The eleventh Master of The Worshipful Company of Security Professionals – the 108th Livery Company within The City of London – is Nigel Churton MBE.
A massively popular figure in the security sector, Churton joined The Worshipful Company back in the days when it was still a Guild, believing that it would be an important step for the security profession to take its rightful place in The City of London and begin to play a meaningful role in terms of supporting both charitable concerns and education.
Churton has been connected to the security world for many years now, initially through over a decade of service with Her Majesty’s Forces and then by dint of spending three decades at Control Risks Group, where he served as CEO for 18 years, as vice-chairman and presently in the capacity of non-executive director.
Ever the dedicated security professional, Churton is also a director of The Security Institute, a past-president of the International Security Management Association and a member of ASIS in the UK.
He served as Master of The Worshipful Company of Distillers in 2003, and now takes over The Worshipful Company of Security Professionals’ leadership from outgoing Master Don Randall (head of security at The Bank of England, and more of whom anon).
Learning by experience
Speaking at yesterday’s Master’s Installation Luncheon – held as always in the magnificent surroundings of The Drapers’ Hall – Churton said: “It’s a tremendous honour to be Master of a Worshipful Company. There are only 108 such Companies in existence, and to be asked to fulfil such a role for a second time is indeed humbling. I hope I can learn from my initial experiences as Master of The Worshipful Company of Distillers.”
Addressing a room that was full-to-bursting with 300 premier security sector practitioners, Churton continued: “Many of you feel that we have perhaps begun to drift a little in terms of our aims for The Worshipful Company, and that’s why I believe we need a five-year plan. We have to convert more Freemen to become Liverymen. Without Liverymen in sufficient numbers we don’t have enough people to serve on the committees.”
To this end, Churton is planning on running an event specifically for Freemen that will fully brief them on where The Worshipful Company stands at present in the grand scheme of things.
Churton was swift to pay tribute to Don Randall MBE, who has done so much in his own term of office to further The Worshipful Company’s aims and objectives having been granted Master status on 9 June 2010.
“Don and his team have managed to drive 50 new memberships to The Worshipful Company in the last 12 months, which is a fantastic achievement,” said Churton to a substantial round of applause.
Exploring new methods for engagement
Churton is also keen to explore new ways in which The Worshipful Company might engage still futher with other organisations and bodies across the security sector, and encourage more members of senior and middle management teams within companies to join the throng.
“I also want to encourage younger members to engage with The Worshipful Company,” he urged, “and maybe then we can re-establish the age-old tradition of apprentices playing their part in our activities.”
Churton’s speech was prefaced by a magnificent luncheon (generously sponsored by Knightsbridge Guarding) complete with fine wines, and also a Keynote Address from Sir David Veness CBE QPM, who proposed a toast to The Worshipful Company.
Sir David wished Churton “good luck and good fortune” for his period in office, and also praised Don Randall for his own leadership across the past year.
“There’s no doubt that Don has led The Worshipful Company into areas of innovative development when it comes to security solutions and ideas,” suggested Veness.
“Indeed, I salute the work carried out by The Worshipful Company as a whole,” he continued, before touching briefly on “the largest peacetime security operation this country has ever faced”: the 2012 Olympic Games, of course.
50 new recruits for The Worshipful Company in one year
Always modest about his own tremendous achievements in the security world, Don Randall began his short speech as outgoing Master by stating: “I thought I’d tell you how well you’ve done this year.”
The 50th recruit of the year was confirmed to Randall by e-mail on Monday evening, and it’s obvious that he couldn’t be happier about the fact that plans for a Register of Chartered Security Professionals have come to fruition exactly one year after he and I discussed a roadmap for the very same at The Drapers’ Hall.
Randall told the attentive audience: “I remember talking to Brian Sims this time last year about our plans. Well, as far as the Register’s concerned we’ve done it!”
Looking in my general direction, Randall swiftly added: “I expect Brian’s Tweeting what I’m saying now!”
