The Suffolk Medal Recipients

Dr Sushil was born in December 1936 in Montgomery, Punjab, into a close and loving family. His early years were shaped by profound loss: his elder brother and grandfather died when he was young, and at the age of five he lost his mother during childbirth. A few years later, in 1947, his father—a respected police officer—was killed while on duty. These experiences of bereavement, alongside the instability of Partition, left a lasting impression on him, instilling resilience, responsibility, and a lifelong commitment to fairness and dignity.

After Partition, Dr Sushil and his siblings settled in Delhi, where he continued his education under modest circumstances. Initially educated in Urdu, he adapted quickly to Hindi-medium schooling. Although his early academic results did not allow him to pursue science, he found his direction in the humanities. He studied at Hindu College, University of Delhi, and, despite an initial failure in his final examinations, persevered to graduate in 1957. He went on to complete a Master’s degree in Ancient Indian History and a Diploma in Archives and Records Management at the National Archives of India, developing a lifelong passion for preserving historical records.

This academic foundation led to doctoral studies at King’s College, Durham University. During this period, his involvement in the India Forum—organising cultural events and supporting visiting dignitaries—sparked a strong commitment to community work. He recognised how organised cultural support could transform the experiences of migrants and students, an insight that shaped his later life.

After completing his PhD, Dr Sushil began his professional career in 1965 as an Assistant Reference Librarian and Archivist at Gateshead Public Library, where he developed expertise in cataloguing and public access to archives.

In 1967, he moved to Suffolk as Deputy County Archivist at the Ipswich & East Suffolk Record Office. His early years there were challenging. As part of one of the very few South Asian families in the area, he and his wife experienced isolation and racism. Rather than discouraging him, these experiences strengthened his determination to promote equality, understanding, and inclusion.

Drawing on professional expertise and personal conviction, Dr Sushil played a key role in strengthening community cohesion in Suffolk. He helped found several organisations, including the Ipswich & Suffolk Indian Association, SIFRE, the Ipswich & Suffolk Council for Racial Equality, and later the Ipswich Hindu Samaj.

He first met Cynthia and David Capey through Religious Education work at Ipswich Civic College, where he spoke on Hinduism and joined a multi-faith forum. Working with them and others, he helped develop this forum into SIFRE—building on Cynthia and David’s original vision—while serving as a leading Hindu voice on its board and in its educational work.

Through these organisations, he supported minority communities, fostered cultural pride, and encouraged dialogue between different groups.

His later life was defined by sustained and influential community building. He organised cultural events, supported new arrivals, raised funds, negotiated for community spaces, and advocated for equal opportunities within local institutions. The establishment of a Hindu mandir in Ipswich, achieved after years of effort, stands as one of the most significant outcomes of his work. His approach consistently emphasised dialogue, partnership, and long-term commitment.

Alongside this, Dr Sushil remained devoted to documentation and preservation. He produced an autobiographical manuscript, My Life and Time, and compiled a detailed family history, ensuring that personal and collective memories would be preserved for future generations.

Following retirement, Dr Sushil gradually stepped back from active leadership into a role of mentor and observer. While this transition was not easy, it brought fulfilment as he saw the institutions he had helped to build continue to thrive. He takes pride in seeing the next generation, including his own family, take on responsibilities within the community and the temple.

In later life, his focus is now towards reflection and appreciation. He finds satisfaction not in formal recognition, but in the respect and trust he earns. His legacy lies in the enduring organisations he helps establish, the strengthened sense of belonging among minority communities in Suffolk, and the example he sets of resilience, service, and quiet determination.

Children of overseas families often identify more strongly with the one constant place they call home.  Libby Purves’s father was in the diplomatic service, so she was brought up all over the world, but Walberswick was always home.  She attended the primary school there and is now once again living in the village.

Although she has achieved national fame and recognition, she has been a champion of all things related to Suffolk for her entire career as a radio presenter, columnist, theatre critic and journalist.  She was the first woman presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.  She presented the programme, Midweek, on Radio 4 for 33 years. She was named as Columnist of the Year in 1999 for her Times column, which she still writes, and she was awarded an OBE for her services to journalism.

Libby’s interests are varied and she has supported many Suffolk enterprises in a variety of areas.  She and her husband Paul Heiney ran a farm near Westleton for many years, where they used working Suffolk Punches.

In the area of theatre, drama and the creative arts, Libby has had a major influence in promoting, encouraging and supporting cultural life in East Anglia.  As chief theatre critic in The Times, she played an important role in making sure the press looked beyond the London West End and covered regional theatre.  She often wrote about productions at the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich and Norwich, and is pleased to have done the first national review of a play in Bungay.   Libby now has her own theatre reviewing blog, TheatreCat.  She is always keen to see local drama flourish and has praised the work of home-grown festivals such as Ink in Halesworth. Her work in promoting the work of Suffolk companies like Red Rose Chain and the New Wolsey in Ipswich cannot be understated.  When the Red Rose Chain play ‘The Ungodly’ about the Witchfinder General transferred to New York, Libby persuaded the director Joanna Carrick to keep an audio diary and helped her write up the account of taking a small regional theatre production from Suffolk to America.

Libby is steeped in the maritime heritage of the Suffolk coast.  She’s been sailing boats from childhood, and she and her husband are keen sailors. They famously sailed round Britain (1,700 miles) with their children aged 3 and 5. She contributes a monthly column to Yachting Monthly and was for ten years a Trustee of the National Maritime Museum.

Libby has always been a supporter of equal rights and of prison reform, writing on this issue in her columns and supported prison arts charities and performances for years.

Libby Purves’s life and work show how a deep sense of place can shape a lifetime of achievement. However far her career has taken her, she has consistently used her national platform to champion Suffolk’s people, culture and heritage, ensuring that the county’s stories are heard well beyond its borders. Through her journalism, her advocacy for the arts, her commitment to maritime traditions and her support for local communities, she has strengthened the fabric of Suffolk life while inspiring others to do the same. Her legacy is one of generosity, curiosity and steadfast loyalty to the place she has always called home.

Michael was born in 1944 in Lichfield, Staffordshire, where his father, a navigator in the Royal Air Force, was stationed during the closing years of the Second World War. He grew up as the middle child in a family of three, with an older brother and a younger sister. After the war, the family settled in Surbiton, where Michael spent his childhood while his father commuted to London for work.

Michael was educated at Gresham’s School in Norfolk, where he boarded, and it was there that his longstanding affection for East Anglia took root. He went on to study English at St John’s College, Cambridge. English had always been his strongest and most-loved subject, and although his earliest attempts at writing poetry were, by his own admission, unpolished, he found himself irresistibly drawn to the act of writing and continued to pursue it with increasing seriousness.

After graduating, Michael initially hoped to enter publishing but was unsuccessful in securing a post. Instead, he chose to teach English as a second language in Spain, partly to broaden his experience and partly to learn another language. What began as a pragmatic decision became a four-year period of formative professional development. He taught first at a Berlitz school and later at a boys’ secondary school, discovering a vocation for teaching largely by accident. He eventually returned to England in order to teach literature, while also recognising the importance of remaining connected to the evolving rhythms of colloquial English, which he felt were essential to his development as a poet.

In 1978, Michael and his wife Kay moved to Suffolk, settling in Leiston. Kay was working as a GP and had strong personal ties to the area, having spent many childhood holidays in Thorpeness. At the time, the family had two young sons and were living in North London, but they wanted their children to grow up with the freedoms of country life. A third son was born in 1982. Suffolk became central not only to family life but also to Michael’s creative and professional identity.

A crucial decision shaped Michael’s literary career: he and Kay agreed that one of them would take primary responsibility for childcare, enabling the other to continue full-time professional work. With Kay pursuing her medical career, Michael assumed the main caregiving role. Her unfailing financial and moral support made it possible for him to develop a rich and sustained literary life.

