Karen Lile (from the Churchhill War Rooms in London) and Rick Tittle (from the Sports Byline Broadcast studios in San Francisco) interviewed James Balls (with Karen Lile in the Churchill War Rooms) on Mar 21, 2023. James Balls, MBE, as founder and Executive Director of the Armed Forces Equine Charity, and Karen Earle Lile as a newly appointed International Ambassador for the Armed Forces Equine Charity were presented with MOD’s Social Value Sanctuary Awarded by Baroness Goldie DL, shortly before the live broadcast of Sail Sport Talk on Sports Byline to 100 million people in 168 countries.
Since 1991, the Sanctuary Awards have been recognizing outstanding sustainability and conservation efforts across the MOD. The awards celebrate organisations and individuals from across the UK Ministry of Defence who have group and individual-led projects that are benefiting sustainable development and helping to conserve the environment, natural resources and heritage across Defence’s UK and overseas estate.
The award categories reflect the MOD’s sustainability agenda and the commitment to achieving the UK Government’s environmental and sustainability goals. The winners of each category are considered for the coveted Silver Otter Trophy, presented to the best conservation effort on the Ministry of Defense estate, and the Sustainable Business Award for the best larger scale or commercial project. A brand-new category, introduced this year, is the Innovation Award for the project best exemplifying innovative behaviours.
Featured photo above from Left to Right: Minister of Defense Baroness Goldie, James Ball, MBE, Founder/Executive Director Armed Forces Equine Charity, Karen Earle Lile, International Ambassador for Armed Forces Equine Charity.
Featured photo to at left from Left to Right: Richard Brooks, Principal Environmental Advisor, Defense Infrastructure Organization, Ministry of Defense (UK), James Ball, MBE, Founder/Executive Director Armed Forces Equine Charity, Karen Earle Lile, International Ambassador for Armed Forces Equine Charity.
Sanctuary Award Ceremony Live Streamed on Forces Net (UK)
An award ceremony recognising outstanding conservation and sustainability projects across the Ministry of Defence estate was live-streamed on the MOD’s YouTube channel Tuesday, March 16 at midday UKT.
The MOD’s ‘Sanctuary Awards’ encourage group and individual efforts that benefit sustainable development, energy-saving measures, wildlife, archaeology, environmental improvement or community awareness of conservation on or within land and property that the MOD owns or uses in the UK and overseas.
Sanctuary Awards have been recognizing outstanding contributions to conservation across the MOD since 1991 and to sustainability since 2008.
The Awards were presented by the Minister of State Baroness Goldie DL and Lt Gen Richard Nugee, the MOD’s Climate Change and Sustainability Lead. (see Sanctuary Magazine Issue 51)
To celebrate a new decade, and to further encourage support of the MOD’s sustainability ambitions, the 2020 Sanctuary Awards’ categories were modernised to include the:
Environmental Protection & Enhancement Award which celebrates projects that focus on wildlife and biodiversity, environmental research or tackles pollution and contamination issues
Social Value, Community & Heritage Award which celebrates projects that focus on the social aspects of sustainability, including heritage, public access, community engagement and education
Energy, Low Carbon & Resource Efficiency Award which celebrates projects that reduce energy, water or resource consumption, enable recycling, the use of renewable energy or contribute to the MOD’s Net Zero carbon ambition
Individual Achievement Award which celebrates people who have made a significant personal contribution to MOD conservation or sustainability as a MOD employee, contractor or volunteer
Sustainable Construction Award which celebrates new build and refurbishment projects that innovate in fields such as novel materials or designs, resource management, the reuse of historic buildings or climate resilience
Sustainable Procurement Award which celebrates projects that improve the sustainability of equipment or services, the management of supply chains or product life cycles
In addition, the winners of each category have been considered for two further awards.
The Silver Otter Trophy has been awarded annually since 1991 to the best Conservation Group led project or individual conservation effort on the MOD estate.
Since 2014 the much sought after Sustainable Business Award has been presented to more commercial projects which deliver sustainable solutions to enable the Armed Forces to live, work or train effectively.
Sail Sport Talk on Sport Byline Broadcast from Churchill War Rooms on March 21, 2023
Churchill War Rooms Housed the underground nerve centre where the British government directed the Second World War and the award-winning Churchill Museum.
Listen to Sail Sport Talk Podcast Published after Live Broadcast Here:
Award Ceremony by MOD