Sheffield heroes and council staff to be celebrated with new honours by the council

It follows a period where few new honours were given out due to the cost and a lack of clarity around how the system works.

An overhaul is needed because there is a lack of diversity in those honoured and the lists do not reflect the make-up of the city.

The current types of honour also do not relate to each other in a logical way, officers said.

James Henderson, director of policy performance and communications at the council, and Jason Dietsch, head of democratic services, co-authored a report for councillors outlining the changes proposed.

They said: “The range of awards are designed to recognise the outstanding work that people do in their communities.

“We also want the process of nominating people for an award to be fair and inclusive, so there’s an opportunity to shine a light on the incredible efforts and talents of people in our city.

“The different awards may also help to promote the achievements of people in our city and put a positive spotlight on Sheffield as a great place to live, work, study and to explore as a visitor.”

How special Sheffielders are currently recognised

There are currently three main ways Sheffield heroes are recognised: Civic Awards, Sheffield Legends and the Freedom of the City.

The highest honour is the Freedom of the City, given to people or groups who have given outstanding service to Sheffield – this includes Nelson Mandela, Jessica Ennis, Helen Sharman and the Yorkshire Regiment.

The Sheffield Legends trail recognises the achievements of, usually, famous people from Sheffield with Hollywood style stars on the pavement outside the Town Hall. These include Gordon Banks, Sebastian Coe and Michael Palin.

Civic Awards are for people who have made significant contributions to Sheffield.

The new plan for Sheffield honours

Officers said the application process will actively encourage people from all backgrounds to be nominated and be easy to use.

There is budget for one Sheffield Legends plaque per year and the new criteria will include those alive and dead, awards for those deceased will be presented to close family.

There will be no limit on the number of people who can receive a Civic Award each year but a panel of judges will be expected to ensure awards are only given for extraordinary achievements.

Civic Award winners will have their names entered on a physical roll of honour displayed publicly in the Town Hall and on the council’s website.

An annual ceremony hosted by the Lord Mayor would also be held to recognise the winners.

There are also plans to start council employee awards recognising staff who made exceptional contributions, which will be celebrated at a ‘garden party’ event for nominated staff and their guests.

How much honours cost the council

The council is under serious financial pressure but it said these changes will be budgeted for in the £39,000 mayoral budget.

Costs associated with buying and installing a legends plaque are paid for from the events team budget – which is already overcommitted at the moment – and one award a year is estimated to cost at least between £2,000 and £3,000.