Michael became deeply involved in Suffolk’s literary community. He was a founder member of a monthly poetry workshop and also helped establish a broader writing group, initially set up for women; both groups continue to this day. Following a residential poetry course with the Arvon Foundation, he co-founded the poetry magazine Smiths Knoll with Roy Blackman in 1991. After Blackman’s death, Michael continued as co-editor with Joanna Cutts, producing 50 issues over 21 years.

Recognising the lack of poetry events in Suffolk at the time, Michael joined a steering group seeking to establish a poetry festival in Aldeburgh. As the only member without paid employment, he took on the voluntary role of coordinator and festival director, expecting to serve briefly. In the end, he directed the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival for its first ten years. The role required extensive engagement with contemporary poetry, which in turn significantly enriched his own work.

As his children grew older, Michael expanded his freelance activities. He delivered workshops in schools, libraries, and care homes, worked with Suffolk Artlink and the WEA, tutored for the Open College of the Arts and the Arvon Foundation, taught creative writing at the University of East Anglia, and contributed widely to adult education.

Now in later life, Michael continues to run a monthly poetry writing workshop online, now in its tenth year, and remains actively involved in publishing pamphlets and full-length poetry collections, particularly championing Suffolk poets. His Collected Poems (published by Smith/Doorstep in 2025) was awarded The King’s Gold Medal for Poetry. He considers himself extraordinarily fortunate to have spent a lifetime devoted to literature, teaching, and community-building—work that continues to be both stimulating and deeply rewarding.

Liz was born in Oxford and spent her early childhood in Warwickshire, attending school first in Leamington Spa and later in Kenilworth. She often reflected on the happiness of those early years, unaware at the time that her father had served at Bletchley Park during the War — something she only discovered after his death.

At the age of fifteen, Liz’s life changed course when her family moved to Suffolk, where her father became manager of the Blue Circle Cement Works at Claydon. Suffolk quickly became home in the deepest sense, and she has lived in the county ever since. It was in Suffolk that she married, raised her family, and built the foundations of her professional and civic life. Her deep affection for the county made it a particular honour to serve as Chairman of Suffolk County Council from 2024 to 2025, a role she regarded as one of the greatest privileges of her years in public service.

Liz’s education began at Abbotsford School for Girls in Kenilworth and continued, after the family’s move, at Miss Holme’s Secretarial College on Norwich Road. There she achieved 120 words per minute in shorthand and 60 words per minute in typing. Those skills opened the door to a variety of early roles, but it was her position at Gotelee & Goldsmith in Ipswich that first revealed her true vocation: the law.

Although she briefly worked for surveyors — an area that interested her because of her husband’s profession — Liz ultimately returned to legal practice, where her strongest interests lay. She went on to work for a London firm based in Ipswich as a residential and commercial conveyancer. The demands of the role taught her patience, resilience, and the importance of supporting clients through moments of uncertainty and anxiety. Those experiences would later shape her approach to public life, grounding it in empathy, clarity, and practical support for others.

Liz had long been interested in politics and served as Chairman of the local Conservative Association on three separate occasions. As her legal career began to wind down, she chose to stand for election and became an Ipswich Borough Councillor in 2002. Two years later she became Leader of the Council, a position she held for six and a half years. Across more than two decades in local government, she was particularly inspired by the late James Hehir, then Chief Executive of Ipswich Borough Council, whose confidence and encouragement proved invaluable.

Her leadership coincided with one of the most distressing periods in Ipswich’s recent history: the tragic murders of several young women in 2006. Liz became a reassuring public figure during that difficult time, helping the community navigate shock and grief. Following the prosecution, she helped establish and support the Somebody’s Daughter Memorial Fund, assisting women affected by exploitation and addiction. She also became one of the first trustees of Talitha Koum, the Ipswich-based charity providing supported housing and long-term recovery for women facing addiction and complex challenges. These experiences profoundly reshaped her understanding of sex work and exploitation, leading her to see the women involved not as stereotypes but as vulnerable individuals deserving compassion, dignity and support.

Alongside her public roles, Liz has remained deeply involved in charitable and community work. During her year as Chairman of Suffolk County Council, she supported Eden Rose Coppice Trust, IHAG and Cancer Support Suffolk. She also continues to coordinate a small charity assisting those in need and serves as a Director of Greener Ipswich CIC, reflecting her enduring commitment to both people and place.

Widowed but surrounded by her two daughters and six grandchildren, Liz remains energetic, compassionate and deeply committed to the community she has served for so many years.

A respected voice for business, Andrew has had a hugely positive impact on the economy of both Suffolk and the wider UK over the past 40 years. After dedicating his working life to developing and growing the UK’s primary gateways for trade – its seaports – he has helped to attract significant new investment to the county while creating valuable jobs.

Andrew spent his early career working for port operators such as the Felixstowe Dock & Railway Company, PD Ports and Hutchison Ports, where his skilful management benefited businesses and communities from as far afield as Southampton to Teesside and included the £400m investment by Hutchison Ports in the Felixstowe South container terminal expansion and the New North Rail Terminal, ensuring that Felixstowe continues to be the best rail connected port in the UK. He was appointed regional director for Associated British Ports (ABP) in 2014 taking responsibility for its smaller, geographically dispersed sites across the UK. Before long, Andrew’s leadership and unwavering vision transformed this portfolio, increasing the number of ports within its remit from 11 to 16, incorporating the five ABP ports in Wales creating more than 100 new jobs and boosting trade from 17 to 20 million tonnes annually. Most importantly, Andrew’s personal commitment saw a significant improvement in safety performance, with the number of reportable incidents reducing from 28 to just two per year.

Andrew has also embraced a leading role in developing green energies and contributing to industrial decarbonisation. As chair of the Lowestoft based Offshore Wind Cluster organisation “East Wind”, he helped to secure Suffolk and the region as vital players in the transition to offshore green energy and sustainable economic growth. Andrew also led the development by ABP of the new £35m Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility (LEEF), which opened in 2024 to help meet the growing demands of the offshore energy industry. This state-of-the-art infrastructure has strengthened Lowestoft’s position as a key east-coast hub for offshore wind and energy markets while creating significant opportunities for regional growth and sustainability. As well as bringing much needed new jobs to an area where employment opportunities can be scarce, experts predict that LEEF will significantly boost the local economy for many years to come.

Andrew’s impact has not just been limited to Suffolk. He has served on a range of industry-wide national bodies, including the British Ports Association and Rail Freight Group, while his expertise has also seen him sit on the Department for International Trade’s advisory group for transport services. In addition, Andrew has selflessly given up his own time to support growth, new jobs and opportunity through the chamber of commerce network, as well as sharing his much sought-after views and perspectives in print, broadcast and social media.

Andrew’s working life has been characterised by not only boosting the capability of the UK’s ports as catalysts of the economy but also by his tireless efforts to bring private and public organisations together. A keen advocate for collaborative working, he has championed partnerships which drive regeneration and increase wellbeing in coastal areas, many of which suffer from deep deprivation. Andrew has shown commitment to supporting local communities and encouraging aspiration in young people over four decades, while many good causes across Suffolk have also benefitted from his infectious ‘can do’ enthusiasm and active involvement. This includes the Ipswich Maritime Festival, Down’s Syndrome support group Project 21 and St Elizabeth Hospice, which Andrew has supported for more than 15 years. As well as gamely taking part in fundraising events such as the Christmas Day Dip, he has acted as a strong advocate for the charity while also securing much-needed sponsorship.

Andrew has always led by example in championing a wide range of business interests to support people and organisations across East Anglia. The Suffolk Medal recognises this selfless and devoted service which has enriched so many aspects of life in the county and will continue to do so for years to come.

Andrew has also been recognised in the latest King’s Birthday Honours where he was awarded the honour of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for Services to Ports.

 

Over a church career spanning nearly 50 years, Martin has offered guidance, love and spiritual leadership to many thousands of people. From studying in New York to ministering in London, he has inspired diverse congregations and communities and used his unwavering belief to unite people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. This has been never more apparent than in Suffolk, where his wisdom, humility and good humour have helped steer the county in all matters of faith during a decade of dedicated service as Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.

