Annan businessman and community champion Hardip Atwal has finally received the British Empire Medal he was awarded at the start of last year.
Dumfriesshire Lord Lieutenant Fiona Armstrong presented the 47-year-old father-of-two with the honour in the council chamber of Annan Town Hall last week.
The ceremony was watched by his family and best friend, Graham Smith from Lochmaben.
Hardip, who runs his family’s grocery business and post office, Atwal Stores on Springbells Road in Annan, was honoured for his service to the community and his charity fundraising exploits.
He said: “I am thrilled and honoured to receive the British Empire Medal from the Lord Lieutenant and it was so lovely to have my close family and Graham there. My parents are in India and missed the ceremony.
“It means such a lot to me to receive this and it was poignant to receive it in my home town.”
A former Annan Academy pupil, Hardip, whose BEM was announced in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours, was appointed one of two new deputy Lord Lieutenants of Dumfries last year. He is also a wedding banquet manager.
Hardip’s charitable fundraising has varied from supporting the region’s stillbirth and neonatal death charity, SANDS, to collecting teddy bears in 2018 which were sent to underprivileged children around the world through the Million Teddies for Wojtek campaign.
Close to home, he helped support a local family affected by Down’s Syndrome and has raised more than £1,000 a year for three consecutive years for Down’s Syndrome Scotland through an annual fundraising day.
Hardip has also been part of the support team for the region’s involvement in the UK Police Unity Tour which raises awareness of officers who died in the line of duty.
It also raises money solely for the UK registered charity Care of Police Survivors, which is dedicated to helping the family of police officers who have lost their lives.
And he and Graham have organised fundraising Run Doonhame endurance challenges by police officers.
The pair have also held three hugely successful fundraising multicultural balls in Dumfries, raising thousands of pounds for Care of Police Survivors, Cash For Kids and Dumfries and Galloway Blood Bikes.
