There are thousands of licensees doing great work for charity every year. If you know one who is really exceptional, perhaps you could consider nominating them for an honour (probably an MBE).
The All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group has put together some tips below, but you could also visit the the Honours and Appointments Secretariat excellent guide. The nomination form is on the same website.
HOW TO NOMINATE A LICENSEE FOR AN HONOUR FOR CHARITY WORK A national Honour (OBE, MBE, BEM) is excellent recognition for a licensee who have given exceptional support for charity.
The Honours system is designed to recognise really exceptional achievement. Someone who has fundraised for a couple of years would not qualify – whereas someone who has a 30-year track record of exceptional support for charities should stand a good chance.
There is a process to nominate people for an honour. It is important that the process is confidential, and that nominee doesn’t know that they are being put forward – not least in case the application is unsuccessful.
The crucial steps are to:
Produce really strong evidence summarising what the candidate has done – emphasising how their work has been “over and above the day job”, their commitment and passion, and how they have made a really positive difference. The guidelines give some excellent examples of some of the words and phrases that are most impactful. Do highlight all the other ways in which your candidate has contributed to society (e.g. magistrate, school governor, sport referee, volunteer etc.)
Gather letters of support from people who know the applicant personally. Possible supporters might include regulars in the pub; the Chairman or CEO of the brewery or pub company; charities that have been supported by the pub; the local branch of CAMRA; local community groups and sports teams; local councillors or the constituency MP (and also MSPs in Scotland, AMs in Wales or MLAs in Northern Ireland) etc.
There is no specific number of supporters that is needed. But the more numerous, diverse and influential, the better!
Good luck!