Born into a military family in Portsmouth in 1954, Martin went to school in Fareham and developed a sense of vocation while worshipping during his teenage years. Yet despite this religious calling, he initially went on to study geography at Jesus College in Cambridge before switching his academic focus to theology. Martin then began the process of preparation for ministry, studying first at Ripon College, Cuddesdon before moving to the Union Theological Seminary in New York, from which he graduated with a Master of Sacred Theology degree.

Martin was ordained deacon in the Diocese of Lincoln and served in Scunthorpe before spending the next 16 years contributing to theological education while holding key roles in both the USA and UK. In 1996, he was appointed vicar of the deprived urban parish of the Isle of Dogs, where he brought together diverse communities by instilling a sense of shared belonging while encouraging people of all backgrounds to develop a relationship with the church. During his 10-year tenure, Martin recorded many achievements, including raising £650,000 to repair the church roof, growing the congregation by 10% year on year, and championing initiatives which helped thousands of unemployed young people back into work.

Martin moved to East Anglia in 2006, initially as principal of Westcott House theological college in Cambridge when he was also made an honorary canon of Ely Cathedral. In 2015, he was installed as the 11^th Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, marking the start of a decade of service which left an indelible mark on the county.

Over the next few years, Martin truly took Suffolk to his heart, joining forces with Mike, Bishop of Dunwich, to complete Lent pilgrimages across the countryside. This saw the duo walk by day alongside local people, visiting community groups, businesses and schools, and setting off the next morning after a service in the nearest church. These expeditions cemented Martin’s fondness for the county and determination to ensure rural communities could continue to access places of faith – an ambition he achieved to great effect by helping keep churches open during periods of financial challenge.

The love for the countryside which Martin nurtured during these pilgrimages found a second outlet when he was offered presidency of the Suffolk Show. In typical Martin style, he put this time in post to good use by using the platform it provided to encourage sustainable farming and promote the naturalisation of churchyards. Ever practical, he turned his words into action by growing 600 seedlings in his own garden before distributing the saplings across the county to leave a green and lasting legacy during the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations.

As well as maintaining the number of stipendiary clergy, another of Martin’s significant achievements saw him set up a Church of England pilot to train self-supporting clergy for local ministry, in turn opening up the opportunity for more people to serve their communities by joining the priesthood. This has had a particular impact in smaller, rural areas, where 70 new clergy have already been trained and are continuing to ensure the church remains accessible to all.

As well as supporting his colleagues in the clergy, has used his time in Suffolk to advocate for children and young people across the county, working with others to ensure they are given the best start in life and their voice is heard. He has also spoken out about the living conditions and welfare of military personnel, while raising awareness of the challenges, including mental health, of the farming community, during his time in the House of Lords. His warmth and compassion have made sure that those who often are not given a voice are nevertheless heard loudly and proudly on the national stage.

Thousands of people from across the county hold deep respect, gratitude and affection for Martin. Suffolk has truly been enriched by his tenure as Bishop, and in 10 short years he has come to embody all that is so special about the culture and character of our county. His quiet, considered and kindly leadership has been reflected in the practical support he has given to our clergy, congregations and diverse communities. His mission and ministry have reached countless people, places and organisations, and his wisdom, insights, ideas and advice have benefitted and enhanced so many aspects of life in our county.

A beacon of inspiration across the county for more than 40 years, Mark’s contribution and influence cannot be over-estimated. His outstanding work was recognised in 2016 when he was given the honour of being appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Suffolk. Mark has played a major part in nearly all aspects of Suffolk life, ranging from business and education to the church, the voluntary sector and the environment, while every sector has benefited from his energy and enthusiasm. His sense of civic duty has never failed to shine bright, while his personal humility has remained apparent even through the most difficult of times.

Mark’s distinguished business career has had a significant and lasting impact on the eastern region, while his achievements in economic development have been manifold. He has held senior leadership roles in some of the UK and east of England’s largest businesses, helping to generate investment and improve life opportunities for people across the region. Mark’s many successes include leading the team that secured around £1bn of funding for new rolling stock for East Anglia’s rail network, which helped to transform the service. Mark also served as chairman of the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), during which time he helped to attract £0.5bn of investment which contributed to the creation of 36,000 new jobs. As chairman of the newly formed Suffolk Business Board, he is continuing to put his exceptional skills to good use by leading work to refresh the county’s economic strategy and help secure its long-term future.

Elsewhere, Mark has actively led the Lieutenancy Business and Enterprise Group to help shine a spotlight on business excellence in Suffolk, and to celebrate innovation and entrepreneurship across the county. During this time the number of companies achieving the internationally recognised King’s Award for Enterprise has increased beyond expectation. Suffolk now punches well above its weight nationally, with other counties now regularly contacting Mark to seek his advice and benefit from his expertise.

A keen advocate for long-term economic and environmental sustainability, Mark chaired the Green Economy Pathfinder, a cross-departmental government project which was a forerunner of national Net Zero initiatives. Around 60,000 small businesses have engaged with the project under his leadership, helping establish the East Anglian coast as a leading contributor to UK renewable energy. Mark has also promoted green initiatives through his voluntary roles, including as patron of the Green Light Trust.

As well as supporting business, Mark has consistently dedicated his skills to the world of education and opportunities for young people. He is a former chair of the University of Suffolk, Easton and Otley College and the Royal Hospital School. He introduced a successful initiative that offered every 16 to 24-year-old in the region the promise of work or training during his time with the LEP. This life-changing support helped hundreds of young people from across the county to discover new possibilities while providing them with firm foundations from which to build a fulfilling future.

Mark’s passion for the county was epitomised in 2022 when he chaired the team that delivered the Festival of Suffolk to mark the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The county-wide event focused on celebrating all that is good about Suffolk, helping to bring people of all generations together and create a shared sense of pride and achievement. Festival projects included the planting of more than a million trees and shrubs across Suffolk, and over 100,000 people took part in a 700-mile torch relay that celebrated local communities across the county. The Festival was inclusive to all urban and rural communities and was multi-faith, ensuring everyone was welcomed and involved. In a special outdoor concert, over 1,000 people were given free concert tickets to make sure there were no barriers to enjoying the Festival. The event left a lasting legacy for Suffolk, including the launch of a new maritime awards scheme, which supports skills and job opportunities in boat building and related skills and is now in its third successful year.

In 2023, Mark was appointed High Sheriff of Suffolk and fulfilled the role exceptionally, making almost 400 visits during his term of office. The way Mark approached this role has deservedly attracted praise from far and wide, with Judge Martyn Levett crediting him with helping the court system post COVID-19, saying: “During his year, I saw that Mark truly underpinned every aspect of the future of Suffolk.” Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk, Clare, Countess of Euston, has also heralded his contribution, saying: “Mark is an inspirational leader and ambassador for Suffolk who has committed himself to improving prospects for people in the region and in particular the young.”

Throughout his career Mark has selflessly dedicated himself to improving the life chances of others and is an exemplar of civic duty and achievement. A most exceptional resident of county, he is a fitting recipient for the Suffolk Medal.

Wilfrid’s first taste of life in the countryside came in 1939, when he was evacuated from his west London home to the relative safety of Suffolk during the war. Despite spending his childhood dreaming of exploring the Antarctic, he found the temperate and relatively flat landscape of East Anglia equally as enticing and quickly falling in love with a region he went on to spend his life championing.

Born in Chiswick in 1929, Wilfrid was one of four children and was taught to read by his mother before attending school in Middlesex. His family was evacuated to Beccles in September 1939 and moved to Halesworth the following January when his father bought a chemist’s shop in the town. Wilfrid fully embraced the pleasures of country living and quickly developed a passion for nature, particularly collecting butterflies which he would set with gramophone needles while a scholar at Framlingham College. It was at this point that Wilfrid started to journey further afield after taking up cycling. Using two wheels opened up new opportunities to explore more of the countryside, and he went onto cover thousands of miles each year while logging his adventures along the way.

