Medal honour for TNT regional MD

The driving force of a multi-million pound charity drive which delivers a better quality of life for tens of thousands of disabled and disadvantaged youngsters has won royal recognition.  In his role as the Regional Managing Director of TNT Express Services, Tom Bell has inspired company employees to raise well over 2.5 million to support the children's charity, Wooden Spoon. He has made a life-changing and in some cases, a life-saving, difference to children who are disadvantaged either mentally, physically or socially.
 
Tom's enthusiasm and support for Wooden Spoon over the past 12 years was recognised when he was invested as an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) by HM Queen Elizabeth II in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Tom, who leads the 11,000 strong TNT UK & Ireland workforce, has been the catalyst behind fundraising for Spoon since TNT made its first donation of 10,000 in 1997. Since then donations have risen to more than 300,000 per annum via a range of activities including  sponsored aeroplane pulls, international bike rides and mountain climbs, to name but a few.
 
Tom said: "I am incredibly proud and, in many ways humbled to accept the award. I feel it is a reflection on the magnificent and unstinting efforts of everybody at TNT.  It is a privilege to lead such a wonderful body of people and this award is a tribute to their continuing efforts and generosity." Tom was instrumental in introducing a programme that enables employees at dozens of TNT locations to take time out of their working day to visit local Wooden Spoon supported projects. This enables them to witness, first hand, how TNT donations are put to best use at special needs schools, children's hospital wards, sensory rooms, hydrotherapy pools and playground areas.
 
Tom added: "It was a great honour to receive the O.B.E from The Queen on behalf of everyone at TNT. Our people, along with our suppliers and customers, are incredibly resourceful when it comes to raising money for Wooden Spoon and this recognition is as much theirs as it is mine. " Tom was accompanied to the Investiture Ceremony by his wife Gina, son Scott and daughter Amy. Tom's career in the transport industry spans 37 years, the last 33 with TNT Express Services. He became Managing Director in 1989 and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport.