Tag: Department for Culture and Media

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 29 November 2023.

The Prime Minister has reappointed Alastair Marsh as Trustee of Royal Museums Greenwich.

Alastair Marsh

Appointed for a four year term commencing 01 July 2023.

Alastair Marsh stepped down as Group Chief Executive Officer of Lloyd’s Register Group on 31 December 2020 after 13 years, having been both Group CFO and Group CEO during this time.

Safety and risk are at the heart of the LR Group, which began as Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, a marine classification company, and continues to be one of the four key global providers of this service today.

Alastair is a qualified Chartered Accountant and prior to joining LR, worked for Price Waterhouse before holding a number of senior financial management positions within the high-tech manufacturing, chemicals, software and ICT sectors.

Alastair was appointed Chairman of the Private Equity backed Accountancy Services group Xeinadin in March 2021, and a Non-Executive Director of the Hong Based Ship Management Group Wallem in July 2022. He is also a Trustee of the Royal Museums Greenwich, where he Chairs the Audit and Risk Committee.

He is Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights, and is a Younger Brother of Trinity House.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Trustees of the Royal Museums Greenwich are not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Alastair Marsh has not declared any significant political activity.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 24 November 2023.

Export bar placed on Iron Age gold brooches to allow time for a UK institution to acquire them.

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay has placed an export bar on a set of Iron Age gold brooches dating back to the first century BC, so that a domestic buyer can be found.

The brooches, valued at £260,000 (plus VAT of £52,000), are at risk of leaving the UK permanently.

They are a rare set of exceptionally preserved jewellery, consisting of two brooches and three chains connected by a pendant, made entirely from gold. The form of the two brooches and the style of gold working on the chain and pendant suggest they were made between 80–20 BC.

The brooches are similar to the Winchester Hoard, which was discovered in Hampshire in 2000 and is now on display at the British Museum. In both examples, the makers used pre-Roman Mediterranean craft techniques on object forms particular to France during the time of the Gallic wars and Roman invasions of southern Britain.

Arts & Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

This intricate and rare jewellery, more than two thousand years old, demonstrates the quality craftsmanship of the British Isles in the late Iron Age.

I hope this beguiling and well-preserved set can remain in the UK so that it can be studied and enjoyed for many years to come.

The minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest.

Committee Member Tim Pestell said:

This exquisite and rare set of brooches and chain is a remarkable survivor of the period when Roman rule was being exerted over the British Isles in the first century BC. First recognised when being sold in an English antiques shop, the set bears similarity to the pair of gold pins and linking chain found by a metal-detectorist near Winchester in 2000, now in the British Museum.

Together, these brooch and chain sets provide an intriguing reminder of the wealth and sophistication of elite jewellery, and the strength of Roman cultural and political influence on native Iron Age peoples on both sides of the Channel.

Despite their lack of provenance, the rarity and completeness of this brooch suite makes it an important example of Late Iron Age jewellery with few parallels and great research potential. I hope that a museum or private individual may come forward to enable it to be retained in the UK and made available to the public.

The committee made its recommendation on the basis that the brooches met the second and third Waverley criteria for their outstanding significance for the study of goldwork and the Roman empire during the 1st century BC.

The decision on the export licence application for the brooches will be deferred for a period ending on 23 February 2024 (inclusive). At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 Business Days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the brooches at the recommended price of £260,000 (plus VAT of £52,000 which can be reclaimed by an eligible institution). The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for three months.

Offers from public bodies for less than the recommended price through the private treaty sale arrangements, where appropriate, may also be considered by the Minister. Such purchases frequently offer substantial financial benefit to a public institution wishing to acquire the item.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 24 November 2023.

The Prime Minister has reappointed Catherine Goodman and Stuart Roden as Trustees of the National Gallery.

Catherine Goodman LVO

Reappointed for a four year term commencing 01 November 2023.

Catherine Goodman is an artist, educator, and the Founding Artistic Director of the Royal Drawing School, which she co-established in 2000 with the former The Prince of Wales, now His Majesty King Charles III.

She trained at Camberwell School of Arts & Crafts and at the Royal Academy Schools for her MA. In 1987 she won the Royal Academy Gold Medal and in 2002, she won First Prize in the BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery. She was made Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order for services to the Royal Drawing School in 2014.

Catherine is represented by Hauser & Wirth and has had numerous solo exhibitions including ‘Portraits from Life’ at the National Portrait Gallery in 2014 and ‘the last house in the world’ at Marlborough Fine Art London in 2016; in 2019 she exhibited at Hauser & Wirth Somerset following five months as Artist in Residence, and at Marlborough Gallery New York with her solo exhibition, ‘the light gets in’. Goodman’s paintings are held in numerous private and public collections including the National Portrait Gallery, the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge, and the Royal Collection Trust. Goodman is included in ‘Great Women Artists’ published by Phaidon Press in 2019.

Stuart Roden

Reappointed for a four year term commencing 01 November 2023.

Until January 2019 Stuart was Chair of Lansdowne Partners having previously co-managed the Developed Markets Fund since their inception in 2001. Stuart is non-Executive Chair of Hetz Ventures, Tresidor Investment Management and Chair of Lewis Advisors.

On the non-profit side, Stuart is Chair and Founder of Unlocking Potential and Chair of The Design Museum. He is a trustee of The National Gallery, The Centre for Social Justice and the London School of Economics.

Stuart started his career in the City in 1984, joining SG Warburg & Co, then McKinsey and prior to joining Lansdowne in 2001, was a Managing Director at Merrill Lynch. He received a first-class honours degree in Economics (BSc) from the London School of Economics.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Trustees of the National Gallery are not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Catherine Goodman has not declared any significant political activity. Stuart Roden has declared that he has previously made a recordable donation to The Labour Party.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 23 November 2023.

His Majesty the King has appointed Catrin Anderson, Jonathan Freeman and Duncan McCourt as Board Members of the National Citizen Service Trust.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 21 November 2023.

Lord Parkinson speech from the launch of the British Art Market Federation’s new economic report: ‘The British Art Market in 2023’.

Good morning. I am delighted to be with you today for the launch of the latest economic survey of the UK art market by Dr. Clare McAndrew.

Thank you to Anthony Browne for inviting me to join you and to say a few words.

Anthony regularly comes to brief the Secretary of State, our officials, and me on the state of the art market, and the challenges facing it — As well he should as the issue is an asset of huge national importance.

There’s the economic impact, of course — providing direct employment to tens of thousands of highly-skilled people, and supporting almost as many jobs again in the ancillary businesses which provide the specialist skills it draws on.

There’s the fiscal contribution of some £1.5 billion, and the great benefit to the Exchequer of being a global hub for the international trade — with billions of pounds’ worth of works of art being imported and exported across our borders each year.

There’s the soft power of being the marketplace for some of the world’s most important artworks, antiques, and antiquities – and sharing the UK’s extraordinary creativity with ever larger audiences around the world.

There’s the magnetic effect it has for our visitor economy — something on fine display last month, as we marked 20 years of Frieze London, which the Prime Minister was proud to celebrate with a reception at 10 Downing Street.

The art market sustains and inspires so many wonderful exhibitions, art fairs, and other vibrant events which create additional spending and employment and attract tourists, both around the country and around the world.

Visitors to London during Frieze Week were spoiled for choice this year — with world-class exhibitions including Sarah Lucas at Tate Britain, Marina Abramović at the Royal Academy, Claudette Johnson at the Courtauld, and Frans Hals at the National Gallery — and that’s only mentioning a handful in Zone One.

That reflects the wider, and integral role the UK art market plays in our cultural life.

Our commercial galleries and dealers play a vital role in nurturing the careers of the UK’s visual artists. That’s why London has the greatest concentration of artists of any city anywhere in the world – and why so many other towns and cities across the country are similarly fizzing with artistic talent.

And I am very grateful for the expertise of the many art market professionals who advise my Department on cultural property matters.
So today is a chance for me to say thank you for the part you all contribute to that global success story.

And it is, of course, a moment to ensure we are doing everything we can to maintain it.

Today, we have the second largest art market in the world – behind only the United States, and larger than the rest of Europe put together.

But the global market is increasingly competitive – and that position is not ours by rights.

Dr. McAndrew’s report has charted the extraordinary resilience of the UK art market as it bounces back from the bleak months of the pandemic.

