Background
The Chairman of Westley Group, Tom Westley, kindly offers to sponsor an award in connection with bell ringing. The Group started casting tower bells following the closure of The Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Tom is a metallurgist and engineer, but not a ringer, and keen to see the development of engineering skills, particularly amongst younger people. It is proposed that the award will link these interests.
Who can get involved?
The award will be made to a person who has become involved in the maintenance of tower bell installations (used for English style change ringing) for the first time in the last 5 years, and shows the most commitment to developing and using their own skills and those of others. People who are or have been employed by a professional bell foundry, bell hanger or similar organisation are NOT eligible for an award. The first award will be made at the September 2019 CCCBR annual conference to be held in London. The judges will include members of the CCCBR Stewardship & Management Workgroup and a suitable independent member. It is hoped that in future years, awards will also be made for more activities of interest to the Workgroup.
Call for nominations
Female nominees are encouraged to apply as well as men! A call for nominations will be announced in The Ringing World (via a paid advertisement) and to all CCCBR Members during May 2019. The closing date for nominations will be noon 28th June 2019. Applications, on the form provided, will be reviewed during July and the winner announced by 1st September. Nominations may be made for yourself or for someone else.
The Prizes
Westley Group will award the winner £100 and a certificate. The judges may also commend other applicants and present a certificate to them.
Judging criteria
- Benefits of the work undertaken by the nominee in maintenance and installation projects
- Nominees approach to learning about tower bell maintenance
- Nominees support for others not previously involved in maintenance work
- Summary of scale and scope of projects undertaken in the last 5 years (number and cost of projects are not primary criteria)
(The judges decisions will be final)