A THORNBURY man has been honoured for his dedicated work on behalf of the Air Training Corps.

Flight Lieutenant Timothy Barley received his Certificate for Meritorious Service from Her Majesty's lord-lieutenant of Gloucestershire, dame Janet Trotter DBE.

The presentation took place during ceremonies at the Officers Mess, Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps in Gloucester.

Tim, 35, a chartered health and safety practitioner who works for the Mitie Group, is commanding officer of Thornbury-based 2392 Squadron. It is the unit where he himself was a cadet between 1993 and 1999.

After that, he became a qualified gliding instructor, completing more than 2,300 flights while training cadets.

The return to 2392 Squadron occurred after he was commissioned in 2005 and, by 2010, he was Commanding Officer, leading a drive to boost cadet numbers from a low base.

“We have managed it by developing an attractive training programme and a strong team of staff,” Tim said.

“These elements are key to getting young people from all kinds of backgrounds enthused about what we do. Young people like a structure. They also respond positively to the sort of leadership and discipline which, in some cases, may not be present in the home.”

Tim’s wife Lisa is a flying officer in the Thornbury Squadron. Together with their three-year-old black Labrador Nelson, a regular attendee on training nights, they enjoy leading the cadets on expeditions – including a recent Dartmoor adventure.