In fact, my article announcing the official launch of the Register of Chartered Security Professionals was live on SMT Online at 1.00 pm, just as we all sat down to luncheon (thus the Twitter feed would have been in operation a mere matter of seconds later, Don!) [Access the link at the foot of this page if you’d like to catch up on that article…]
“In terms of the Register of Chartered Security Professionals, we’ve pretty much achieved the impossible,” urged Randall.
Pleasingly, eight of the first ten registrants were at The Drapers’ Hall to receive their certificates. Those registrants included The Security Institute’s chairman Mike Bluestone, Emma Shaw, David Gill, Chris Northy-Baker, Bill Wyllie, Kevin Blythe, Mike O’Neill and Mark Lindsay.
On the charitable donations front there was some magnificent news indeed. Thanks to the wonderful support of ISS and VSG, a GB pound 50,000 donation has been made to Child Victims of Crime (a charity wholeheartedly supported by Randall for some time now), with a further GB pound 22,000 generated by the Freemens’ own efforts. That really is a commendable effort on all sides. Well done, folks!
Presentation of the RAF Regiment NCO Leadership Award
The citation for this year’s RAF Regiment NCO Leadership Award was read by Andrew Bignold, Beadle of The Worshipful Company of Security Professionals, and focused on a very worthy 2011 recipient: Corporal Michael Gardner.
Here’s the citation in full…
In 2010, 47-year-old reservist Corporal Gardner was mobilised to serve with 1 Squadron RAF Regiment on operations in Afghanistan, joining the Squadron at the commencement of its six months of pre-deployment training.
As a reservist junior Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO), he was under immense pressure to prove himself capable of commanding his regular colleagues, but from the very outset succeeded undeniably.
He deployed subsequently to Kabul as part of the RAF Regiment’s commitment to Operation Emperor, leading his team with skill and courage while on escort duties throughout the city.
While detached to Fort Hunter, Gardner provided sniper and machine gun training to Afghan National Army personnel preparing for counter-narcotics operations. This was a task above and beyond that normally expected of a Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment Junior NCO. Nevertheless, he consistently outperformed his regular Army and RAF Regiment colleagues, gaining the complete trust of his subordinates and commanders as well as the Afghan soldiers.
On 5 November 2010, while 1 Squadron were in Cyprus undergoing ‘decompression’ en route back to the UK at the conclusion of the six-month tour in Afghanistan, Gardner faced the harshest test of his courage and leadership.
Senior Aircraftman Scott Hughes was very seriously wounded, sustaining horrific injuries when struck by a speedboat whille swimming. Despite the appalling nature of Hughes’ wounds, Gardner remained calm and focused. On a pontoon 20 metres from the beach, while others froze with shock Gardner lead from the front, recovering Hughes from the water, identifying his most life-threatening injuries and applying First Aid with tourniquets made from a T-shirt.
Gardner did everything he could to comfort Hughes, who was still conscious and aware of the nature of his injuries, and worked tirelessly to keep him alive.
Subsequently, surgeons at Limassol General Hospital were astonished that Hughes had survived to reach specialist medical care. Tragically, Scott Hughes succumbed to his wounds and died two days later but, despite the severity of his injuries, thanks to Gardner’s actions he survived long enough for Hughes’ parents to be flown from the UK to be at their son’s bedside.
The Hughes family and the men of 1 Squadron RAF Regiment will be eternally grateful to Corporal Gardner for the resolve, bravery and fortitude he demonstrated on that tragic day.
Throughout a testing six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan and also by his actions in Cyprus on 5 November 2010, Corporal Gardner has proven to be the epitome of a RAF Regiment NCO, an inspirational leader and an outstanding ambassador for the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.
He is a thoroughly well-deserving recipient of the 2011 NCO Leadership Award.
All of us at SMT Online, Info4Security and UBM Live’s Security Portfolio would like to add our sincere congratulations to Corporal Gardner