It has been able to draw on its great wealth of expertise and dynamism to overcome the challenges of COVID-19 – and those will be invaluable resources to draw on as it faces the challenges of the future.

But Government must play its part too. That is why I am glad to join you today – and glad to have ongoing relationship we do with the British Art Market Federation reassure you that we recognise what a great asset we have in the UK art market, and that we stand behind the sector as it works to retain its international competitive edge – and to remain a great British success story long into the future.

I know, from my conversations with Anthony and others, that leaving the European Union has brought new processes, not all of them favourable.

But having sovereign control of our borders has also brought the opportunity to innovate; to review and refine our customs rules.

We have already revoked the EU Regulation which will require import licences and importer statements for many cultural goods when it comes into effect in 2025, so that it will not apply to imports into Great Britain.

Our ambition is to have the world’s most effective border – and I am grateful to all those who have already made time to engage with our officials on the development of the new Single Trade Window.

That will provide a gateway between businesses and our border processes and systems – including, in time,  export licences which I am glad to say are in the process of being digitised by our colleagues at the Arts Council.

This will allow people to meet their import, export and transit obligations by submitting information once, and in one place.

We are also reviewing Temporary Admission to reduce administrative burdens and simplify the rules – further evidence, I hope you will agree, that the Government is listening to the UK art market.

We know that you make frequent use of the Temporary Admission procedure, and are grateful for the constructive approach taken by the British Art Market Federation and art market practitioners in their responses to the recent public consultation.

We are considering what you have told us carefully and plan further engagement, including with the art market, in the New Year. So please do keep talking to us about it.

So I hope you will see that the Government is watching not just with pride at what we have at present, but a determination to preserve it – and with appreciation for all the evidence you bring to us which helps us in our conversations across government.

Chief among that, of course, is Dr. McAndrew’s annual report – an invaluable source of information, So I’m delighted to be here today and looking forward to hearing the evidence within it.

Thanks for having me.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 21 November 2023.

Culture Secretary promises to remove “Sword of Damocles” anti-free press laws as she opens Second Reading of the Media Bill.

New measures added to ensure a wide range of TV genres continue to be shown by the UK’s main broadcasters, and to protect free access to crown jewel sports events
Bill will help Britain’s public service broadcasters (PSBs) make more hit shows and ensure they are prominently shown on smart TVs and via streaming sticks
A new Ofcom-regulated Video-on-demand Code for major streamers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ will better protect children and most vulnerable
TV and radio audiences could see more high quality British programmes hitting screens and speakers as new laws to maximise the potential of UK broadcasters are debated in Parliament today (Tues 21 Nov).

The Media Bill, which has its Second Reading in the House of Commons today, will update decades-old legislation to unleash the power of British broadcasters to attract bigger audiences in the UK and abroad, empowering them to invest in new talent and technology while supporting the government’s ambition to grow the creative industries by £50 billion and one million jobs by 2030.

Among the Bill’s measures, the PSBs are set to gain more control over their TV schedules and on-demand offerings through more flexible rules on the types of programmes they are required to show, allowing each PSB to focus more on the content it is uniquely positioned to deliver.

Following feedback on the draft Bill, the laws will now require PSBs to ensure an “appropriate range of programme genres” are available on their services, protecting against a potential reduction in specialist genres of shows – such as religious, science and arts programming. A specific requirement for PSBs to continue to broadcast news and children’s programming is included.

The Bill will ensure British audiences continue to access free live coverage of our biggest sporting moments, like the Fifa World Cup and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. A loophole which could have seen unregulated streaming services bypass the regime that protects free access to these major sport events will be closed, after Ministers updated the Bill.

The new definition of “relevant services” ensures that TV-like services not currently captured by the listed events regime but providing live content to UK audiences via the internet, will now be captured. This will ensure the rights for listed events continue to be offered on fair and reasonable terms to PSBs as sport audience viewing habits evolve.

Opening the debate, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer is expected to say:

We are in a golden age for the silver screen and our public service broadcasters are a major reason why. Whether it’s reality shows like the Great British Bake Off and I’m A Celebrity, or dramas like Time, Happy Valley or Broadchurch – our public service broadcasters have proven they can go toe-to-toe with the streaming giants.