After finishing his education, Wilfrid followed in his father’s footsteps to become a pharmacist. This gave him the opportunity to work at the family pharmacy while continuing to pursue his hobbies of studying insects, cycling and dancing. The last of these led him to Thorpeness, where he met his late wife Margaret in 1951. The couple married four years’ later before relocating to Aldeburgh in 1955 where later daughter Rosalind was born. Shortly afterwards, Wilfrid became a full and active member of the Suffolk Naturalist Society, the Suffolk Wildlife Trust and the Ramblers’ Association, all of which gave him valuable opportunities to share his enthusiasm for the great outdoors with like-minded peers.

As a passionate advocate for the East Anglian countryside, Wilfrid was keen to play his role in restoring access to many of the footpaths which were obscured or purposefully blocked during the war. He found the perfect outlet for this interest when East Suffolk County Council advertised a definitive footpath map. In 1962, Wilfrid responded by consulting it, recording where paths were and drawing his own maps.  It was as if this investigative role was made for him. He quickly put his expert local knowledge of the Aldeburgh and Halesworth areas to good use,  signalling the start of an adventure which, unbeknown to him, would eventually go onto put Wilfrid himself on the map.

For these early projects ignited a spark inside Wilfrid, who went onto walk miles and miles of footpaths throughout Suffolk, actively complaining to councils when routes were obstructed or not maintained. This included spearheading a seven-year campaign to reopen the now popular Halesworth-Mells path along the River Blyth, which saw Wilfrid unconventionally use a ladder and plank to cross dykes until more accessible bridges could be installed.

During the 1970s, Wilfrid began to shape his most important and well-known contribution to ensuring public access – creating beautifully hand-drawn, user-friendly footpath maps. Beginning first with a run of 100 copies, with the support of Margaret his maps quickly become much sought-after collectors’ items, with the total number sold now standing at one and a half million. Wilfrid’s charming maps are now respected as pieces of public art, highlighted in books and treasured by walkers not only in Suffolk, but throughout the world.

Thanks to a lifetime of commitment and dedication, Wilfrid has had a major impact on reopening and promoting hidden corners of the beautiful Suffolk countryside for future generations to explore and enjoy. There is no doubt that his careful mapping, intricate illustrations and never-ending passion for nature have contributed immensely to the affection which many hundreds of others have for our special county to this day.

Phil has devoted his entire career to working in Suffolk with a good percentage of that time to the coastal community of Lowestoft. After dedicating 30 years to Suffolk Constabulary and rising to the rank of superintendent where he served as Head of Crime for Suffolk and the East Suffolk Commander, many felt he was entitled to a quiet retirement. Yet ever keen to embrace a new challenge, Phil instead went on to become the figurehead of the inspirational Lowestoft Rising project, leading the partnership from its inception in 2013 to its close last April. During that time, the initiative had a hugely positive impact on some of the town’s most vulnerable residents while also increasing the aspirations of young people. Much of this was thanks to Phil’s unwavering commitment, vision and passion, along with his exceptional ability to unite groups to work in partnership and deliver the greatest possible benefits to local people.

Lowestoft Rising was a collaboration of public sector bodies and voluntary and community organisations who all shared a simple aim – to improve mental health, wellbeing and quality of life in Lowestoft. It was launched following the decline of the town’s once great fishing port, which left a legacy of multi-generational underachievement, underperforming schools and a reputation for anti-social activity and rough sleeping. At the same time, a lack of career opportunities was forcing young people to move away and seek a future elsewhere. Although there had been many well-intentioned efforts to fix the problems faced by Suffolk’s second largest town, they lacked the coordination needed to have a real impact.

Phil was appointed to help reverse that trend. Using his in-depth knowledge of a community he had served for many years, he brought groups together to unite behind a single cause – supporting Lowestoft to rise again. Through his visionary interventions, he lowered numbers of rough sleepers and street drinkers, in turn reducing demand on both the police and health services. Burglary numbers dropped by 50%, while Phil brought school heads together to work in partnership and drive a renaissance recognised by Ofsted. Phil also helped to establish the Lowestoft Ambassadors programme to promote the town and arranged Suffolk Day celebrations, beach sports and seaside festivals. As well as strengthening community spirit, these events also helped attract fresh investment to Lowestoft while building a new-found sense of pride among the community.

Phil’s work to champion volunteering opportunities led to a surge in sign-ups, while initiatives he introduced to tackle social isolation helped vulnerable people stay connected. A keen advocate for wellbeing, Phil also secured significant investment in mental healthcare and organised the town’s first mental health conference, which attracted 300 delegates keen to develop a positive manifesto for improving people’s quality of life.

When COVID-19 hit, Phil leapt into action to lead Lowestoft’s response. He kept rough sleepers safe by reducing the number to zero, arranged hot meals for the elderly and found new premises for COVID-secure foodbanks, helping them feed 9,547 people during the year. In addition, he took responsibility for shopping, fetching prescriptions and calling hundreds of people on the clinically vulnerable list to offer practical support and a listening ear.

Phil also played an active role in arranging the First Light festival. Using his extensive experience in the police, he oversaw the security arrangements and ensured all 30,000 attendees could enjoy the two-day event safely while generating around £1.4m in additional income for the town. Phil completed this mammoth task on a voluntary basis, with his contribution playing a significant part in securing the success of the festival and cementing it as a new highlight on the town’s calendar.

Although Lowestoft Rising has now officially ended, its legacy lives on thanks in no small part Phil’s hard work and influence. Keen to build on the firm foundations it has created, other organisations have taken responsibility for many of the services it provided so that communities can continue to benefit. Phil’s work on the project has been widely viewed as an exemplar in how an exceptional individual can marshal resources and create change.

Phil has been at the heart of much of the progress Lowestoft has made over the last decade, while has played a key role in restoring a positivity and vibrancy to the area. His dedication, determination and commitment have helped to put this important town back on the map, making him a worthy recipient of the Suffolk Medal as he finally begins to enjoy his well-earned retirement.

Martin has made an unparalleled impact on the county’s heritage and his international reputation is unrivalled. As a ground-breaking archaeologist, he has played an instrumental role in unveiling further secrets of Sutton Hoo, again catapulting the site onto the world stage and cementing its reputation as one of the richest archaeological finds discovered in Northern Europe and an open window onto the Anglo-Saxon world. Since then, the burial ground has enticed numerous visitors to the county, not only boosting tourism and the local economy but also placing Suffolk firmly on the map for its historical and cultural importance.

Martin was born in Glasgow in 1941 and followed in the footsteps of both of his grandfathers by pursuing a career in the military and attending Sandhurst aged just 17. After spending 15 years as an officer with the Royal Tank Regiment and serving in Germany, Aden, Malaya and Borneo, Martin’s career took a significant change in direction. He added to his UCL Mathematics and Chemistry degree by completing a diploma in Anglo-Saxon Archaeology at the University of Durham before becoming an archaeologist, working freelance until 1986. During this time, he successfully applied to direct a challenging and ambitious new field programme at Sutton Hoo, impressing the interview panel with his vision, energy and infectious enthusiasm. Leslie Webster, a member of the Sutton Hoo Research Trust, was among those to recruit Martin and remembers the day fondly. She said: “(We needed) a brilliant field archaeologist who would combine vision, energy and determination with the leadership skills of a tank commander, an expert in early medieval cultural history, a fundraising genius with a shameless talent for publicity and an all-round intellectual…when Martin swung through the doors exuding that irrepressible mixture of confidence, authority and exuberance…we knew we had our man.”

Over the next decade, Martin adopted a sensitive and pioneering approach to analysing Sutton Hoo which has been admired by experts from across the world. Making good use of his boundless energy, he inspired and enthused his team as they used innovative techniques to dissect six mounds not excavated in 1938/9 and to solve the mystery of the second ship. Under Martin’s leadership, the group also discovered two previously unknown execution cemeteries, where men and women were put to death by the Christian authorities of the 8th to 11th centuries. When he was not excavating, Martin turned his attention to publicising the work taking place at Sutton Hoo on TV, at conferences and in the media, in turn helping to attract the funding needed to secure it for future generations to enjoy. Indeed, Martin’s influence at the site was so great that it earned him the nickname of “the new King f Sutton Hoo” among some of his contemporaries.

