Bernard McGill, unionlearn Regional Manager, has been awarded an MBE in the the Queen’s Birthday Honours List (13th June, 2009) for services to lifelong learning and to trade unions in the North East. Newcastle-based Bernard joined the TUC in 1999, with a brief to develop a network of union learning representatives in the region. Starting from scratch, he has been successful in working with trade unions and employers in the region to build up a cohort of almost 4,000 union learning reps across the North East. This network, supported by unionlearn, the TUC’s learning and skills organisation, has helped tens of thousands of learners in workplaces such as Newcastle City Council, Cummins, Darlington, and Royal Mail in Middlesborough.