A ROWER who has spent more than five decades dedicated to his club has picked up an MBE for his commitment.

Barry Hudson, chairman of Durham Amateur Rowing Club, was presented with an MBE by Prince William at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

He was awarded with the accolade for Services to the Community and to Rowing in Durham in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Mr Hudson first joined the Club in 1959, when it was all-male and had just 35 members.

Now it has more than 400 members, having had several major expansions which Mr Hudson played a key part in.

Among his major achievements was overseeing the building project which culminated in the opening of the club’s £1million boathouse in September 2007.

Mr Hudson has been a committee member for more than 50 years, including 25 as secretary, as well as being a coach and umpire and a member of the Durham Regatta Committee.

In 2012 was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal by British Rowing.