On Friday 11 July more than 50 schools from across the Diocese took part in an awards ceremony at Brentwood Cathedral honouring young people who have demonstrated good citizenship.
The initiative has been taking place annually since 2002 when it was inspired by Professor Lord Alton, a former pupil of this Diocese, and supported strongly by the Brentwood Religious Education Service to encourage schools to respond to Government requirements that Citizenship be included in the curriculum.
Brentwood Diocese is committed, as is Professor Lord Alton, to the idea that to be a good Catholic involves being a good citizen, ‘the Gospel of Jesus Christ requires us to “love our neighbour as ourselves” and that is at the heart of the Christian interpretation of Citizenship.’ In the words of Lord Alton: “It is important to state that our Catholic view of citizenship is a willingness to act for, speak for and serve the needs of those who, on their own, cannot do it for themselves. In a word, Catholic Citizenship is service.”
Nominations for the 2026 awards were wide-ranging, from charity fundraising to supporting liturgies and chaplaincy, from helping and encouraging others to caring for siblings or classmates with medical needs or disabilities, from resilience in adversity and bereavement to leadership in civil society or advocacy groups, from Mini Vinnies to CAFOD.
A group of junior leaders and stewards of the gospel – Inez, Leon, Christian, Erin and Stanislava – at St Antony’s in Forest Gate, for example, supported pupils at Breakfast Club every day, preparing food, clearing up and helping with homework, spelling or other activities. Freddie at St John Payne in Chelmsford, meanwhile, was nominated for his “passionate advocacy for causes rooted in faith, justice and compassion” as the leader of an SVP group and the Earth Society. At St Benedict’s in Colchester, Miguel has been “a dedicated presence in the liturgical life of the college and joined the BCYS Lourdes pilgrimage last year, returning with an even stronger sense of faith and discipleship”.
Matthew at St Peter’s Primary, Billericay organised charity fundraising initiatives, walked for a cancer charity and carried out litter-picking in his area while St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Gidea Park nominated Harley, aged 8, who climbed Mount Snowdon in Wales to raise over £5,000 for the Sikh Welfare Society, supporting vital eye care for hundreds of people.
Nicholas, Jesse, Niamh and Neringa at Trinity Catholic High School, meanwhile, have set up a Linking Lives project “to tackle loneliness and isolation among the elderly in their local community through social events and activities”. And, at St Bonaventure’s, Abdul, Luginton and Reuben were nominated respectively for Laudato Si’ advocacy and dedication at CAFOD Family Fast Days, mentoring younger students and altar servers, and contributions to school life, including Student Leadership and chairing the Newham Mayoral Accountability Assembly.
In his homily, Bishop Alan Williams sm said that he was delighted and proud to present the awards, adding that the ceremony was one of the highest points in his life in the Diocese – meeting amazing people who had done extraordinary things over extended periods.
“In our first reading, St Peter said that God is working for us, is strengthening us and giving us grace all the time. Sometimes we notice, sometimes we don’t. But the young people receiving awards today have certainly reacted to the grace of God, the goodness of God, the love of God.”
He added: “It is summed up in today’s gospel reading where we hear someone asking Jesus which is the most important of the commandments. He says there are two that are absolutely vital for a happy life and a happy world: to love God; and to love your neighbour. They are one commandment – so important that you can’t separate them. The stories of those receiving awards today is the story of the gospel.”
Following the awards ceremony, retiring headteachers were also honoured and thanked for their service:
Penny Johnson – Grays Convent
Richard Wilkin – Brentwood Ursuline
Victoria Jackson – St Francis, Braintree
Philomena Egan – St Mary’s, Chingford
Greg Waters – The Bishops, Chelmsford
Thanks were also expressed to Andrew Wright, the Diocesan Director of Music; Mrs Henry and the choir and orchestra of St Helen’s Junior School, Brentwood; and Graham Hillman for the photographs. (See full set on Awards page)
Lord Alton was a pupil at St Helen’s Infant and Junior Schools, Brentwood and the Campion School, Hornchurch. His contribution to the understanding of Catholic Education has been consistent over many years and has provided inspiration at the highest level for the development of the concept of “education of the whole person”.
We congratulate Lord Alton on more than 47 years of generous service in both the Houses
of Parliament and thank him for being a consistent, inspirational, prophetic Christian role
model for all.
Listen to Bishop Alan’s homily here: