FORMER Allanson Street Primary and Parr High School pupil, Dennis Bate poses proudly outside Buckingham Palace after collecting his CBE from the Queen.

Dennis, who went from being a tea boy to managing director of an international construction company, was rewarded in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for his work with New Deal.

One of seven children born and bred in Sorogold Street, Fingerpost, he left school in 1959 with minimal qualifications and began his working life as a tea boy before being offered an apprenticeship as a joiner and the chance to study for construction qualifications. He now sits on the main board of Manchester-based Bovis Construction Ltd. and has responsibility over the North West, Midlands, Scotland and Russia.

And his own experience has played a big part in his belief in New Deal, the Government's scheme to give youngsters more career opportunities. As chairman of the Employer Group of Manchester's City Pride Partnership and a member of the National Advisory Group made up of private sector industries, Dennis has been heavily involved in the scheme and even set up placements for young people at Bovis' Manchester offices.

He said: "I am proud to have received my CBE in association with New Deal. We must give young people a chance because they don't often get that key opportunity to prove themselves in the workplace."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.