COVENTRY City may be on their way to Wembley but their colours have already been on display at Buckingham Palace when a leading business figure was awarded an MBE.
David Shortland, who runs several property firms in the city, sported a Sky Blues tie as he was presented his MBE by Prince Charles.
David, who was born and educated in the city, is a lifelong Sky Blues fan and his work has involved spearheading the £17 million redevelopment of the Belgrade Theatre, where he spent ten years as a director and chairman and remains an Honorary Ambassador and Director of Belgrade Production Services.
The former King Henry VIII School pupil founded estate agents Shortland Horne in 1995 followed by commercial property agents Shortland Penn + Moore, and land development firm Bluemark.
David has held a range of key positions in the city – he has been a member of the Coventry University Business School Advisory Board, a board member of Coventry and Warwickshire Champions and chairman of the Associate Directors at Coventry City.
He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Coventry University in 2006 and in 2014 he was presented with a Good Citizen Award by Coventry City Council, in recognition of his services to the regeneration of the city
“It’s been 30 years since Brian Kilcline was passed the FA Cup at Wembley, so I thought it was about time someone else wearing sky blue was handed an award by a member of the Royal Family,” said David, who still lives in Coventry with his wife Paula, with whom he has three daughters, three granddaughters and one grandson.
“It was very rewarding and surprising to be recognised for my work in the city, so it was only fitting that I wore something synonymous with Coventry when receiving the MBE.
“Throughout my working life I have tried to have a positive impact on the city, I have been honoured to be involved in some fantastic projects and I will keep working to have a positive impact on the city that raised me.”
