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14 / 03 / 19
The Times/Sternberg Active Life Award honours the achievements of individuals over the age of 70 who have excelled in any field but with a particular focus on excellence in charitable endeavours both in the UK and abroad. The award was established by Faith & Belief Forum co-founder Sir Sigmund Sternberg and is supported by the Sternberg Charitable Foundation and the Times newspaper.
The form of the award is a monetary prize. Each year there is one winner with five runners-up.
The panel of judges currently includes: Katy Bravery, Craig Tregurtha (Managing Editor of the Times Newspaper) Sir Tom Farmer, Baroness Neuberger DBE, Sir John Ritblat (Chair) and Lord Dennis Stevenson.
The award has been supported by both Labour and Conservative governments. In 2008 The Rt Hon, Gordon Brown PC, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, was kind enough to offer No 11 Downing Street as the venue for the award. In 2018 the Chancellor, Mr Philip Hammond, continued the tradition. This year’s award ceremony takes place on 21 May 2019.
Nominations are open for all people who have made a contribution to society after their 70th birthday.
Email your nominations to sternberg.award@thetimes.co.uk; or submit it by post to the Managing Editor’s Office, The Times, 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF
Past winners of the award include the following:
2008 – Helen Bamber (Medical Foundation for Care of Victims of Torture; and in 2005, establishment of the Helen Bamber Foundation to support those who had suffered human rights violations).
2009 – Phoebe Caldwell (Committed to improvement of the lives of people with severe autism and to the improvement of public understanding of the condition).
2010 – Major John Majendie (Worked tirelessly to organise annual pilgrimages to France for fellow Normandy veterans, forging links between Britain, France and Germany).
2011 – Dr Colin Murray Parkes (Dedication over many years to helping thousands of bereaved and traumatised people around the world).
2012 – Sylvia Holder (Dedication to the improvement of education for the children of Kovalam, in India, creating both a primary school and later a high school, and educating thousands).
2013 – David Pearson (A former engineer and BA pilot, dedicated in his retirement to improving the lives of people in Malawi).
2015/16 – John Harris Robinson CBE (Took up chairmanship of Abbeyfield Society, restoring it to good financial health, then embarking on the construction of cutting-edge homes for people with dementia).
2017 – Jeffrey Long MBE (Following a successful career in the textile business, he worked in a coordinating role with the St James’s branch of the Royal British Legion, while also dedicating his time to helping numerous charities over the years).