But success today is never a guarantee of success tomorrow. The rise of streaming giants and on-demand content, YouTube and smartphones, tablets and Tik Tok have combined to reshape our whole broadcasting landscape.

It is our job to enact reforms that keep our broadcasters at the top of their game in the years ahead. This Bill will do that by levelling the playing field, removing threats to their sustainability and opening up new opportunities to maximise growth and unlock potential.

This Bill has media freedom at its core. Section 40, and the possibility of publishers having to pay the legal costs of the people who sue them, even if they win, has hung over our media like a Sword of Damocles. This Bill removes the sword for good.

S4C Chief Operating Officer Elin Morris said:

The Media Bill will confirm S4C’s position as a multi-platform Welsh-language content provider across the UK and beyond.

The new framework will ensure that indigenous languages, including Welsh, are part of the new public service remit for television in the UK.

The Bill will extend legislation for online TV viewing and ensure that S4C Clic is available on connected TVs and prominent on TV sets in Wales.

This will allow us to further develop our services and place Welsh-language content on the main platforms across the UK.

Other measures in the Media Bill
The legislation will support our world-class public service broadcasters – the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, STV and S4C – through new requirements for their apps and content to be shown prominently on popular smart TVs and streaming sticks.

Audiences will benefit from stronger protections from harmful or age-inappropriate shows through a new Ofcom regulated Video-on-demand Code on the biggest streaming platforms and new requirements for subtitling, audio description and signing to cover mainstream on-demand services.

UK radio will receive new protections to ensure services are easily accessible on smart speakers – from major national stations to the smallest community stations – and obsolete red tape putting an unnecessary burden on commercial radio services will be removed.

Laws which threatened to force newspapers to pay both sides’ costs in any legal proceedings, even if they won, will be repealed via the Bill. The Bill will boost S4C, the Welsh language broadcaster, by allowing it to broaden its reach in the UK and beyond and offer its content on a range of new digital services.

As announced earlier this month, Channel 4 will get new freedoms to make and own its content to boost its long-term sustainability, while new safeguards for production companies would protect millions of pounds of investment in programmes made by independent TV producers across the UK.

The press release issued by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on 20 November 2023.

Culture Secretary brings creative industries together to discuss impact of AI.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 15 November 2023.

A temporary export bar has been placed on William Hogarth’s painting Taste in High Life.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 14 November 2023.

• Culture Secretary hosts WeCreate conference in Manchester to meet with businesses in the creative industries and forge ahead with plans to grow creative industries by £50 billion by 2030
• Six areas across England awarded share of £10.9 million to scale up hundreds of creative industry businesses, boosting access to private finance and business support
• Grassroots music venues, promoters and festivals across England encouraged to apply for share of £5 million investment to help develop new audiences and income opportunities

Hundreds of creative businesses will benefit from more than £10 million of targeted support to attract investment and create jobs as part of the Government’s goal to grow the creative industries by £50 billion by 2030.

It comes as Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer brings together more than 140 cultural and creative businesses across film, TV, fashion, music and video games at the WeCreate conference at Aviva Studios in Manchester, to celebrate the success of the creative industries across the North of England and discuss how government and the sectors can work together to maximise their potential even further.

Firms across Greater Manchester – such as Broaden Films and Scoop PR – have already benefited from the first round of the government’s Create Growth Programme. Today the Culture Secretary is doubling the areas covered by the programme, announcing six new areas that will receive a share of £10.9 million for targeted business support, bringing the total number of creative organisations expected to be supported by the programme to 1,800.

The expansion of the Create Growth Programme will see creative businesses across Nottinghamshire, Hull and East Yorkshire, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, Devon and Hertfordshire supported to access private investment and scale-up advice – to turn today’s start-up founders into tomorrow’s CEOs.

The Culture Secretary is also calling on grassroots music venues, recording studios, promoters and festivals to apply for grants of up to £40,000 to develop new revenue streams, make repairs and improvements, and enhance the live music experience for millions of gig-goers across the UK.

Addressing creative industry leaders in Manchester, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer is expected to say:

Today is about not only celebrating all the things that make our creative industries special, but looking ahead to the future and how we, together, can chart a course that keeps these crown jewels of our economy shining for years to come.

