A member of the governing body at Portland Charity was awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for her lifetime of service to specialist education.

Before retiring and joining the Portland board, June Murray had extensive experience working RNIB College Loughborough, now known as Sense College Loughborough.

Portland Charity, based in Mansfield, is a specialist college and registered care provider that delivers a wide range of day and residential programmes for people with disabilities, enabling them to lead more independent, fulfilling lives.

Chief executive Mark Dale said:  “All of Portland are thrilled that June has been honoured for her hard work and service in the specialist education sector. As soon as June retired we snapped her up for Portland’s governing body, where she is an active trustee overseeing the quality of our education and care services.”

Sense College started as a school for the blind and transformed to support youngsters will all kinds of disabilities, including physical disabilities and autism.

June, of Shepshed, Leicestershire, said: “I was a bit surprised to hear about the honour. You don’t feel you deserve it for just doing your job!

“But I’m honoured and flattered people thought it was something I deserved. I was at the college for almost 30 years and it is an amazing place.

“It’s a really good example of what young people with special educational needs and disabilities can do given the right opportunities and environment.”

Having been appointed principal in 2015, June oversaw not just the college’s expansion but also a lot of closer working with employees in the area and mainstream schools to help her students develop independent living skills and prepare for adult life.