THE lifetime contribution to newspapers made by Sir Ray Tindle, the owner of the Abergavenny Chronicle has been recognised by the Journalists’ Charity, which has presented him with its special award.

Sir Ray Tindle is the founder and chairman of Britain’s biggest independent family owned local newspaper group. The group’s keyword is local and it is Sir Ray’s passion for local news that earns him the Journalists’ Charity special award.

Often standing against the tide, Sir Ray, a strong believer in the future of print, has opened new papers where others have closed them and rescued titles that were destined for extinction.

The Guardian’s media commentator Roy Greenslade described him as the grand old man of local newspapers while Prince Charles says he is ‘a legend’.

According to the Independent, he is “a ray of sunshine – a man making money out of local papers.”

Sir Ray, who is 91 years old, started his first paper on a troop ship to the Far East and then spent his £300 demob money buying the Tooting and Balham Gazette. Now his empire includes more than 200 titles with a combined circulation of more than 1.4 million.

Not immune from the immense financial pressures facing the newspaper industry, staff numbers have fallen, but Tindle Newspapers has never introduced compulsory redundancies and the group remains free of debt.

Sir Ray has supported the Journalists’ Charity for many years and has achieved the ultimate accolade - the bar at the charity’s nursing home in Dorking is named after him in recognition of his generous contribution to the cost of building the home.

Unfortunately Sir Ray, was unable to pick up his award in person and it was accepted on his behalf by Mick Ferris, editor in chief of the Yellow Advertiser, a Tindle newspaper.