Television presenter Jan Slagter and entertainer Jorgen Raymann are among the 2,838 people awarded a decoration in king Willem-Alexander’s latest honours list on Friday.

Slagter, who founded the Max public broadcaster, was given his award for his charity work for the elderly and the handicapped. Raymann’s award was for his work for orphanages in Suriname and social issues in the Netherlands such as domestic violence.

Most of the awards are made to people who do voluntary work but the total is lower than in recent years, Dutch media report. Just 144 awards were made to people on the basis of their paid jobs.

One elderly recipient, Henk Hijerman from Hippolytushoef in Noord-Holland, refused to travel to the local town hall to pick up his award, the Telegraaf reports. ‘I’m 85. What do I need with such a thing?’ he told the paper. The local mayor later delivered the award in person.

Most people were made members of the Order of Oranje-Nassau – which has six levels. That honour was introduced in 1892 for foreigners and the ‘lower classes’. Just 12 were made knights in the more exclusive Order of the Dutch Lion.

The first Dutch honour was introduced by king Willem 1 in 1815.