Bristol's first black social worker and a former governor of the University of the West of England were given honorary degrees yesterday.

At Bristol Cathedral Paul Stephenson OBE and Ray Burton joined hundreds of students from the school of education to receive their degrees.

Mr Stephenson was given the honour in recognition of his substantial contribution to pioneering work in race relations and the extension of opportunities to socially excluded young people.

In a later ceremony Mr Burton was conferred in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the development and growth of the University of the West of England, specifically in the role of chair of the board of governors.

Although originally born in Essex, Mr Stephenson came to Bristol in 1962 and was the city's first black social worker. He founded the West Indian Development Council to campaign against racism and in particular the ban on the employment of black people to work on Bristol buses.

He continued his campaigning against racism and in 1964 refused to leave a public house which was not serving black people.

He was arrested and in the subsequent court case, the court accepted that racism was at the heart of the exclusion and he was acquitted. The manager of the public house lost his job. His campaigns helped to pave the way for the first Race Relations Act, which was passed in 1965.

As well as appointments in the Bristol West Indies Cricket Club, working for the Commission for Race Equality and as the first black member of the Sports Council Mr Stephenson has received numerous accolades and awards.

He was given an award from the United Nations in 1974, and received an OBE in April this year. He said: "The honorary degree conferred on me by the University of the West of England is greatly appreciated and I hope will give inspiration to many of Bristol's black and ethnic minorities in their attempts to overcome racial intolerance and seek to make Bristol a haven of hope and understanding for all."

Mr Burton was born in Graz, Austria and began his career as an accountant in Birmingham. He moved to Bristol in 1991, as partner in charge of the Bristol and Gloucester offices of Coopers. During this time he was also a member of the organising group for the Matthew Project and Bristol International Festival of the Sea.

In 2001 he became a Governor of the University of the West of England. He succeeded Karen Morgan as chairman in 2004 and stepped down in April 2009. As representative of the Committee of University Chairs, he was a board member of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education between 2007 and 2009 and chaired its audit committee. He was also a governor of Millfield between 2002 and 2008. He said: "It is a very special privilege for me to be awarded this honorary degree.

" I am immensely grateful to the staff of the university, to my fellow governors, and to our Chancellor, Lady Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, for the help, guidance and support I received during my period as chairman. I look forward to seeing UWE's success continue in the years ahead."