A Boston man who has been ‘the driving force’ in providing the area with accessible woods and parkland over the past 25 years and beyond has been named in the King’s Birthday Honours List for 2026.
Adrian Isaac, 84, has been awarded a British Empire Medal for services to the environment.
Adrian is president of The Boston Woods Trust, an independent charitable trust he co-founded in 2001 to develop woodland around Boston.
It followed work he had done with the Woodland Trust to create Westgate Wood, near Wyberton, at the end of the 90s.
Today, including Westgate Wood, The Boston Woods Trust overseas 165 acres of land – all freely open for anyone to enjoy, all day, every day.
Speaking to The Standard, he said he welcomed the honour, but not because of what it meant to him, but how it might help the trust.
“I’m not bothered about myself,” he said. “It’s nice it might attract more attention.”
Adrian, a former managing director with Oldrids, said he hoped the award would raise the profile of the trust to help it attract more volunteers and funds.
“I thought it could work for us, if it was handled right,” he said. “We have just purchased more land and possibly have got some more coming up.”
The trust motto is ‘making the dream a reality’, with the dream being a belt of accessible woods and parkland to the west of Boston.
In a post on Facebook, The Boston Woods Trust described Adrian as ‘the driving force’ in this ambition.
“In the last 25 years, the project has grown from the original Westgate Wood to the expanding Sir Joseph Bank Country Park, plus the Fenside Woods and Dion’s Wood Nature Reserve.
“He has developed a strong team of volunteers who are learning from all his experience, so the work that he has initiated will carry on.
“Congratulations Adrian – a very worthy recipient and an inspiration to us all.”
Asked how he felt about what has been achieved so far, Adrian, once again humbly, said: “It’s a start. There’s a long way to go.”
