A HUSBAND and wife team of charity workers have both been made MBEs in the New Year’s Honours.

David, 55, and Christine Bagley, 62, founded Urban Outreach in Bolton 30 years ago and in the three decades since they have helped thousands of homeless people by providing hot food and shelter.

When the lockdown was announced, they immediately responded by establishing and leading Bolton’s Humanitarian Food Hub and due to their vital work, over 36,000 people have been fed since lockdown.

“We’re absolutely over the moon,” said David. “It’s not something you get ever day especially after such a difficult year.

“It’s not really about us though - it’s about the thousands of people who donate, and the hundreds of volunteers who have kept it going. In a funny sort of way this is their MBE not ours.”

2020 saw the charity help over 16,000 people, including 6,000 children who were fed over the summer holidays who would otherwise have had free school meals. During ‘Christmas Dinner on Jesus’ over 1,200 families received food hampers and the Winterwatch scheme saw volunteers prepare over 2,200 meals for the homeless.

David said: “You don’t get involved with charitable work for recognition but it is lovely for both Chris and I to be recognised together.

“We’ve both been involved for 30 years and we have been married for 30 years this year so the whole thing is a celebration of something we have been working on together.

“We’ve never really planned anything for any length of time and no one could have planned for this year - it’s all been about taking it on the chin each day and there have been rewards and challenges.

“Next year will be difficult but we need to stay the course together and we’re a town that does that well.”