A MAN from Llanfairfechan who has served as a town and county councillor for decades was awarded a Medal of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) in the 2024 New Year’s Honours List.

Cllr Andrew Hinchliff, 74, received the award for “services to local government and to the community in North Wales”.

He had been a representative of Conwy County Borough Council for 23 years up until May 2022, and has served Llanfairfechan Town Council for almost half a century.

Having been brought up in, and subsequently run, his family’s Llanfairfechan newsagents, he has had the opportunity to have entered almost every house in the area.

Cllr Hinchliff said: “I have lived in Llanfairfechan all of my life, expect for when I studied mechanical engineering at Imperial College London.

“I didn’t even know it (BEM) was out in the public domain until people started congratulating me on Saturday night!

“When I first got the letter from The Cabinet Office in November, I was quite intrigued, excited and chuffed!”

Cllr Hinchliff has also served as mayor of Llanfairfechan twice, and as the Older People’s Champion for Conwy for 16 years.

After selling the family business, he worked for nearly 10 years with people with special needs at Bryn y Neuadd Hospital.

He was also a founding member of the Llanfairfechan Historical Society, which has continued for the last 40 years.

Cllr Hinchliff also has been a member of the Rotary Club of Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr since 1983, having raised many thousands of pounds for charity.

In addition, he joined the board of trustees of the North Wales Society of the Blind in 1999, and was tasked as chair of the trustees to save the charity from a position of insolvency.

Steven Thomas, chief executive of the charity, wrote in support of Cllr Hinchliff’s nomination for the honour.

He wrote: “Andrew is a truly remarkable gentleman, whose dedication and commitment to helping others knows no bounds.

“His guidance, tenacity and forbearance has ensured that the charity has completely turned around from a position of insolvency that threatened to close the charity, to a position of strength where we are proud to be celebrating our 140th year of supporting people with sight loss across North Wales.

“Andrew champions and fights passionately for many different causes on both a national and local level.

“He is a cornerstone within his local community who is recognised and revered by all who have benefitted from his countless contributions to the betterment of his community.

“It has been, and continues to be, a pleasure and a privilege to be able to work closely with Andrew; his continued support and guidance has truly transformed the services the North Wales Society is able to provide.

“We are extremely grateful for his selfless dedication and we would be delighted should his efforts be deemed worthy of recognition by an award.”