MOD honours Conservation and Energy Award winners
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) today announced the winners of its prestigious Sanctuary and Energy Awards during a ceremony in London.
The Sanctuary Awards are held in recognition of both group and individual efforts undertaken to benefit wildlife, archaeology, environmental improvement or community awareness of conservation on or within MOD land in theUKor overseas. The 2012 Sanctuary Awards are divided into four categories: Environmental Project, Heritage Project, Sustainability Project and Individual Achievement. The winners of each category are considered for an overall winner to receive the top Silver Otter Award.
The Energy Awards recognise individuals and teams for their efforts here in the UK and overseas to conserve energy and cut carbon emissions.
Amongst this year’s winners are the Officer in Command of RAF Brize Norton; the Sustainability Team from RAF Northolt; the Health & Safety Officer from RAF Boulmer; a project to create a new Fire Training facility in a former World War II airfield in Cornwall; and Operation Nightingale - a unique project using archaeology to boost the recovery of soldiers wounded in Afghanistan
Presenting the Awards the Rt Hon Mark Francois MP, Minister of State for Defence Personnel Welfare and Veterans, said:
“The Sanctuary and Energy Awards recognise work across the MOD estate that benefits wildlife, archaeology and environment. They celebrate people who not only protect our heritage and environment, but also collectively save the British taxpayer millions of pounds.
“The MOD’s priority must always be support to the service men and women currently risking their lives on operations. Nothing should distract us from this mission, but neglecting the sustainability of our work today will make it difficult to support the operations of tomorrow.”
The ceremony also marked the launch of this year’s Sanctuary magazine. This is an annual publication, which illustrates how the MOD is undertaking its responsibility for stewardship of the estate in theUKand overseas. Sanctuary can be read here:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/MicroSite/DIO/OurPublications/EstateAndSustainableDevelopment/Sanctuary.htm
Ends
Further information:
Press enquiries to Tony Moran, Senior Communications Officer 0121 311 3879 or email tony.moran572@mod.uk Defence Infrastructure Organisation website: http://www.mod.uk/dio
Notes to Editors
1. The Sanctuary Awards are organised, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), by Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).
2. DIO is part of the MOD. It is responsible for managing and maintaining land and properties to meet the current and future needs of the MOD and personnel at home and abroad, and support current operations.Its work includes providing, supporting and improving: operational units; single living and service family accommodation; training areas and historic military sites. DIO actively manages these to ensure the needs of Defence are met, value for money is achieved, our heritage is protected and to achieve our environmental goals.
3. DIO was formed on 1 April 2011 when the former Defence Estates (DE) organisation was brought together with other property and infrastructure functions within department to form a single organisation. DIO manages the MOD’s property infrastructure and ensures strategic management of the Defence estate as a whole.
4. The Sanctuary Awards aim to recognise and encourage group and individual efforts that benefit wildlife, archaeology, environmental improvement or community awareness of conservation on or within land and property that MOD owns or uses in theUK or overseas.
5. For imagery, please visit the Defence Imagery website at www.defenceimagery.mod.uk
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6. Details of the Energy Awards are:
Silver Otter and Heritage Projects Award
OPERATION NIGHTINGALE
Operation Nightingale is the very worthy winner of the Heritage Projects Award. Moreover it has been judged to be the overall Sanctuary Award winner and is also awarded the Silver Otter trophy for 2012.
This is an enormously impressive, innovative and unique project to rehabilitate wounded soldiers from The Rifles using archaeology as the mechanism.
The excavations give the soldiers new skills and new confidence and some have enrolled in archaeological degree courses. The wide support and dedication from a high number of staff at all levels and involvement of many external stakeholders is a remarkable achievement.
Operation Nightingale demonstrates best practice in archaeological fieldwork, acknowledged by English Heritage and Cadw and has already been awarded a special British Archaeological Award.
Individual Achievement Award
DAVID CHAPPELL, Station Health & Safety Officer, RAF Boulmer
David has shown impressive personal dedication and determination
over the last 4 years at RAF Boulmer. His various projects include creation of a woodland path and a haven for wildlife from the old station rubbish tip, and a pond from an old demolition site. His hard work and resourcefulness in recycling unwanted materials is truly commendable, as is the tremendous achievement of raising awareness of the wildlife co-existing with the operational business on site.
Environmental Projects Awards
LOE POOL AND LLYN PENRHYN Sewage Treatment Works
The project aim was to find the real impact of MOD sewage discharges to scientifically manage these MOD sewage treatment works. The project began in Loe Pool, bringing together multiple parties with conflicting views. Military authorities, Defence Infrastructure Organisation, Kelda Water Services, and Countryside Council forWaleswere brought together into working groups, with National Trust and RSPB volunteers involved in water sampling. This collaborative approach is quite an achievement and was successfully rolled out to Llyn Penrhyn in 2010.
Sustainability Projects Award
PREDANNACK FIRE TRAINING FACILITIES
This project provided a new Fire Training facility for the Royal Naval School of Flight Deck Operations at Predannack, a former World War II airfield inCornwall. Debut Services and the Royal Navy Infrastructure Organisation constructed this demanding project in an ecologically important site within a largely inaccessible area. They used a modular building, self-contained drainage system and multiple energy efficient methods in the design to minimise environmental impacts and was short-listed for a Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors award.
Energy Individual Award
MAJOR LEIGH JACKSON, RAF Brize Norton
Major Leigh Jackson is Officer in Command of a very busy infrastructure organisation in Brize Norton. He is driving forward an extensive sustainability programme deploying both traditional and innovative energy saving techniques to pursue his targets. Major Jackson has liaised closely with the Carbon Trust and created a programme management team, incorporating the industry partners on site. His enthusiasm and pursuit of continuous best practice is outstanding.
Energy Team Award
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM, RAF Northolt
The Sustainable Development team in RAF Northolt have formally incorporated sustainability into core business by developing the first station SD plan in 2011. The initatives have provided valuable evidence to support the sustainability programme and have had a positive impact on the wider Garrison. The RAF Northolt team has sought to lead the way, enabling other MOD units to follow suit, and the team are worthy winners of this award.
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