The Worshipful Company of Security Professionals’ (WCoSP) annual dinner was the occasion for the presenting of the 2018 Sheriffs’ Award, The Sheriffs of the City of London presented their award for bravery to David Burgess.
The dinner was held in the Egyptian Hall of The Mansion House by the kind permission of the Lord Mayor, Alderman Charles Bowman on Thursday, October 11. Guests were greeted on arrival by the Company’s Master Phill Hagon QPM, Mrs Maggie Hagon and the Company’s Senior Warden Michael Barley.
The Sheriffs’ Award dates from 2006, and marks acts that ave contributed to safeguarding “people, property or our liberty.” The choice of the recipient of the main award is always a difficult task for the judging panel, which includes the two Sheriffs of the City of London and the two Sheriffs (Elect).
In front of some 200 WCoSP members and guests, the 2018 award was presented by the two Sheriffs, Alderman Vincent Keaveny and The Hon Elizabeth Green, to David Burgess who selflessly intervened in an assault where a man was being attacked and stabbed and ultimately saved his life.
Hagon said: ‘The award to David Burgess is yet another example of selfless bravery that restores faith in the goodness of people. It is a most prestigious award and David received from the Company a substantial cheque, the Sheriffs’ Award Trophy and certificate, all presented by the Sheriffs, and subsequently his name will be engraved on a board situated in the Central Criminal Court. David was a most worthy recipient’.
As Hagon noted in his speech: “The Charitable Trust now regularly makes donations of over £50,000 a year to a variety of causes and through its Security Benevolent Fund is very active in helping individuals from the world of security who have fallen on hard times.”
One of Phill Hagon’s objectives for his year as Master is to grow the membership by promoting the work being done by the Company through initiatives such as the Sheriffs’ Award, the Whittington Course and the Chartered Security Professional (CySP) qualification, that is operated under the Company’s Royal Charter.
The Security Professionals are now reported to be the fifth largest, by membership, of the 110 London Livery Companies; quite an achievement for an organisation that is not quite 20 years old and reflects its desire to attract members from all parts of the wider world of security and at every level. The Company is just as keen to welcome new apprentices as they are CEOs of the UK’s major security companies.
Image is copyright of Gerald Sharp Photography.
About the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals (WCoSP)
As the 108th Livery Company of the City of London it has over 500 members from across the security profession, including corporate security, academia, fraud, IT and security consultants and investigators as well as security providers such as guarding, cash in transit, alarms, CCTV as well as those from the police and military. Visit: www.wcosp.org.
