The Rt Hon Carwyn Jones AM, First Minister of Wales
This was published under the 2011 to 2016 administration of the Welsh Government
Following the debate 27 February on the rationale and inauguration of the national St David Awards scheme I would like to update members on progress.
The Awards will recognise and celebrate the extraordinary achievements of people in Wales. They will be given to people who are not simply doing their jobs, but who do exceptional things and make a real difference to the quality of life in Wales. The Awards aim to reflect the aspirations of Wales and its citizens to be a modern, vibrant country whose greatest asset is its people.
The first cycle of the St David Awards will be given at an Awards Ceremony and dinner at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff on the evening of 13 March 2014.
Nine individual St David Awards categories have been determined and designated for the following areas:
- Bravery
- Citizenship
- Culture
- Enterprise
- Innovation and Technology
- Sport
- The International Award
- The Young Person Award
The ninth award will be The First Minister’s Special Award that may be awarded to an exceptional person or team. This award will be outside the remit of the nomination and judging panel process and will be awarded at my discretion.
Submission of nominations opens on Tuesday 10 September 2013. On that date the St David Awards Trophy design will be unveiled in prototype and the name of commissioned artist will be announced. The Awards Trophy, with associated explanatory materials, will be exhibited at key government facilities and national institutions country-wide over the period leading up to the Awards Ceremony in March 2014 for public inspection. The Award nominations period will close on Tuesday 5 November 2013.
Lord David Rowe-Beddoe has kindly agreed to act as overall chair of the Awards judging panels which will meet following the closure of the nominations to shortlist finalists and select winners for all the Awards categories.
During the summer information and publicity activities for the Awards will begin in earnest at the Royal Welsh Show and the National Eisteddfod in Denbigh. All materials relating to the Awards will be available on the Welsh Government website and a central emailbox has been set up for all public enquiries and submissions stdavidawards@wales.gsi.gov.uk or gwobraudewisant@cymru.gsi.gov.uk.