Friday, October 2 is the deadline for entering the UK Security Commonwealth (SyCom) umbrella body’s 2026 David Clark Award. It’s a pair of annual awards to recognise voluntary contributions to the UK security sector. The individual and group category winners to be announced at ASIS UK’s central London winter seminar on November 19.
The full title: the David Clark CPP PCI PSP FISRM FInstLM Award for Exceptional Contribution to the UK Security Sector. It was first presented in 2021 as a tribute to David Clark, former Chair of the Security Commonwealth and of ASIS International’s UK Chapter. Clark, pictured, described by those who knew him as a natural “people person” with a selfless approach to developing initiatives, teams and individuals, made an exceptional voluntary contribution to the profession before his untimely death in 2019.
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Nominations are open in two categories: an outstanding individual, and a programme or initiative โ including cross-organisational projects โ each requiring the recommendation of a Security Commonwealth member body. Self-nominations are permitted, provided they are approved by a relevant SyCom member before submission. Written entries must be no more than 650 words and must address all six judging criteria, based on the Commonwealth’s high-level aims and objectives:
Commercially focused applications, and initiatives directly linked to sitting SyCom Board Members, are not considered.
Judging
Nominations will be assessed by an adjudication panel drawn from Commonwealth member groups and other industry professionals, overseen by a Security Commonwealth moderating panel, with an independent adjudicator invited to safeguard consistency and transparency. Completed and approved nominations should be emailed to awards@securitycommonwealth.org.
Hosted by ASIS UK
Hosting duties rotate among Commonwealth member bodies as part of their conference and business activities, and those interested in hosting a ceremony are invited to contact the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth retains overall ownership and management of the award process to ensure it remains open, inclusive and achievable for all its members.
Recent winners
In 2025, presented at an Association of Security Consultants (ASC) gathering at the British Library, the individual award went to Nick Aldworth, a former senior counter-terrorism police officer who campaigned for Martyn’s Law, while the Women’s Security Network โ championed by Liz Lloyd of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) โ won the group category. In 2023, the business crime reduction partnership body Safer Business Networks was recognised for its “Ask for Angela” and WAVE initiatives promoting the safety of women in the night-time economy, and in 2022 security consultant and ASC stalwart Roger Noakes of Daro Associates received the individual award. The inaugural, 2021 award went to the Inclusive Security Special Interest Group (ISSIG) of the Security Institute.
How to enter
Nomination forms and guidance are available at securitycommonwealth.org/dcaward.
About the Commonwealth
The UK Security Commonwealth is an umbrella organisation bringing together independent membership bodies from across private security, working to be the all-inclusive industry advocate on security issues in the UK and to build lasting networks and alliances across the sector.
