Founder's Awards

The STEP Founder’s Awards for Outstanding Achievement take place annually.

The Founder’s Awards for Outstanding Achievement commemorate George Tasker, the founder of STEP, and are awarded to our exceptional volunteers who have made an extraordinary and outstanding long term contribution to the Society above and beyond that normally expected of a volunteer whether through office in his or her branch or elsewhere in the voluntary life of the Society.

This year’s Awards open on Thursday 15 July, and branches and regions are invited to submit their nominations to STEP Head Office (details below).

Nominations for these awards are assessed by a judging panel on the basis of three main criteria:   

  • Exceptional volunteer contribution to the Society
  • Notable achievements in that volunteer capacity
  • Length of service in a volunteer role

Current members of Council are not eligible for an Award.

How to nominate

Nominations should consist of up to 400 words addressing the criteria outlined above. Nominations should be supported by a proposer and a seconder. The nomination should clearly show how the individual has made an exceptional volunteer contribution above and beyond what might normally be expected of a volunteer through office in his or her branch or elsewhere in the voluntary life of the Society and over a sustained period as well as key achievements.

Please submit your nomination to Hannah Maloney at [email protected] by Wednesday 27 October using the form below:

We believe that inclusion and diversity are critical to the success of the organisation and the future of our profession and we ask branches and regions to consider all volunteers when making a nomination.

Awards Panel

Nominations will be assessed by a panel comprising Michael Young, Rosemary Marr, Richard Pease, Helene Lewis, (past Chairs of STEP) and Dayra Berbey de Rojas, and Chaired by Michael Cadesky.

Nomination details will be confidential, and nominators will not be disclosed to the panel. Nominators are asked not to approach panel members directly.

The final decision on any nomination is for the panel alone. The panel receives many nominations, and not all are accepted. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that a nomination remains private and confidential and not be disclosed to the candidate. Where one is rejected, candidates are equally eligible to be nominated in the future.

Awards announcement

Nominators will be advised of the successful nominees by Friday 19 November, although the results will not officially be announced until the Annual General Meeting on Thursday 9 December and will be kept confidential until that time. Each region/branch will decide with STEP Head Office how and when they would like the award to be presented.