Introduction from the Bishop
Once again this year The Etheldreda Medal will be awarded to a number of individuals who have given ‘generous and outstanding service which would not otherwise be recognised’. The medal will be awarded to suitable candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation. I am writing to you to ask you to consider whether you know anyone who might be suitable for such an award, and if so to make a formal nomination.
The Etheldreda Medal Award is for persons whose service to community (which might be as ‘local’ as their extended family but could be as extensive as a national or international concern) is both ‘generous’ and ‘outstanding’. It is also essential that the person’s good works have hitherto been unrecognised. I am looking for exceptional people; those who might (in partnership with others) come close to being nominated for a King’s Award for Voluntary Service. This award is for those who not only service their church communities, but also serve their wider community in exemplary fashion. For many people this will be about the duration and persistence of their good works, for others it may relate to a short but extraordinary act of kindness or course of conduct.
The closing date for nominations for the 2024 awards is 31 May 2024. The nominations will then be reviewed by a panel of volunteers who have been appointed by me (in conjunction with The Revd Canon James Reveley) to identify suitable recipients.
This year we will be limiting the number of awards to eighteen. Most of these awards will be presented publicly at a special service at Ely Cathedral on 26 October 2024 but there will be other opportunities throughout the year, and I expect to make further awards in 2026 and biannually thereafter.
The Nomination Form (which contains details of the procedure and some fictional examples of the kind of people to whom I wish to make the award) is available on the Diocesan website (see below).
I hope you will help me with this project, either by making a nomination yourself, or by encouraging others to do so.
In the event that you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact the Convener of the Etheldreda Medal Award Selection Panel, The Revd Canon James Reveley on 01353 660302 or (preferably) by emailing him on James.Reveley@elycathedral.org heading up your message ‘Etheldreda Medal Award’.
With every good wish
+Dagmar
The Right Revd Dr Dagmar Winter, Acting Bishop of Ely
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The Etheldreda Medal
The Etheldreda Medal has been commissioned by the Bishop of Ely and has been designed by Jonathan Clarke to incorporate the image of his magnificent ‘Way of Life’ sculpture which captivates and inspires so many visitors to the Cathedral. Each medal will be inscribed with the name of the recipient and the date of the award.
Guidance and Nomination Process
Before you complete the form please take time to read these notes carefully. The Etheldreda Award is a medal presented by the Bishop of Ely to people who have given ‘generous and outstanding service which would not otherwise be recognised’. The medal will be awarded to suitable candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, nationality, religion or sexual orientation.
Candidates will be selected from the nominations received by a panel of volunteers who have been appointed by the Bishop to identify around twenty suitable recipients. Most of these awards will be presented publicly at a special service at Ely Cathedral on 26 October 2024 and there will be further awards in 2026 and biennially thereafter.
The selection panel will only consider candidates
- for whom a nomination form has been properly completed
- for whose good character the nominator is prepared to give a personal undertaking
- for whom an award would present no safeguarding issues and
- for whom two suitable character references have been offered
Although there is no ‘cut off date’ (because more awards will be made in subsequent years), nomination forms for those who are to be considered for the 2024 presentations should be sent to the Award Secretary no later than 31 May 2024.
The Etheldreda Medal is for persons whose service to wider community, is both ‘generous’ and ‘outstanding’. It is also essential that the person’s good works have hitherto been unrecognised. The Bishop is looking for exceptional people; those who might (in partnership with others) come close to being nominated for a King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
For many people this will be about the duration and persistence of their good works, for others it may relate to a short but extraordinary act of kindness or course of conduct.
If you think the person you are going to nominate is a suitable candidate, then
- Do not tell them: It is important that people who have given much to their community are not caused unnecessary disappointment because others are deemed more suitable for the award.
- Complete the nomination form carefully with an accurate pen-picture of the individual in question and a detailed description of their activities.
- Supply the names and addresses of two referees who, having agreed to act in this way, would say why they support your proposal and who, with you, are prepared to state that to the best of their knowledge the person concerned is of good character. One of the referees must be in a position of responsibility within the context of the nomination (for example: The Governor of a Prison/Young Offenders’ Institution; the Chief Executive of an NHS Trust; the Headteacher of a school; the Director of a company; or the Minister of a church). It is imperative that the designated referees do not speak to the nominated individual for the reasons set out above. We will only contact them for references if the nominee is shortlisted.
- Sign the form and email it or post it to:
- Email: bishoppa@elydiocese.org or
- Post: The Etheldreda Medal Award Secretary, The Bishop’s House, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 4DW.
Nomination Form
These Guidelines and the Nomination form can be downloaded from the link below.
In the event that a nominee is successful, the Award Panel Convener will contact them to inform them that they have been selected for the award and will ask them whether they wish to receive it, so please give careful thought to whether or not they are likely to welcome the award.
Here are some fictional examples to indicate the type of people who would be suitable for the Etheldreda Medal.
Parjeet Singh is a hospital cleaner who is modestly paid but works way beyond his contracted hours. He has been ‘the face of Nightingale Ward’ for as long as anyone can remember. He has always made a point of befriending unvisited patients, is always cheerful and overflows with kindness to anyone in need of a chat or a few minutes company.
Bobbie Davis is fifteen with severe learning difficulties. She has recently completed a half marathon, raising £750 for the special school attended by her little brother who has Downs Syndrome.
Hilary McTavish is a care worker who has held together a group of volunteers serving a deprived area in the Diocese despite countless reorganisations and budget cuts. Her volunteers are the last line of support for many people in that community who, due to budget cuts, feel that they have been abandoned by government and local authority agencies.
Eddie Marston runs a lunchtime sandwich delivery business on the business parks around Anytown. For the last eight years, three evenings a week and at his own expense, he takes food into the Town Centre and offers it ‘gratis’ to the homeless and street community.