Martin went on to write and co-author various reports on the discoveries at Sutton Hoo, along with several books which have been heralded for their accessibility and wide appeal. These publications have helped expose the dramatic history of the site to a brand-new audience, in turn further strengthening the county’s reputation and attracting even more visitors from around the globe. Martin also created the Sutton Hoo Society in 1984, as well as playing a key role in the land’s transfer into the ownership of the National Trust in 1999 and ensuring its continued conservation.

Recognising his world-leading expertise, the University of York appointed Martin as its Professor of Archaeology mid-way through the Sutton Hoo campaign. Despite never having taught before, he embraced the opportunity and quickly began creating his own courses to inspire the next generation. This further strengthened his reputation as an original thinker and generous mentor who was always ready to embrace new ideas while sharing his own with others. Martin retired after 22 years at the university, but still continues to write and edit archaeology books which are highly regarded by students and his peers alike.

Martin lives in Yorkshire with his partner, Madeleine Hummler, so whilst not a permanent local resident, his connections to Suffolk remain strong to this day. As well as regularly lecturing in the county, he plays a full and active role as a trustee – and former chair – of Woodbridge-based charity The Sutton Hoo Ship’s Company, which is using authentic methods to reconstruct the King’s ship which was buried at the site for 13 centuries.

Once complete, the 90-foot replica will go on to grace the River Deben, celebrating our Anglo-Saxon maritime heritage and marking the start of the next chapter of the captivating story of Sutton Hoo which Martin has played such a considerable part in bringing to life.

Since moving to Suffolk 45 years ago, John has devoted his life to shaping a county of which to be proud. As well as contributing to community groups, volunteering with local charities and supporting heritage organisations, he has dedicated himself to enhancing the county town of Ipswich while inspiring the next generation with his passion for education.

John’s love of buildings was nurtured during his school days, where he developed problem- solving abilities, practical skills and an in-depth knowledge of construction materials which went on to play a huge part in both his working life and personal interests. Although he began his career in the construction industry, John decided to change focus and complete his teacher training at Bolton College after realising his calling lay with education. This helped him to recognise the value of continuing development, prompting him to go on to study for professional membership of the Chartered Institute of Building and a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing, as well as a Master of Business Administration.

John was given the chance to combine his two passions of teaching and construction when he joined Suffolk College in 1979. Before long, he had been promoted to Head of Construction, and went on to fulfil various senior roles over the next 30 years before project managing the £75m scheme to build Suffolk New College. But John’s influence on Ipswich’s townscape didn’t end there. As a member of the Waterfront Partnership Group, he also played a key role in transforming Ipswich docks into the thriving and cosmopolitan Waterfront which is enjoyed by so many people today.

John’s commitment to the town and its heritage was cemented in the early 1980s when, together with wife Christine, he became a member of the Ipswich Society. The group gave him a valuable opportunity to champion the preservation of important historical buildings while encouraging sympathetic, high quality new builds which fit appropriately with their surroundings. In 2012, John was elected chairman and used the role to benefit individuals and communities across the area with his unfaltering dedication and well-considered views. Indeed, his impact on the town and the wellbeing of its residents has been so significant that John was granted Freedom of the Borough by the Major of Ipswich in 2023.

Contributing not only to our landscape but also to supporting our young people is another passion for John. Together with Christine, he has welcomed numerous foster children into his home to live alongside his own three children, while running the Ipswich Foster Care Association to give information and support to other prospective carers. John has also had a significant influence on many other young lives by leading groups of college students on climbing expeditions, working with youth groups across Ipswich and supporting the local scouts with fundraising events.

John’s altruism also saw him join the Rotary Club of Ipswich in 2001 and serve as president just over a decade later. Over several years, he arranged club visits to businesses and places of interest, as well as showcasing the beautiful Suffolk countryside during group walks. John has also shared his extensive knowledge of Ipswich’s history by giving regular talks to the group, many of which were enriched with interesting insights and background gathered during his celebrated career. In addition, he enlisted the skills of his Rotary colleagues to help the Bike Active charity – which provides cycling opportunities for adults with disabilities – with various construction projects, in turn using his contacts from one organisation to help meet the needs of another. This unwavering service to Rotary and the wider community was later recognised when he was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship in 2016.

Throughout the past four decades, John has made a unique and outstanding contribution to Suffolk. His commendable ability to understand and protect Ipswich’s heritage over many years has made a lasting difference, not just to its appearance and amenities but also to the quality of life of those who call the town their home.

Through the legacy he has left as a teacher and his passion for buildings – both old and new – John continues to have a profound and positive impact on the communities of Suffolk.

Jonathan is a true Suffolk man, born in Southwold in the late 1950’s within sight and sound of the sea, he has influenced the world of Brewing, Business, and Community Action from his Southwold home on the East Suffolk Coast. It was indeed the sea that shaped the young Jonathan. From a very early age he harboured the desire to become a deep-sea trawler skipper. After a minor skirmish and negotiation about ‘O’ levels with his father, who was a profound and supportive influence on his life, he was able to fulfil his early ambition and enjoy a year at sea fishing. The other side of that bargain was that Jonathan would spend time learning to become a chartered surveyor at Southampton, Estate Management College. Jonathan didn’t know it at the time, but this learning would serve him well later in life and his career. As with many successful businesspeople academia was never going to become a passion for him and the call of the sea was strong and by the early 1970’s he was delivering RNLI lifeboats around the coast of the UK. By the age of 17 he was also a member of the Southwold Lifeboat Crew. He went on to become Senior Helmsman/Coxswain over what was to become a 40-year association with the RNLI where he was involved in more than 200 service calls and the lifeboat being recorded in rescuing 168 souls. So began the early signs of an enduring quality that is all about putting others safety and security before that of his own.

A determined father finally convinced Jonathan that he should join the family business as an apprentice brewery engineer. In true Adnams fashion there were no privileges, and this young man was destined to learn the family business far away from the boardroom, from the vantage point of the shop floor. Any advancement would be on merit. After a few years of hard work advancement came first as Distribution Director soon to be followed by his becoming the Director responsible for Adnams Pubs. This connected him and the business with communities and the notion of the central role pubs play in their localities. Under Jonathan’s leadership the Adnams Pub estate expanded, and the foundations were laid for the successful portfolio of community centred pubs that Adnams owns today. He latterly became Managing Director and in 2006 became Chairman. The 1990’s saw the formation of the Adnams Community Trust and since its inception Jonathan has been a trustee and is its longest standing Chair. Small gifts and donations, to often unfashionable good causes who might otherwise go unrecognised, is a defining principle of the now named Adnams Community Trust. During his tenure Jonathan has presided over the distribution of approximately £1.75m in funding throughout Suffolk.

It is perhaps in Brewing, Distilling and Sustainability that Jonathan is known beyond Suffolk. During his tenures as MD and then Chairman the Company has innovated in its processes, plant and equipment, lowered its environmental impacts and is lauded as one of the most sustainable businesses of its type in the world. This was evidenced in 2006 by CNN’s global news network transmitting the Adnams story to the world for a whole day when the businesses new eco-distribution centre was opened in July of that year. A new brewhouse with world leading sustainability and low water use credentials was opened in 2007 and these things ultimately saw Jonathan recognised nationally with an OBE in 2009. The work continued and the Copper House Distillery opened in 2010. Adnams has been the recipient of three Queens awards for Enterprise, Sustainable Development, the last being awarded fittingly in 2022, the year of Adnams 150th anniversary. Not only focussed on plant and processes, the business, under Jonathan’s leadership also received global awards for its products with Adnams Copper House Gin being named ‘world’s best’ in 2013 by the International Wine and Spirits Association, followed by Adnams Vodka receiving the same award in 2014.

