Man receives King's Award from inside a skip

The founder of a company that has upcycled 20,000 doors has received one of the monarch's business honours while standing inside a skip.

Joseph Holman started his Luton business, Green Doors, in 2014 after he found a set of doors in a skip.

Holman said receiving the King's Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development category from Susan Lousada, the Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, in this unusual way "[felt] like the most honest way to tell that story".

He said he had spoken for "several minutes" to King Charles III at Windsor Castle last June, shortly after being told he would get the award, and said he was "very relaxed with everyone".

Winners of the King's Award for Enterprise receive a royal seal of approval, allowing them to fly the flag and use the emblem for five years.

"Everyone knows the King is very passionate about the environment and so it was great to tell him about the work we have been doing," Holman said.

"We work long and hard at our warehouse in Luton and this [award] is a massive boost for us all."

Last year, the business rescued more than 3,000 items from landfill, selling them to builders, homeowners and renovators.

Holman said that putting plastic uPVC doors in landfill was a "dreadful thing as they release horrible toxins into the atmosphere as they degrade".

The business now generates about £2m in revenue and employs six staff.

Items on display in the warehouse include high-security doors from the former US Embassy in London and historic pieces such as 14th Century church doors.

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