Majesty’s Coastguard for nearly 10 years. He has assisted the Coastguard in providing 24 hour/365 days per year emergency response service covering helicopter rescues, maritime incidents and missing persons’ searches.