At heart Jonathan is a local man, he rides his bike to work daily, he spends time in local pubs and his quiet unassuming style belies the fact that he has made and continues to make a wonderful impact. He is committed to improving the world for people, the good of the planet and the prosperity of communities, particularly, in his beloved home County of Suffolk.

Maggi Hambling CBE (born 1945, Suffolk) is a contemporary artist of local, national and international acclaim, but to whom Suffolk roots are of an abiding importance.

Maggi’s first art school was at Benton End where she studied with the artists Lett-Haines and Cedric Morris, and then Ipswich, Camberwell and the Slade Schools of Art.

In 1980 she was the First Artist in Residence at the National Gallery, London, followed by a solo exhibition (Max Wall) at the National Portrait Gallery in 1983.  In 1985 she won the Jerwood Painting Prize (with Patrick Caulfield).

Museum exhibitions include: Maggi Hambling, Serpentine Gallery, London, 1987 –  An Eye Through A Decade, Yale Center for British Art, Newhaven, Connecticut, 1991 – A Matter of Life and Death, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 1997 and George Always, The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, 2009. In 1998 her sculpture A conversation with Oscar Wilde was unveiled at Adelaide Street, London, facing Charing Cross Station.

In 2003 Scallop, a public sculpture to celebrate Benjamin Britten was unveiled in Aldeburgh, Suffolk for which she was awarded the Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture.

Public sculpture also include: The Brixton Heron, 2010, Brixton, London, The Resurrection Spirit, 2013, St Dunstan’s Church, Mayfield – the Winchester Tapestries unveiled at Winchester Cathedral, also in 2013 and a sculpture for Mary Wollstonecraft which was unveiled in London in 2020.

Solo exhibitions include Maggi Hambling – The Wave, the Fitzwilliam, Cambridge, 2010 – War Requiem, Installation, SNAP Art at the Aldeburgh Festival 2013 (purchased for Aldeburgh Music by the Monument Trust) and Wall of Water, The Hermitage, St Petersburg, Russia, also in 2013.

In 2014, Maggi returned to the National Gallery, London, having been the first Artist in Residence in 1980, for the solo show entitled Walls of Water.  War Requiem & Aftermath was shown at Somerset House, London in 2015. In 2016/17 Hambling was given the rare and significant honour for a living artist of a retrospective at the British Museum of her works on paper entitled Touch.  Her work was the subject of two major retrospective museum shows in China (Beijing and Guangzhou) in 2019 and earlier this year she opened a show in New York.

A number of her works are held in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London. Other important public collections that hold her work include the Ashmolean Museum, British Museum, Fitzwilliam Museum, Jerwood Collection, National Gallery, Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Victoria & Albert Museum, Whitworth, Tate and the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Maggi’s work continues with unflinching and unremitting energy to explore the challenging subjects of life/death, war, conflict, and global warming, which add not just to the artistic vitality of the UK but to a wider global discourse on those subjects and the essential role that art has to play. The emotional breadth and depth of her work speaks to people of every walk in life.

Her proactive support of a number of national charities continues include Stonewall and the Terence Higgins Trust, whilst locally she has demonstrated a quiet but strong ongoing commitment to numerous Suffolk charities and local causes including giving generously of her time as Patron of Gainsborough’s House in Sudbury.

Of Maggi’s selfless commitment to teaching she says “My aim is to encourage students to realise their own personal vision, by the discipline of training the eye, the hand and the heart to act as one.  People from all ages from all walks of life are offered the chance to discover the selves they never knew they had.’’

Maggi Hambling’s independence of fashion and adherence to her own search for the truth in her work are rare.  She was invited to design and create The Suffolk Medal in 2017 not only because these qualities see her standing among our County’s greatest artists of all time, but also because she lives a life that so clearly exudes the outstanding qualities required to be its latest recipient.

James has dedicated his life to three main passions: his farm and its wider environment, Suffolk and its residents, and championing local philanthropy. Underpinning all of these is his commercial acumen and commitment to business in the county. James is married to Heather with three children, Charlie, Thomas and Emma, all of whom share his passion for the county and rural life.

His career has been predominantly in the waste recycling and renewable energy industries. He owns a variety of companies which include those in hospitality and the manufacturing sector. James set up Neatworld (now Global Recycling Solutions Limited) when he was just 28 years old selling shredders for recycling tyres. Always conscious of enabling the next generation in the workplace, he consistently supports young people through the creation of apprenticeships, work experience and educational visits across his businesses.

James started planting trees and laying hedges on the farm over 30 years ago. To date he has planted more than 250,000 trees and 35 km of hedges. Those that know James understand his passion for reinvigorating the Suffolk landscape comes from a deep-seated sense of responsibility and stewardship of the land. Every summer he leads the annual farm tours and recently set up volunteering placements with Hadleigh High School on the farm for the Duke of Edinburgh Award. The farm and surrounding villages have thrived because of James’ care of the land and employment of local people. In the countryside pubs are often at the heart of a village so when two pubs were failing James committed considerable time and resources to ensure these were saved for the community to enjoy.

James’ unfailing generosity extends to the use of his deep commercial knowledge to drive growth in the charitable sector in Suffolk. He chaired the Suffolk Community Foundation for several years until 2019, substantially increasing its financial reserves taking it from strength to strength and increasing support for VCSE organisations and their work to address need in Suffolk. In 2011 James set up, and continues to chair, The Porch Project. This is a Hadleigh-based young people’s charity offering a wide range of youth work programmes providing tireless support to those in need.

In 2009 James was High Sheriff of Suffolk. His legacy to this role was the establishment of The High Sheriff Fund at the Suffolk Community Foundation which supports a grants programme and the annual High Sheriff Awards – recognising the contribution VCSE organisations and their volunteers make to the community. He was also vice chair of the East Anglian Air Ambulance in 2014 to 2016 having been a trustee from 2012.

James has a natural ability to draw people together from all walks of life and the rare talent of using that support to initiate change for good. He currently leads on ‘Children and Young People in the County’ for the Lord Lieutenant, developing the Suffolk Youth Project to facilitate communications and partnerships between organisations serving the young people of Suffolk.

As a founder member, and subsequently Chair of the BSC Multicultural Services (previously known as Bangladeshi Support Centre), Boshor Ali has spent more than 25 years working tirelessly to inspire the staff and trustee team in delivering the vision and values of community service.

Boshor was born in 1971 in Sylhet, Bangladesh, but grew up in Ipswich where he completed his early education. He established a strong connection to Ipswich and started his working life in Suffolk as an engineering student before switching to catering. Tremendous tenacity and singlemindedness meant that inevitably he worked his way up from being a waiter to becoming a successful local businessman. Boshor has drawn on these same qualities to help found BSC Multicultural Services. Throughout this time, Boshor has been motivated by the need to support others to achieve their aspirations. As a proud British citizen his aim has been to make sure that others have the same opportunity to become successful in their own right. As a man of faith, in addition to the above, Boshor has served as secretary of Shahjalal Mosque and Islamic Centre for many years. He is an assistant treasurer of Ipswich and Suffolk Muslim Council. He was the founder of Muslim Youth Forum, and currently serves as chairman of Ipswich Bangladeshi Cultural Group, a group maintaining the traditions of Bangladeshi music, drama and poetry.
Boshor has a clear vision of the Bangladeshi community as an integral part of the community throughout the whole of Suffolk. Over the years, this has meant that the organisation Boshor helped to set up has been responsive to wider and differing needs, and has become a source of support to all in Suffolk regardless of faith or ethnic origin. As a result the organisation has won a multitude of awards for providing an outstanding service to thousands of people of diverse backgrounds throughout Suffolk.
Inequality as the result of poverty and exclusion, and especially health inequalities have been central to Boshor’s dedication as an advocate on others’ behalf. He has given willingly and generously of his time promoting BSC Multicultural Services and enabling the raising of funds to support its work in helping people and bringing communities together. As a recent example, during the period of Covid restrictions he promoted the organisation so that funding was obtained to support isolated people, providing food and information on how to prevent the spread of the virus and stay healthy. The team was therefore able to ensure that people in communities experiencing significant barriers to integration had access to the services they so desperately needed. Boshor supported and encouraged, showing all the qualities and characteristics needed to maintain this devotion and dedication and strengthening a shared and deepened belief in the work of the organisation. Throughout its existence that passion and vision coming from Boshor Ali has been central to the success and longevity of BSC Multicultural Services.

