A parish chairman whose selfless dedication has helped his village grow from strength to strength has been included on the New Year Honours list.
Roger Atterwill, from Swanton Morley, near Dereham, has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to local government and the community.
Over the years, Mr Atterwill, who is chairman of Swanton Morley Parish Council and also sits on Breckland Council, has been involved in a host of crucial projects in the area.
The 51-year-old called receiving a BEM "very humbling".
He said: "I got an email from the Cabinet Office completely out of the blue about a month ago, so it has been really tough keeping it quiet.
"I had absolutely no idea - not even an inkling - that anything was going on.
"I couldn't quite believe it. I had to read the email twice to make it sink in."
Mr Atterwill grew up in Swanton Morley and attended the local school, before raising his own family in the village while embarking on a career as an electrician.
Around 25 years ago he began playing a more active part in community life, starting with a fundraiser at the pre-school and a village appraisal.
His involvement snowballed to the point where he became a local councillor, playing a key role in various projects including the opening of the Gooseberry Hill playground in 2008.
While admitting he "never dreamed" of getting involved in local government as a younger man, Mr Atterwill looks back on what he and others have achieved with great pride.
"The village means everything to me," he added.
"It has been great to see it grow and lots of aspects of community life really have seen improvements over the years.
"A community is like a never-ending book; the story is never finished and there are always things you can improve. I am just grateful the people of Swanton Morley have let me play my part.
"With villages, if you don't work at them, they will just die. You have got to try and keep things fresh and moving forward, and I would like to think we do that here."
"In my role with Breckland, I have been able to take that attitude into other villages."
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