The 2025 Sheriffs’ Award Reception was held in the Judges’ Dining Room at the Old Bailey on Friday, February 21, by invitation of Alderman and Sheriff Gregory Jones and Sheriff David Chalk.
The reception is held to mark the acts of bravery of the previous recipients and those highly commended by the Sheriffs; and to encourage nominations for this year’s Award.
The Master, Michael Thwaites opened the proceedings and thanked the Sheriffs for hosting, and the assembled guests for their support. Junior Warden, Andrew Knights, as the Chair of the 2025 Sheriffs’ Award Working Group Nomination Year, recapped its purpose and history.
Briefly, a spontaneous act of bravery to help another is one of the great human characteristics. In many cases the helper does not know the one who needs help, the act may put themselves at risk, and there is no expectation by the person that they will get any reward or recognition.
The many acts of bravery carried out by members of the public in the aftermath of the London 7-7 terrorism of July 2005 prompted a discussion about how such acts could be recognised which led to the then Lord Mayor Sir David Brewer agreeing to the Sheriffs’ Award for Bravery in 2006. The aim; to recognise “someone who has displayed an act of courage in protecting, people property or liberty” with the responsibility for the running of the award being granted to the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals (WCoSP).
The guests were able to see the Roll of Honour Board mounted outside the Judges’ Dining Room and the Book of Honour with all the Principal Recipients Citations recorded.
Alderman and Sheriff Gregory Jones noted that guests coming into the dining room do stop and look at and read the book of citations and comment on the acts of bravery recorded in the book. Also, how moved the Sheriffs had been to see the details of the actions contained in the nominations they had been asked to judge. Kayley Mansfield, the 2024 Principal Recipient, had intervened in a violent assault by three men armed with a knife on a single man in a car park in Guildford town centre in Surrey. The victim’s life was at risk in the altercation but Kayley intervened and saved the victim.
Nominations are now being sought from across the UK for 2025, and are open to any person, whether a member of the public, the emergency services, the armed forces or anyone employed in the scurity industry. The closing date for nominations is August 1. The Principal Recipient receives a trophy, a framed certificate and £5,000; plus recognition on the honours board and in the honours book.
If you know someone who deserves to be nominated, submit your nomination via the WCoSP website: https://wcosp.org/the-sheriffs-award-for-bravery/. Or you can contact the WCoSP clerk, via email – [email protected].