While Boshor has remained wholly dedicated to work in our local communities of Ipswich and Suffolk, he has not forgotten his roots. In 2005, he formed the Al-Tazid Foundation. This Ipswich-based charity, named after Boshor’s late father, helps the poor and needy across the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. The Foundation’s projects include free health clinics, clean water projects, free wheel chairs for the disabled, projects to create sustainable employment, winter clothing provision and educational support for schools, as well as to students from poor backgrounds. Through its fundraising outreach, Al Tazid Foundation connects Suffolk people with others across the globe. Indeed, a monthly free health clinic recently created by the Foundation was launched by Tom Hunt, the MP for Ipswich, while visiting Sylhet, enabling generous coverage in local and national media in Bangladesh and UK: A reminder to us all of our close human connections even across continents, and how social and community work is a common factor in making everyone’s lives better – both those who give as well as those who benefit.

Clare Marx is a Suffolk pioneer; a true leader and exemplar for the medical sector and for professional women. She has had a stellar career in the medical profession and has achieved several very distinguished firsts in her career – for instance, the first woman to become: President of The British Orthopaedic Association; President of The Royal College of Surgeons; and Chairman of the General Medical Council. She has a deep love for Suffolk and its communities, having served for nearly three decades as a trauma and orthopaedic (T&O) surgeon and medical leader at Ipswich Hospital; a person who inspires and mentors young people to join the medical profession; and someone who cares deeply about the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of everyone in Suffolk. She combines a deep understanding of strategic, organisational and governance issues with a passion for raising the standard of medical leadership for the benefit of all patients across Suffolk and the United Kingdom.

Clare qualified in medicine from the University College London Medical School in 1977. Her early surgical training was in London. Her specialist T&O training was in London and the Midlands and then she completed a training in hip and knee replacement at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts (USA). She became a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at St Mary’s and St Charles’s hospitals with particular interest in early surgical education.

After her marriage to Andrew Fane it became clear that a move to Suffolk was the desirable and right thing and in 1993 she moved jobs becoming the first woman surgeon at the Ipswich Hospital and indeed in East Anglia. Within a year she was clinical director of the combined A&E, Trauma & Orthopaedics and Rheumatology directorate at Ipswich Hospital which she held for the next 4 years. During that time she championed the role of peripheral hospitals and with the support of her colleagues they were able to grow the standing, reputation and size of the department for the benefit of the entire community. On arrival at Ipswich she started the highly successful hospital women’s dining group (to the amusement of her male colleagues). This met for some years to introduce and give encouragement, support and fun to the women clinicians of the hospital at a time when there were fewer women working in those clinical roles.

Also, in those early days she served as a school governor, particularly encouraging girls to opt for a career in clinical sciences and medicine.
Understanding that clinical leadership improved standards, she served on most of the hospital groups, from waiting lists to Estates, clinical governance to car parking! Later she chaired the Local Negotiating Committee and the hospital Medical Staff Committee. Throughout this time she welcomed students from the local area to work experience attachments, trying to instill in them enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge.

Always keen to progress education for the next generation Clare became a member of the British Orthopaedic Education committee and chaired the Specialist Advisory Committee on T&O training for the Royal Surgical Colleges. She was elected to the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) Council and became President of the BOA for 2008-09. She was then elected to the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS)in 2009.

Two years later she was made Chair of the RCS and invited to review the mechanism which carried out peer review to improve standards of poorly performing units and surgeons across the UK. In 2013 she became associate Medical Director at Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust with a special remit for revalidation and appraisal, having ceased active orthopaedic practice in March 2014.

Clare was elected President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in July 2014 for 3 years, the first woman ever to have held this role. She was then Chair of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management from 2017 – 2018 resigning from this when in 2019 she was appointed Chair of the GMC, again the first woman in this role, a position from which she retired in 2021 as a result of illness.
During her tenure as chair, she was able to influence the culture and approach of the medical community, emphasising the need for teamwork rather than individual achievement and recognising the need for supportive clinical communities, for care teams, for generosity, and for positive working environments. Her work to establish teams and collaborative working is nowadays pivotal to surgical professionalism and to delivering excellent patient care. The guidance document published under her watch at the RCS has impacted every operation performed in the UK. Her emphasis on team working, communication and safe systems made for safe surgery, saving lives in operating theatres across the country.

She has received the following honours:

• 2007 Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to medicine.
• 2008 Deputy Lieutenant of Suffolk.
• Honorary degrees from the Universities of Exeter, Bristol , Leeds and University College London for services to medicine.
• Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (FRCSI),Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians in Glasgow, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Royal College of Physicians and the British Orthopaedic Association.
• Hon memberships of Edinburgh Physicians, Edinburgh Surgeons overseas Honorary Fellowship of the American Surgical College and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
• 2018 Dame of the British Empire.
• 2021 Court of Patrons of Royal College of Surgeons of England

As a young boy in the 1950’s, living in the small village of Alderton, Nigel was first introduced to a Suffolk Horse when, one morning, local land owner Sir Cuthbert Quilter’s string of Suffolks were led through the community. This first encounter with the horse, affectionately known as ‘The Suffolk Punch’ due to its short, stocky and powerful build, turned into a life-long passion to fight for the very survival of this true icon of Suffolk and Category One – critically endangered breed.
Marriage, three children and a successful business in civil engineering were to come first but, in 1983, when only 240 horses remained registered, Nigel seized his first opportunity to make a difference. Realising that his ambitions needed to be greater than simply becoming an owner of a Suffolk Horse, he purchased 7 acres of land at Withersfield and introduced both a mare and a young filly to the smallholding. This was to become the foundation of his stud.
Nigel’s drive and ambitions for this project grew quickly and in 1987 he purchased Rede Hall Farm Park, 60 acres of land in the village of Rede, just outside Bury St Edmunds.

Early in the 1980’s Nigel became a Trustee and then President of the Suffolk Horse Society. As the breed grew in number and continued to work the land at Rede Hall, Nigel also undertook show training and extended this provision to Society members. In partnership with the charity and others across the country, Nigel also embarked on a wider breeding programme at Rede Hall which produced 59 foals and increased his own stock to sixteen. He also expanded his interests, introducing the two other members of ‘The Suffolk Trinity’ to Rede Hall – Red Poll cattle and Suffolk sheep.

In 2004 Nigel invited The Millennium Farm Trust to take up residence inviting adults with both physical and learning disabilities to the farm to enjoy the countryside, learn how to grow produce and work with the livestock including the Suffolk’s. Nigel’s passion for using the land to improve people’s lives also then extended to supporting the development of their professional skills. As the holder of both a rural and urban Equine Driving Certificates, he offered his expertise to the students at both Otley College and Writtle Agricultural College of Equine Studies.

During a lifetime of service to Suffolk and its most precious rare breed, Nigel’s passion to raise awareness and financial support has remained undiminished. He has made no fewer than 5 appearances on the BBC’s Countryfile telling this story to the nation and introducing presenter Adam Henson to the breed. So infectious was his passion that he encouraged Adam to take on this important work himself creating a breeding programme at his own farm in the Cotswolds.

Inspiring everyone from local school children in Suffolk to Her Majesty The Queen, in March 2020 Nigel was presented with the Sir Colin Spedding Award by The National Equine Forum by its Patron and President HRH the Princess Royal. The award sums up Nigel’s life’s work perfectly:

‘In recognition of his dedication and tireless energy in safeguarding The Suffolk Punch horse, including owning, breeding, working and showing this breed, as well as being The Heavy Horse Ambassador for The Rare Breeds Survival Trust.’

