Fr George Robson has been awarded an MBE in the 2010 New Years honours list.

The entry reads: The Reverend Father George Edward ROBSON Chairman, North Huyton New Deal for Communities Board. For services to the community in Merseyside.

Fr George Robson pictured in 2007

Fr George prepared the following statement when he heard of the award:

My first contact with Merseyside was four years of teaching Physics at the then recently opened Salesian College in Bootle (now Savio High School) from 1966 to 1970. I joined the Salesians of Don Bosco in 1952 and was ordained a priest in 1963.

I then worked as a priest and teacher in other parts of the country until I was appointed to St Dominic's Parish in Huyton in 1991. I have been very happy to work in this part of Merseyside ever since.

I see the major part of any services to the community in Merseyside as being linked to my role as Parish Priest in St Dominic's. While the primary focus is on the local catholic community, I have always tried to be involved with other local churches and with the wider community. Work in the parish has always involved working in collaboration with members of the congregation and this has always been a source of encouragement and support.

I have served as Governor in the local Catholic Schools and for a number of years was a member of the Education Committee of Knowsley Metropolitan Borough. I was involved in Community Participation initiatives in a project called Community of the 21st Century which was led by the head teachers of St Dominic's Infant and Junior Schools and St Edmund of Canterbury High School. This led to my being involved in the SRB initiative in Huyton and then in the New Deal Community project for North Huyton. I was asked to be Chair of the Shadow Board leading up to the acceptance of the Community Plan and from then as Chair of the Board of North Huyton New Deal New Future (NHNDNF).

I accept the honour in the name of the many others with whom I have been associated over the years. In particular I associate myself with the Resident and other Directors of the NHNDNF Board and the officers and very many community members who have generously given of their time, experience and energy to bring about the success of the project to date. I am sure we will be able to continue to build on this for the future of the people of the area.

The capital projects that will contribute to the well being of residents and in which the New Deal for Communities Board have been involved include the new Health Centre, the Christ the King Centre for Learning, the Huyton Churches Training Service building, the Youth Centre attached to the River Alt Resource Centre and the proposed new Primary School. The NHNDNF project has made a substantial contribution to improvement in education and health and to community cohesion and well being. We hope that the housing project will weather the storm of the credit crunch and go on to be a very successful collaboration with Knowsley Borough Council and Knowsley Housing Trust and with Revive.