Charity worker Don Rouse said he was "over the moon" at receiving an MBE.

Mr Rouse, right, was given the honour for services to the village of Bampton.

Although he lives in the neighbouring hamlet of Lew, he has been a driving force in the village for four decades.

On Christmas Eve he was out touring houses in the village with the local mummers, providing entertainment and raising £600 for local pensioners.

He made his first mark in the 1960s when he helped run the weightlifting club. At one time it boasted seven national champions.

He is also chairman of the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Junketing, which raises money for elderly people in Bampton.

Mr Rouse, 65, who used to be a farmer, runs a taxi firm.

A former chairman of the Oxford-Leiden twin city link he is now chairman of the city council's international links committee.