A MAN from Harlow has been recognised for his voluntary work in the Queen’s Birthday honours.

Bharat Thakrar, 30, has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM).

From age 13 to 18, Bharat was elected to serve on the Harlow Youth Council.

Bharat has always enjoyed doing voluntary work and making a difference in society.

He said: “Having the ability to help those less fortunate than ourselves and being able to provide a sense of hope for families and individuals is what motivates me in wanting to do this.

“From a very young age, I have been involved in numerous voluntary and charitable work, both in the UK and overseas. I have dedicated my time to helping others with the intention of making a positive impact on their lives.”

In 2012, Bharat was fortunate enough to have been nominated for work carried out in his local community and selected to carry the Olympic torch in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

He also visited Tanzania for three months to take part in the ‘Making Education More Relevant’ project, working in secondary schools and with local enterprises – looking at how to better link the education sector and the local industry and to raise school student’s awareness of career options.

The project also worked towards improving their learning outcomes and support them in accessing higher education and employment opportunities.

Bharat said:

“Supporting secondary education presents a considerable opportunity to reduce poverty by strengthening the employability potential of youth. A few of the outcomes from the project included raising awareness of gender equality in schools and more active participation from the female students.”

On Sunday, October 4, he took part in his first-ever London Marathon and used the opportunity as a crowdfunding event for the start-up of his charity and with the help and support of family and friends, he was able to successfully complete the 26.2 miles, despite it being cold and wet throughout the day.