We’re already making progress towards the ambitious goals set out in our sector vision, unveiling millions in new funding to drive growth in our grassroots and scale ups and banging the drum for creative careers.

From 2010 to 2019, the creative industries grew more than one and a half times faster than the wider economy and in 2021 they generated £108 billion in economic value. In 2021, they employed 2.3 million people – a 49% increase since 2011. The Government has identified the creative industries as one of five priority sectors to deliver future growth and the Creative Industries Sector Vision set out an ambition to grow these sectors by £50 billion by 2030.

As part of the work to reach this ambition, the WeCreate conference will include a panel discussion on how business and government can work together to maximise investment in the creative industries, as well as a discussion about the adoption of emerging tech in order to drive growth and the challenges and opportunities which AI brings to this.

The conference will be attended by key organisations in the creative industries from across the North of England, including Wakefield Production Park, the Royal Armouries Museum and the Manchester Film Festival, as well as national organisations such as Pinewood Studios, Channel 4 and the British Fashion Council.

The Culture Secretary is launching a new round of the Supporting Grassroots Music Fund, which has been expanded to ensure grants reach more parts of the grassroots industry, including rehearsal and recording studios, promoters, festivals and venues hosting electronic music. The broader eligibility criteria reflects the wide range of spaces and skills that are needed to help musicians perform and thrive.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, said:

This investment by the UK Government and Arts Council England reaffirms our commitment to supporting this hugely important part of the music industry. People value the opportunity to develop and express their creativity, and the grassroots music sector excels at allowing communities to design and develop creative and cultural activity where they live.

We hope this new funding will continue to address the needs of the sector and empower it to carry on offering high-quality live music experiences for audiences across the country.

A pipeline of skills is key to industry growth, and the WeCreate conference comes at the beginning of this year’s Discover! Creative Careers Week, with digital resources and over 70 in-person and virtual events in more than 270 schools and colleges across the country to introduce the next generation of creatives to different sectors, job roles and career pathways. This builds on support from the Local Skills Improvement Fund – announced last week – to improve creative skills training, deliver new creative courses and invest in new facilities and equipment across West Yorkshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire and London.

It will see Calderdale College in Halifax, West Yorkshire, receive £1.2 million to establish a state-of-the-art creative skills hub in Halifax, which will develop and deliver new digital courses covering the latest digital technologies being used across theatre, film, TV, music and video games. Meanwhile, North Hertfordshire College will receive £485,000 to develop courses that meet the skills needs of the film and production industries, and deliver industry-standard equipment for film and media projects.

Notes to editors

Create Growth Programme

The Create Growth Programme, delivered by Innovate UK, was extended with new funding as part of the government’s vision for the creative industries announced earlier this summer, taking the fund’s total to £28.4 million. The funding will enable businesses to better monetise their ideas, access resources and attract private investment to scale up and maximise their potential. Businesses will be able to get access to relevant workshops and masterclasses as well as one-to-one mentoring with industry experts. The programme also provides support for hiring and scaling up and investment training programmes.

The six areas awarded funding today as part of the £10.9 million expansion of the Create Growth Programme are:

• Nottinghamshire
• Hull and East Yorkshire
• West Midlands
• West Yorkshire
• Devon
• Hertfordshire

The amount of funding each area will receive is not set and depends on the individual area’s business needs and the number of businesses that apply for grants and support. More details will become available as the programme progresses.

Since launching in 2022, the programme has funded support for businesses across six regions to help local companies like Broaden Films, a Manchester-based video production company, which has been able to host its own entertainment festival, start building a new sustainable studio and work with more clients as a result of the support.

The six areas already participating in the Create Growth Programme are:

• Greater Manchester
• Leicestershire
• West of England, and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
• East Anglia
• North East
• Kent and the South East

Supporting Grassroots Music Fund

England’s grassroots music industry can now apply for grants from the £5 million Supporting Grassroots Music Fund, managed by Arts Council England (ACE). Grants of up to £40,000, available until March 2025 and delivered through National Lottery Project Grants, will help recipients do things like improve lighting and sound equipment, pay for repairs, and produce more live streamed content to diversify their income and build new audiences.

