A THURROCK businessman, journalist, publisher and Aerospace expert has been honoured for his work with the Rotay organisation.

Alan Peaford, is no stranger to recognition for his good works., In 2013 he was awarded an MBE for his services to people with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome and their families. His daughter Victoria suffers from the condition.

And he has just been awarded the Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship, albeit in unusual circumstances.

It was a presentation with a difference as the new president of Grays Thurrock Rotary Club, Adrian Alsop was tasked with presenting the award despite the problems of Covid-19 which means the club is not meeting at the moment.

The naming of a Paul Harris Fellow is a tribute to a person who has demonstrated shared purpose and support for the educational and humanitarian objectives of the Rotary Foundation worldwide. It is named after the founder of Rotary International who started the organisation in Chicago in 1905.

With Covid lockdown and meeting restrictions in place, it was impossible to announce the Fellowship and make the presentation at the club's usual Orsett Hall meeting place, Mr Alsop decided to take the certificate on his morning walk around Orsett village and with the use of a long litter-picker was able to pass the award over while remaining socially distanced.

"This is the highest award that can bestowed on a Rotarian and recognises the work Alan has done representing the club internationally but also for masterminding projects like the virtual Christmas concert and of course the real concert when it happens," Adrian said.

"I was really touched and honoured to receive this recognition with the nomination from the club – and it was great to see the new president in person, albeit for just a few seconds," said Mr Peaford, who has enjoyed a long and successful career in the aerospace and publishing industries.

As well as founding his own business Aerocomm Ltd, still based in Grays, Alan is the editor-in-chief of the Arabian Aerospace magazine and online news service, the region's B2B specialist magazine. He is a five-times winner of Aerospace Journalist of the Year awards for his work with Flight International, Airline Business, and India's SP Aviation.

Having started his career as an actor, he entered the world of journalism through local newspapers and radio before working for national daily newspapers. In 1978 he was named the Foreign Correspondent of the Year for a series of Middle East articles published in the Sunday Times. He edited newspapers in the UK and Middle East including the Arab Times in Kuwait and the Gulf Daily News in Bahrain before taking a communications management role with oil company BP.

In 1988 he was appointed managing director at the Charles Barker public relations and advertising agency and two years later headed a buyout of the company's publishing division creating Trident Communications – which became the UK's largest corporate publishing and communications agency with offices throughout the UK, Munich, New York, Dubai and Singapore.

In 1992 he was awarded a European Diploma of Honour for services to workplace communications and in 1995 was elected President of FEIEA, the European industrial editors association – a post he held for eight years.

In 2002 he became a 'special advisor' to the British Government working alongside a communications team at 10 Downing Street.

He is also an enthusiastic private pilot.