At the time of being presented with The Suffolk Medal, aged 78, Nigel still owns three of around 500 Suffolk horses now registered. Although age prohibits some of his former activities, he continues with promotional work, charitable displays and, perhaps most effectively of all, never ceases to share his passion to persuade anyone who will listen to join the fight to secure the future of The Suffolk Punch.

Born and educated in Suffolk, Linda has lived in Mid Suffolk for over 50 years. Throughout this time she has worked tirelessly and unpaid to increase awareness and understanding of the needs of people with a wide range of disabilities. She has played a key role in the creation and management of numerous voluntary organisations and has also informed and influenced the delivery of social, health and housing services. In short, she has improved the lives and outcomes of countless disabled people and their families across the whole of Suffolk.

In the early 1980’s Linda was among a small group of people determined to ‘rethink’ and improve services to people with disabilities. She became a founder member, and then Chair of Mid Suffolk Rethink, later known first as Rethink Disability and then Optua. This was possibly the first ‘user led’ organisation of its type in Suffolk. As a role model and champion she inspired, encouraged and supported many others to create similar organisations across the rest of the county.

Linda has been central to the development and success of numerous pioneering services including Street Forge Workshops at Thorndon, the network of Disabled Advice Services, Out and About, which provides leisure opportunities for children and young people with disabilities, and SHAPE which runs a programme of Arts activities for both disabled and able-bodied people and which became Artlink East. Linda was also Chair of Governors at the Thomas Wolsey School, seeing the school safely move to a brand new and fully accessible building, a Corporation Member of Suffolk New College, a Trustee of the Papworth Trust and Chair of the Mid Suffolk Voluntary Organisations Forum, helping to establish Red Gables, a resource centre for voluntary and community organisations in Stowmarket.

She was the first ever Chair of the Joint Planning Group for people with physical and sensory disabilities – all the chairs of the other groups were paid senior managers – which fed into the Suffolk Joint Consultative Committee that was responsible for planning services across the NHS and local authorities.

Linda’s persistent, selfless but determined approach has won her the respect and admiration of all those who work with her. It has made her an irresistible force for lasting change which continues to this day as a member of the Ipswich & East Suffolk CCG Community Engagement Group. She continues to work with the user led Disability Forums in the county, chairing both the Mid Suffolk and Suffolk Coastal Disability Forums, and the Disability Forum for Suffolk. She was awarded an MBE in 2010 for services to disabled people in Suffolk.

Terry was the editor of the East Anglian Daily Times for 21 years until his retirement in September 2017. He joined the newspaper in 1979 and went on to become the longest serving editor of any regional daily newspaper in the country.

Terry was born and educated in Suffolk and his whole life has been dedicated to supporting and making a positive difference to the county – Suffolk absolutely runs through his veins. Winning a huge amount of trust and respect from Suffolk people from all walks of life, his approach as editor was never partisan, he simply regarded his role as his public duty. His approach was to seek out the truth of the situation and give an entirely reliable account of it for the benefit of the whole of Suffolk.

In amongst his support for local business, sport, education and tourism, Terry has a particular  interest in rural life and agriculture and fully embraced his role as president of The Suffolk Agricultural Association in 2015. As chair of Ipswich Vision, Terry is a longstanding champion for the re-generation of our county town, Ipswich and its important role as the key driver of a healthy Suffolk economy. Terry has been a huge supporter of Suffolk’s voluntary sector, always shining a light on charities and community groups addressing the broadest cross section of need in our county. Terry has always been a very vocal supporter of the need for a central resource to support Suffolk’s social challenges and the charities who address local need. Key to this has been his support for Suffolk Community Foundation. His endorsement and hands on editorial support for their Suffolk Surviving Winter Appeal has seen it consistently lead the UK in the amounts it has raised to support older vulnerable people during the winter months. Many other local charitable initiatives simply would not have delivered all that they have without his passionate and consistent editorial. Against a backdrop of a steady decline in the presence of traditional and regional press, Terry’s passion, commitment and support to achieve community cohesion through strong regional and local community communication has played a major part in ensuring that we still have a vibrant local and regional press in print and online in Suffolk today.

One of Terry’s greatest attributes is the way he has used his own personal challenges and those of his family to increase his own understanding and to take action on behalf of others. His approach has always been to roll up his sleeves and this has proved to be an inspiration and a catalyst for positive change to local lives across the county.

Since his retirement, he has become a volunteer for more than a dozen important organisations and charities, he is currently a trustee of Inspire Suffolk, Headway Suffolk and St Elizabeth Hospice. He is also chair of the development board at The Museum of East Anglian Life and remains hugely committed to making a significant and lasting difference to our county.

Canon Sally Fogden was a member of the first group of women to be ordained in the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich in 1994 and has been the Diocesan Adviser on Women’s Ministry, the Bishop’s Agricultural Chaplain and Chairman of The Diocesan Board of Education.

Sally has been a member of the national committee of the Rural Stress Information Network, and a member of the National Board of the Farm Crisis Network. She is founder and chair of the Suffolk branch of the Farming Community Network and the driving force behind the Addington Fund which did so much to alleviate problems of Suffolk pig farmers during the outbreak of Classical Swine Fever in 2000 and in helping rural communities during the Foot and Mouth epidemic in 2001, for which she received an MBE.

As a physiotherapist for Hillside and Riverwalk special schools, Sally introduced their young people to Riding For The Disabled and has now been coaching children at the charity for 45 years.

Sally has done huge amounts of good to alleviate rural loneliness and isolation through the founding of the Rural Coffee Caravan in 2003, for which she was honoured with the Points of Light Award by the Prime Minister in recognition of her outstanding volunteering. Most recently, Sally played a key role in supporting the team at The Rural Coffee Caravan and Community Action Suffolk to establish the Meet-up Mondays initiative, in recognition of the fact that isolation and loneliness are also prevalent in urban areas in Suffolk. This important and ground-breaking initiative encourages a much needed partnership between the local community, local businesses and the voluntary sector. Although only currently in its infancy, it has already led to dozens of individual groups springing up right across Suffolk.

Sally has immense personal compassion for everyone she meets, is gentle and humorous, yet focused and determined in supporting the vulnerable; truly a shining light to the ideal of selfless giving back. She is such a positive, uplifting and genuine person who is always ready to embrace new opportunities to help others.

Richard is the latest in a long line of social activists and philanthropists including his mother’s grandfather Charles Booth, whose maps of poverty in a London street formed the model for identifying pockets of need to this day.

Richard himself has made an enormous lifelong contribution to Walsham-le-Willows and the county of Suffolk as a whole. His commitment to protecting the history and character of the village is manifest in his donations of land and buildings. Richard’s great grandfather built 7 blocks of cottages in the village, including sheltered housing for the elderly. In 2011 Richard took the decision to donate 4 of the blocks in the centre of the village, 12 cottages in total, to Suffolk Community Foundation so that they and the gardens around them may remain unspoilt for future generations while the surplus rent will fund good causes in Suffolk.

Richard’s professional life was as a brewer, training first with Greene King in Bury St Edmunds before working for Whitbread. He became the director of the brewery responsible for its community affairs and was closely involved in developing the YTS Scheme which provided training for school leavers to help them find employment.

Richard retired early to devote his time to the voluntary sector. For 10 years he chaired the East Region of the National Lottery Charities Board, which funded many Suffolk charities, sat on the National Curriculum Council with particular interest in its vocational aspect. For many years he chaired the Martineau Trust, a charity that provides grants for essential but otherwise unaffordable items and expenses for Suffolk people suffering from illness or disability.

On his farm he has created new woods and planted countless hedgerows on an abandoned airfield and has opened a network of permissive footpaths across most of his land so that walkers may enjoy the beauties of the countryside. He has also given land to the Sports Club which has enabled it to expand and install an all-weather pitch. Its volunteers manage football and cricket teams for all ages and both sexes. They organise walking football and netball for older members and the Great Local Run for up to 60 people on a Saturday morning, not to forget the bowls green and the all important social club.

For the last fourteen years Richard has helped the club adapt to changes in the charity laws so that, at last, it owns its own ground and has achieved full charitable status.