2021 Trustees’ Awards | Sandford St Martin Trust

2021 Sandford St Trustees’ Awards

The Sandford St Martin Trustees’ Awards celebrate individuals, organisations or programmes that have made outstanding contributions to the public understanding of religion, ethics or spirituality through broadcasting.

For 2021 the Trustees decided they’d like to pay tribute to the exceptional work done by so many broadcasters and content-makers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a long deliberation, from the many inspiring and innovative entries and nominations received, the Trustees chose four which they feel exemplify the power great broadcasting has to impact and inspire even in the most difficult of circumstances.

However, such was the quality of the work they reviewed, they have chosen to highly commend some others whose work they feel also demonstrates the innovation, resilience, determination and heart that has qualified the best broadcasting about religion and faith during these unprecedented times.

Trustees’ Content Award

For broadcast programmes or reports that explored the impact of coronavirus, the pandemic or lockdown through a religious lens.

Burnley Crisis

BBC News for BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 4 and BBC 5 Live

Coronavirus has exposed and exacerbated social inequalities: the more deprived the community, the higher the death rate. This was brought into stark relief by BBC News who embedded themselves with church leaders in Burnley, Lancashire. Their reports gave viewers a rare insight into both the resilience of one of the nation’s most vulnerable communities and of the vital role grassroots organisations have played in supporting them. The impact of the BBC’s reports was extraordinary. Broadcast across a multitude of platforms, they helped generate donations reaching nearly half a million pounds – money that local Pastor Mick Fleming has said will save lives.

Ramadan in Lockdown

Clockwork Films for Channel 4

This series of short films, stripped across Channel 4’s weekly schedule, documented British Muslims observing the holiest month of the Islamic calendar as never before. Ordinarily a time for reflection, family, communal gatherings and charity, for the first time in fourteen hundred years Muslims across the world observed an important pillar of their faith under lockdown conditions. From the healthcare workers on the frontline of the fight against rising infections while fasting for up to 17 hours, to the Imams and congregants adjusting to new forms of worship and the families forced to be apart – this innovative series explored the ingenuity, creativity and resilience of British Muslims. Following government guidelines, everything was done remotely and the production team never physically met each other or the contributors who filmed themselves.

Trustees’ Community Award

Psalm 23

UK Jewish Film for YouTube

After several members of his London synagogue community died from COVID, the composer and singer, Benjamin Till, asked his rabbi which psalm would be most appropriate for such troubled times. His answer led to ‘Psalm 23 (The Lord is My Shepherd)’: a song written and recorded by Benjamin during Passover, including a violin solo from the living room of Benjamin’s best friend in Glasgow and vocals recorded in a church rectory. With the aim of highlighting resilience during crisis, for the video Benjamin issued a call-out to Jewish communities across the UK asking them to send him photographs of their lockdown experiences. The result is a moving and unique commemoration of the first lockdown period.

Radio Wanno

Religious services on local prison radio by Radio Wanno x HMP Wandsworth chaplaincy team

Radio Wanno lives at the end of D Wing at HMP Wandsworth. Before COVID, this award-winning prison media and literacy project was essentially run by inmates for broadcast to their fellows. When COVID came things changed very quickly. With prisoners confined to their cells for up to 23 hours a day, family visits cancelled and in-person religious services no longer possible, there have been very limited opportunities for comfort or community. In these circumstances Radio Wanno has played an essential role in the safe running of the prison. Their output has included three services – one Muslim, one Roman Catholic and one Church of England – prepared by the prison’s chaplaincy team and recorded by Pip from the Radio Wanno team every week, with special recordings for holidays, during lockdown. At Christmas it was even made possible for inmates to contribute bible verses to the service via the station’s answerphone.