Local families support awards ceremony at Lambeth Palace

Several local families are supporting this year’s Sandford St Martin Trust Awards, which celebrate excellence in religious and ethical broadcasting. The awards will take place on 27th May at Lambeth Palace, the home of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

Welby said: “The Sandford St Martin Trust Awards celebrate broadcasting that goes to the heart of what it means to be human. The 2015 shortlist not only shows the extraordinary range of religious and ethical programming on television and radio, but also puts paid to the idea that the spiritual dimension to life can be locked away behind a door marked ‘private’. These

programmes show how faith profoundly enriches both individual lives and wider

society – and they don’t shy away from addressing difficult issues. Whoever wins on

the night, we owe everyone shortlisted a debt of gratitude for broadening our

horizons and deepening our understanding of one another.”

There are different categories at the awards, including best TV programme, best Radio programme, best Children’s programme – there is also a Radio Times Award. This year the BBC’s Chief International correspondent Lyse Doucet will receive the Trustees Awards.

Cookham-based cellist Alexander Garrett will perform on the night. Alexander is now at the end of his second year of a four-year course at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

He said: “Music is a unique art form as it is the only one which can directly engage so many

different aspects of the brain at one time. It stimulates our emotions, our eyes, our

ears and even our souls. It is an art form of the moment, that only exists in the

moment. Unlike a book, or visual art – it requires a performer to be the conduit of a

composerʼs will. But a conduit that is unique in and of themselves. Each performance

is a sweet moment in which an audience can bond over the sharing of oneʼs soul,

and the love of touching oneʼs humanity with the most beautiful of means - music.”

Cookham mum of four Inaya Ulhaq is volunteering at the awards and Sophie and Christoph from Hof’s Wines in Marlow are donating some of their high-end South African wines to the event. It looks set to be a fantastic night.

For more info, visit http://sandfordawards.org.uk/

The organisers would like to thank Professional Print in High Wycombe, Rebellion Brewery,

Hof's Wines, English Wine Producers, Fratelli LaBufala and volunteers Inaya Ulhaq, Selina Swift and Kristina Kashtanova.