Invitation for Honours - Birthday Honours 2013

The honours system recognises exceptional contributions of people across the United Kingdom. In Wales, as elsewhere, there are many who offer exceptional service and who are a credit to the communities and organisations they serve, and to Wales.

Please consider potential nominees from your organisation and make nominations appropriate to all levels of award. Please consider all aspects of your work and levels of contribution.

Based on levels of nomination in the past, please give particular attention to identifying and nominating women where contribution merits consideration please.    

Protocol

While there are no fixed criteria for honours nominations, nominees are expected to:

• have contributed above and beyond the normal requirements of the role;
• be acknowledged as exceptional by their peers and colleagues;
• have made some kind of wider contribution beyond the requirements of their position, including community or volunteering service or a caring role. Long service is not enough on its own to merit an award; and
• have continued to make an exceptional contribution over and above that previously recognised in cases where they already have an honour.

You will also wish to be aware that as part of the celebrations to mark The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the British Empire Medal (BEM) is to be used once again to recognise deserving candidates. The BEM recognises contribution of a very “hands-on” service to the community in a local geographical area. This might take the form of sustained commitment in support of very local charitable and/or voluntary activity; or innovative work that has delivered real impact but that is relatively short (three to four years) in duration.

They are looking for candidates who have genuinely added value – there is opportunity in considering levels of nominations to distinguish between those who have contributed in communities, organisations locally, across Wales or even helped to raise the profile of Wales internationally. 

Nominations should be made whilst the nominee is still active or, towards the end of active

service if possible, at least 12 months before he/she is expected to retire or stand down. In

preparing your nominations, it is reasonable to ask other people for information about the

candidate, but is essential that all enquiries are handled in strict confidence and in no

circumstances should the nominee be told that they are under consideration for an honour. 

• The need for discretion when making necessary enquiries is particularly important.

Local action

In your trawl for nominations, please could you ensure that you:

• communicate the nominations process across your organisation or professional community;
• work towards a balanced and diverse set of candidates – experience suggests that fewer women and individuals from the minority ethnic groups from Wales are nominated than their proportionate representation in specific sectors or communities would suggest.
• After nomination, if something of an adverse nature comes to light please let them know. Changes of address, new appointment, retirement, serious health problems or death should also be notified.

Making a nomination

Nominations can be submitted electronically. If this is not possible, nominations on paper will be accepted. Nominations need to be submitted by 27 July 2012.

To find out more

Please get in touch with David Gardiner for a proforma and guidance notes. You will also need to return your nominations to him. Email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or write to David Gardiner, Local Government and Communities Operations Team, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ. Telephone number: (029) 2082 5432.