The Prime Minister has recently announced that this year’s Birthday Honours, due to be published on 13th June, will be postponed until the autumn and the intention is that some of the people who are currently responding to the Coronavirus pandemic are included. A shortened nomination form has been launched on www.gov.uk/honours/nominate-someone-for-coronavirus-work and nominators are not being asked to provide letters of support. In particular, the Government are looking for people who have:
• Worked on the frontline of their organisation or in their sector to directly support the most vulnerable members of society and people who have caught COVID-19.
• Provided critical care to COVID-19 patients.
• Made significant innovations in order to support the vulnerable and those with COVID-19 or their communities and sectors.
• Gone to extraordinary lengths to keep critical services going.
• Volunteered in the community or for service organisations in support of those affected by COVID-19.
This ‘top up’ of the Birthday 20 list will be handled as similarly as possible to the usual practice, including independent committee validation and probity checks. It is expected that the New Year 21 and Birthday 21 honours lists will also have a strong Covid-19 theme to them, although we must expect that the normal honours processes will be resumed. Nominations may also be made for Queen’s Awards for Voluntary Service www.gov.uk/queens-award-for-voluntary-service.
We know that you will share our hope that as many as possible of our Staffordshire heroes should be nominated. Clearly, we don’t have more than a few weeks to get nominations in for the current list.
The Vice Lord-Lieutenant, James Leavesley, is available for advice and guidance if necessary. We would ask everyone to inform the Lieutenancy office of the details of those who are being nominated via officer.lieutenancy@staffordshire.gov.uk.
The High Sheriff of Staffordshire
The High Sheriff of Staffordshire
