The ART Award winners were announced at the ART Conference, which this year was held in Harbury, Warwickshire on Saturday 2 March.
The ART Awards recognise people and groups who are leading best practice and innovation in the teaching and development of ringing and our Learning the Ropes achievers. The teaching awards are open to everyone, not just ART Members or those using the Learning the Ropes Scheme. The ringing awards are open to those who have participated in one of the Learning the Ropes programmes (on tower or hand bells) or in the Learning the Ropes Plus scheme.
The Len Roberts Award for the Promotion of Ringing
The Len Roberts Award is for the person (or people) making a significant contribution to the promotion of ringing in their local area.
Winner: Sue Hall
Highly Commended: The Alresford Deanery School of Bell Ringing
Highly Commended: Mary Hooper
Prize of £300 – sponsored by Len Roberts
The Sarah Beacham Youth Award
This award is for youth or school groups, and university societies who are successfully recruiting, retaining and developing young ringers.
Joint winner: Hana Booth and Carys Hughes Blagden
Joint winner: Yorkshire Tykes
Prize of £800 sponsored by – the Sarah Beacham Memorial Trust
The ART Award for Excellence in Recruitment and Retention
The judges are looking for how successful a group or individual has been in recruiting and retaining recruits and any differences in approach which have been particularly effective.
Winner: Clare Le Marie
Highly Commended: Helen Kay
Prize of £400 – sponsored by AbelSim
The ART Award for Band or Cluster of the Year
This award is for bands focussed on improving ringing standards and developing the sustainability of ringing. Ringing level is unimportant − this award is equally open to those who ring call changes to those who ring Surprise Maximus.
Winner: Overton on Dee, Bangor on Dee, Chirk Cluster
Highly Commended: Bromyard Cluster
Prize of £400 – sponsored by Taylor’s Bell Foundry
The ART Award for Inspiring Leadership in Ringing
An award for individuals who create and deliver a long term vision for their bell ringing community, alongside imaginative and inspiring leadership.
Joint winner: Andrew Knight
Joint winner: Richard Wolfgang
Highly Commended: Peter Furniss
Prize of £400 – sponsored by Talent Innovations
Learning the Ropes Achievement Award
The ringing achievement award will consider the individual’s ringing development in terms of quality, quantity and complexity, the timescale over which the progress has been made and the support available.
Joint winner: Jack Sambridge
Joint winner: Dylan Smith
Highly Commended: Siobhan Kewley
Highly Commended: George Rees
Prize of £250 – sponsored by The Ancient Society of College Youths
Learning the Ropes Contribution Award
The ringer’s contribution award is not based on ringing ability or attainment but for contribution to the wider ringing community, for example, within a band, local area, Guild, Association or even the Central Council.
Winner: Judith Faux
Highly Commended: Alex Heaton
Prize of £250 – sponsored by The Ancient Society of College Youths