History
THE HISTORY OF THE SOLDIERING ON AWARDS
This history is about the individuals and teams behind the Soldiering On Awards. For historical information about previous winners please follow the header navigation links.
THE ORIGINS (Origins to 2011)
As with so many great ideas, things are perhaps not as straightforward as they seem. The origins of Soldiering On Awards stretch back to the first awards night at The Savoy Hotel in 2011, yet what brought the protagonists together was of course a variety of sliding door moments.
During the 1990s and 2000s fund raising enthusiasts Adrian Bevan and Tony McEvoy along with trustees John Novelli, Wg Cdr Colin Debenham and a few others were involved in various charitable fundraising events at a variety of prestigious London venues; the events were run and organised by Apollo Fundraising.
One such event in 2009 was focused on fund raising for BLESMA when Adrian, Tony and John first met the then Squadron Leader Tal Lambert. Tal was very enthusiastic about the event and said he would he like to help arrange future events to support military charities.
Tal, with the support of Adrian, Tony and John then took forward this idea and organised a successful 2010 fundraising event in aid of BLESMA at a London nightclub. After the success of this event and seeing the plight of various Service Leavers and Veterans returning from conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, thoughts turned to organising an Awards night alongside a fundraiser. Awards that would recognise those people who had overcome adversity and were integrating back into society who would be an example and inspiration for others.
Tal and John put together the concept and the team of volunteers; including RAF and Military Colleagues, celebrities, family and friends. Adrian Bevan came up with name; Soldiering On. Tal and John took the lead in establishing the Soldiering On Through Life Trust (SOTLT) Charity, as the vehicle to manage and run the Awards.
The inaugural BLESMA “Soldiering On” Awards Ceremony & Dinner was held at the prestigious Savoy Hotel, London on Sunday 20 March 2011 in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (Patrons of BLESMA), His Grace the Duke of Westminster and a wonderful array of guests, including all of the senior military ranks from the three Services.
Gloria Hunniford and Paul Martin hosted the Awards Ceremony, guiding the evening perfectly and introducing the very special people that were recognised with a Soldiering On Award. Tom Keane hosted the Money Can’t Buy Auction, helping to bring the total raised for BLESMA on the evening to approximately £47,000.
To quote Adrian Bevan; “In terms of the development and organisation of a successful, coherent nominations / judging / awards orientated event which evolved into SOTLT, credit must go to Tal Lambert and John Novelli for the concept.” A sentiment wholly endorsed and acknowledged today.
So, the Awards were up and running.
TRANSITION AND COVID (2017 to 2021)
In 2016 Ren Kapur, having successfully established X-Forces Enterprise in 2013 as a positively disruptive influence in the Armed Forces community employability landscape, had a meeting with Ray Lock, CEO of Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT). The conversation was about her ambitions to establish an Awards programme to recognise the great work veterans do in establishing their own businesses and the benefits that this brings to society. Unbeknown to Ren, FiMT were supporting SOTLT. Ray brokered an introduction between Tal and Ren. Over the course of the next year the friendship and working relationship grew resulting in two things:
- The formation of a new venture in July 2017 to succeed SOTLT[i]; Soldiering On Awards Limited, which was a company limited by guarantee and established by Ren, Tal and Paul Wooding, a former Trustee of SOTLT.
- The introduction of three business categories to the Soldiering On Awards that recognise the business success of the Armed Forces community in wider society.
After one year of joint working and a recognition that neither SOTLT nor Soldiering On Awards Limited could exist as an entity in their own right, X-Forces Enterprise acquired the Soldiering On Awards brand on August 1st 2018. SOTLT had already been wound down and Soldiering On Awards Limited was subsequently dissolved. After two years of financial and legal uncertainty the Awards had transitioned to a safe and secure home, with Lt. Col. Ren Kapur MBE and her team at X-Forces Enterprise. Adrian Bevan took the opportunity to realise his well-earned retirement, Tal stepped back from his role, whilst Anne Donnoghue and Jan Taylor joined the XFE team to provide some continuity. For the Awards this transition was well timed as in 2018 Tal was involved in a life changing road-traffic accident. Tal was able to fully focus on his recovery and he watched from afar as the Awards went through more change and evolution.
This though wasn’t the last time Ren and XFE would have to secure the Awards. The outbreak of Covid resulted in the 2020 Awards Night being postponed with just four weeks’ notice as the nation went into Covid-19 induced lock-down.
The Awards moved on-line for two years. Charity Fundraising had to take a back seat and survival was the imperative. The decision to cancel the 2021 Gala Dinner in December with just four days’ notice was particularly tough. But with new variants of Covid-19, health and safety were the primary concerns. The commitment from Ren to the Awards programme was unwavering as she was determined to personally underwrite all the activities if it was going to be required.
[i] The operating model for SOTLT had been accessed as being outside the remit of the Chairty Commission and therefore it was being wound down.
TRANSFORMATION (2022 and beyond)
2022 provided the first opportunity for Ren and the XFE team to define, plan and run an annual awards programme uninterrupted from start to finish, despite having taken on the Soldiering On Awards brand some three and half years earlier! They introduced increased judging rigour, a summer reception for the Finalists and engagement activities for the Awards Partners to network and collaborate with each other outside of the Awards Night.
Since first collaborating in 2017, Ren had the vision to bring in more Partners and Supporters to raise the profile of the Awards and ensure they would be acknowledged as the overarching Awards for the Armed Forces community; with engagement from the highest levels of Government, the Military Service Charities and influential Corporate organisations; this has been achieved. A high bar has been set.
The Awards celebration in October 2022 at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel saw an audience of over 600 people as three years of Finalists and Winners came together. This ensured that all those on-line Finalists and Winners got the opportunity to network and celebrate together.
In 2024 the transformation continues and Lt Gen (Retd) Richard Nugee becomes the Chair of Judges, succeeding General The Lord Richard Dannatt who had steered the judging panel as Co-Chair with Debra Allcock-Tyler for 10 years. Debra continues to add enormous value and continuity in the oversight of the judging process. Expressions of interest have continued to exceed 500 per year. Completed Award submissions are in excess of 200 with national coverage. A lot has been achieved. There is always more to do.
Last updated: 31st August 2024.
X-Forces (XFE) CIC
Registered Office: Level 5A, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF
Head Office: Mountbarrow House, Elizabeth Street, London, SW1W 9RB
Registered in England and Wales under Company Registration Number: 08034041
VAT Registration Number: 164148314
