A man who has restored an old, redundant church has been made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in this year’s New Year’s Honours List.

Howard Guard, 70, from Radlett, started restored St Nicholas Church, in Great Mundham, and turned it into an arts facility which is now used for his small film productions,

He has undertaken this work using his own money and effort and works to keep the buildings looking like their original design.

Mr Guard said: “I feel very honoured and I am moved by it.

“I found out about four weeks before I received the letter from the government office. It was a complete and total shock.

“I waited a week to respond because I think I was letting it sink in. I restored St Nicholas simply because it was there and I was able to do it.

“For hundreds and hundreds of years people have stood, in the rain or sun, looking at the same view which has not changed. Newlyweds, christenings and people being buried have all been a part of this church.

“St Nicholas has an exceptional presence and exceptional aura which you can feel before you have even seen the church.”

As a small production expert he recently completed a 35 minutes short film about the impact of WW1 on the Hertfordshire communities called A County at War.

Mr Guard uncovered and researched archival material, produced the script and directed the production.

The film is a tribute to one important aspect of his county’s role in the war which was the participation of the people of Hertfordshire at all levels of society.

Any money that is made from his ventures is given back into the community and the cost of maintaining the venues for public use.

Mr Guard has also been involved in the planting of more than 10,000 trees at Netherwylde Farm over the last 25 years with the intention that some of the wood would be used to benefit English furniture makers in the future.

He was also the chairman of St Albans Cathedral Fabric Trust where he was able to raise sufficient funds for the cathedral’s preservation and enhancement.

With his ability to raise such funds he was able to completely hang a new ring of twelve bells and to create a beautiful processional walkway between the Nave, Sanctuary and Quire.

These, with a number of smaller projects, required funding in excess of a million pounds.