John Poore, MD of Poore's of Acton, was awarded a British Empire Medal for services to charity in the new year honours list.
His interest in charity work dates back to his early 20s, when he became a member of Ealing Round Table; he was their youngest ever chairman at 25, and continued to be a member until 40 - their retirement age.

He then began to get involved with Ealing Cricket Club: he was club captain for six years, and one of the first of many fund-raising events he organised for the club was a tour to Barbados in 1979. He has now been club president for more than 17 years, and the club has through its involvement with the local community become a full charity.

In the 1980s he began organising six-a-side cricket days, always linked to a charity, and raising anything up to £10,000 at a time. The most recent of these days, in July 2010, raised more than £5,000 for the Wooden Spoon Society and £15,000 for the Lords Taverners .

Within the hardware trade, for more than 25 years he has actively supported the Rainy Day Trust. He has been treasurer, secretary and president, and remains a trustee. He has acted as an auctioneer and has appealed for donations at many trade dinners, notably at events organised by the British Hardware Federation and NMBS.

He is also a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants, and is scheduled to become Master in October 2013. The company raises many thousands of pounds every year, and he is chair of the Livery's Lord Mayor's Float working party - this requires the raising of ten of thousands of pounds which in turn supports the Lord Mayor's charity appeals as well as the charity accounts of the Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants.

He has always supported the Lords Taverners, and to celebrate his 50th year he decided to raise £10,000 for them. He organised a golf day , a race day and many parties at which the guests were asked to make a financial contribution instead of bringing a gift.

Mr Poore is self-deprecating about his BEM: "It's very humbling, and a real honour," he told DIY Week.