The Alan Jacques Award is given each year to an individual whose presence in his or her tower has proved beneficial to the rest of the band in whatever capacity. This may be a newcomer, but not necessarily a young person. It may not be the best ringer, but someone who has consistency and determination. It is a person who as Alan Jacques would say, “does their best and enjoys the ringing”.

This year the award was given to Sally Brown, and presented at the Guild AGM in October.

The proposer’s summary nominating Sally for the award:

Any Guild would be delighted to have such an enthusiastic and skilled advocate for ringing as Sally. From my own experience she is a patient and kind teacher whose inspires you to do better, she makes ringing enjoyable. Sally is always someone that can be relied on to step in to support any local training and development ideas, demonstrated by the way she stepped in to support towers that were struggling and are now thriving again.

The way in which Sally ‘led the charge’ (as it were) to keep the LDG engaged during the pandemic was fantastic. Along with the committee and other motivated members of the Guild, she ensured that when we were able to resume ringing there was something to go back to!

It is such a job to encourage new, and particularly young, ringers. Sally (and the rest of the Foundry Fox supporters) have done an amazing job in making ringing fun and something that people want to develop.