Since ACE launched the original Supporting Grassroots Live Music Fund in 2019, more than £9 million has been invested in over 450 projects. For example, music venue Komedia in Bath received £44,000 to help improve their sound and lighting equipment, while The Smokehouse in Ipswich received £15,000 to help them book a more diverse range of artists, and offer local artists opportunities to play alongside established names.

More information about the Supporting Grassroots Music Fund can be found on the Arts Council website.

Creative skills

The seven creative projects receiving a share of £165 million from the Local Skills Improvement Fund are being led by:

• Sparsholt College, Hampshire
• Hertford Regional College, Hertfordshire
• North Hertfordshire College, Hertfordshire
• Havant and South Downs College, Hampshire
• Activate Learning, Berkshire
• West Thames College, London
• Calderdale College, West Yorkshire

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 14 November 2023.

• 262 charities, youth groups and museums across the UK recognised for their outstanding work
• Previously known as The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, this year marks the first award in the name of His Majesty King Charles III
• Isle of Wight Literary Festival, Bangladeshi Youth Organisation and Swannington Heritage Trust among those awarded

262 organisations across the UK have been awarded the first ever King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award given to local volunteer groups in recognition of their outstanding community service.

Formerly known as The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the award was established in 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. It is equivalent to an MBE and is the highest honour awarded to voluntary groups.

Awarded annually to some of the UK’s most inspiring volunteer-led groups for their charitable endeavours, this year 227 organisations from England, 20 from Scotland, six from Wales and nine from Northern Ireland have received the first ever King’s Award.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said:

Each year, millions of volunteers give up their time to provide care and support, and this award recognises those truly making a difference to the lives of others across the United Kingdom.

It’s brilliant to see the King continue the legacy of Her Late Majesty and reward those who support their local communities with kindness and compassion. Congratulations to all those who have been awarded.

Sir Martyn Lewis CBE, the KAVS Chair said:

I have no doubt that these awards will delight His Majesty The King, with his well-known commitment to volunteering, on his birthday. This year’s 262 King’s Awards for Voluntary Service honour truly impressive recipients across the length and breadth of the UK.

The awardees work selflessly as groups of volunteers to address every conceivable kind of local issue across all our communities. We owe them huge congratulations, but also much more than that for the inestimable value they bring to our society.

From charities offering financial and practical support to cardiac patients; local community arts and culture centres; search and rescue services and volunteer-run community radio stations, the work of the awardees is wide ranging. Organisations support young people, those suffering from loneliness and isolation, and ethnic minority groups amongst others.

Recipients include:

• BEEP Doctors (BASICs) Cumbria – a local charity delivering free highly-skilled emergency medical care to seriously injured patients across rural and urban Cumbria. In 2022, the organisation attended to 262 call outs and dedicated 1656 hours of volunteering.
• Pegasus Men Wellbeing Centre in Redruth – a support centre offering free one-to-one counselling and wellbeing support to those in Cornwall experiencing a range of issues, including depression, relationship and family issues and managing stress.
• Brill Village Community Herd – a volunteer group caring for a community-owned herd of cows grazing the common in the village of Brill, conserving the habitat and restoring biodiversity. Volunteers check on the herd and work together to relocate it to new grazing areas, bringing the local community together.
• Northumberland Log Bank – a log bank delivering logs to those in need due to financial constraints, poor health, advanced age or rural isolation in rural Northumberland, aiming to support around 300 households this winter.
• Isle of Wight Literary Festival – a registered charity promoting literature to enhance the education and wellbeing of the Island community. They currently have 50 volunteers who provide support to festival goers and speakers alike, maintaining the rooms and ensuring the annual event runs smoothly. The organisation also runs a Schools’ Programme to enrich the education of under 18s by increasing available cultural experiences.
• Wolverhampton ALZ Cafe – a bi monthly gathering offering integrated support to people living with dementia, their families and the community in the West Midlands. They offer a range of free activities including social evenings where beneficiaries can enjoy music, dancing, food and drink as well as day trips.

Throughout her 70-year reign, Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II took a keen interest in recognising outstanding work and acts of service by individuals and groups, a legacy being continued by His Majesty The King. From this year onwards, awardees will be announced annually on 14 November to mark The King’s birthday.

The next round of awards will be assessed from December 2023 until May 2024, with the awardees being announced in November 2024.