Her Majesty The Queen has agreed for a competition to be held to grant the prestigious and rare civic honours of ‘city status’ and ‘Lord Mayor or Lord Provost status’, to a select number of worthy towns and cities in the United Kingdom.
This will be the first time in ten years that Her Majesty awards civic honours and the occasion comes as part of celebrations to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Levelling up
As part of this government’s commitment to levelling up and increasing opportunity across the United Kingdom, local authorities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can enter the competition and make a case for why its area deserves to be granted one of these honours.
For the first time, the city status competition will also be open to applications from the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.
Smith: Win an honour or your hometown
Minister of State for the Constitution and Devolution, Chloe Smith, said,
“The Civic Honours competition is an opportunity to promote your hometown and win an honour for it that will last for all time. I encourage entries from local authorities in every part of the UK, from vibrant towns and cities with distinct identities, history, and sense of community.
“The brilliance of the United Kingdom is rooted in diverse and unique communities brought together by a shared sense of civic pride, so I have no doubt the competition will be fierce – but success will be a historic moment of celebration for the winners, which will take its place within Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.”
Showstopper events
2022 will be a year of celebration, with three showstopper events held across the UK: Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and Festival UK 2022 will bring people together and inspire the next generation as we renew build back better from the coronavirus pandemic.
Dowden: Show your heritage
Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said,
“As we look forward to a year of celebration, growth and renewal in 2022, this prestigious competition will inspire civic pride in communities right across the UK.
“It’s a great opportunity for towns and cities in every corner of the country to showcase their heritage and tell us more about the people and places that make their local area so unique – and a fitting tribute to Her Majesty’s reign in her Platinum Jubilee year.”
The Civic Honours competition will provide local authorities with the chance to showcase their civic pride, interesting heritage and record of innovation – putting their hometowns on the map and bringing greater prosperity of opportunity.
The competition will close on 8th December 2021 and full entry guidelines and an application form have been published on the Website.
Considered on its merits
All valid entries will receive individual consideration on their merits, before recommendations will be made by ministers to Her Majesty The Queen. The number of awards made across the UK, Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies will depend on the strength of the applications received.
Her Majesty The Queen will be the first British monarch to have reached 70 years on the throne. This is a truly historic moment for the country and it is right that we celebrate it in a way that recognises the strength of community across the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.
What makes your town special
Although there are no specific criteria for city status or Lord Mayor or Provost status, the Government is interested in hearing about what makes your town special. We want to know about its:
- Distinct identity;
- Civic pride;
- Cultural infrastructure, interesting heritage, history and traditions
- Vibrant and welcoming community;
- Record of innovation;
- Sound governance and administration;
- Associations with Royalty; and
- Other particularly distinctive features, age, residents or communities who have made widely recognised significant contributions to society and cultural infrastructure.
News shared by Rachel on behalf of the Cabinet Office. Ed
Image: freestocks under CC BY 2.0
