A STALYBRIDGE man who works tirelessly to make sure no-one in his community can go hungry has been honoured with a British Empire Medal.
But Steven Barton will give his award to someone he feels deserves it more.
The man behind Barty’s Food Bank, which operates from the car park at Stalybridge Labour Club on Acres Lane, received the accolade in the recent Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Officially, he picked up the gong ‘for services to the community in Tameside, Greater Manchester, during Covid-19’.
But it is his work in helping people who cannot afford to buy meals for them or their family has resulted in the honour.
There will be no resting on his laurels now he has received Royal acclaim – which will not be staying in his house.
“I’m giving the medal away,” said Steven.
“There’s a young lad I know who has cerebral palsy and has had more than 20 major operations, so he’s going to have it.
“Don’t get me wrong. Getting the BEM means an awful lot to me as I love Stalybridge, the town I come from, and I love England.
“But I’ve said he can have it as he deserves it more than me.”
Steven is well-known locally for running Barty’s Foodbank, which helps feed between 40 and 50 people each week, for almost six years.
After initially operating in Ridge Hill, it recently moved to the Labour Club into a container donated by Manchester Log Cabins.
The 50-year-old, who describes himself as a ‘nobody gardener’, has not just earned a BEM for his efforts, he also recently picked up an award by the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester, Eamonn O’Neal.
He is already working on his next project, a Christmas giveaway, and insists he would not have been able to achieve his recognition without the support of others, especially Donna Thomas, who he says has ‘single handedly got me connections and fought my corner. I am a force to be reckon with because of this lady.’
However, the coronavirus pandemic means Steven will not get to meet the Queen.
He added: “I first learned I was getting the BEM about six or seven weeks before it was announced. I got a phone call off someone at the Cabinet Ooffice saying they had followed my work for a number of years.
“I’m not after recognition though and there won’t be a garden party this year because of Covid-19 regulations.
“Instead it will probably be presented in a private ceremony. There’s no chance of seeing the Queen!
“I border on insanity but anyone who helps me, donates or shares, you make me what I am.
“My drive and passion, no-one can stop that – to stop child poverty and neglect.”
Steven was not the only person from the area to be honoured.
Kathryn Davies, who works as a customer resolution investigator at the Manchester headquarters of Co-operative Bank, received an MBE.
The 48-year-old, from Droylsden was rewarded for going above and beyond, helping customers who were out of the country have access to money which helped them return home.
She also volunteered to support NHS workers and patients across by organising and distributing around 400 care package donations from the bank’s employees.
Care packages were sent to many hospitals across the UK including Greater Manchester, Ormskirk, Stoke, Macclesfield, Tameside, Preston, Stirling and Carmarthenshire.