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The David Vaisey Trust, a registered charity supported entirely by voluntary contributions, administers annual Awards that recognise and reward outstanding initiatives by Gloucestershire public libraries – initiatives that result in more people reading more books. Equally important are the wider social benefits, not least in terms of improved literacy, that the Trust’s activities bring. This year, 2023, will see significant changes in the way these Awards are administered. Click here for details on what was previously known as the Vaisey Prize and here for details of how to contribute to this worthy cause.

VAISEY AWARDS FOR 2023 ANNOUNCED

The winners of this year’s Vaisey Awards were announced at The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival on Sunday 15 October. In a new departure, two-stage funding was awarded to four projects, all with important social implications: for pre-school-age children, teenagers, inter-generational groups and refugees & asylum seekers.

The main award winner was Gloucester library, with £1,000. The three other shortlisted libraries, Charlton Kings, Cirencester and Matson, were all awarded £500. Cheques for half the award in each case (half later to support project implementation) were presented by prize-winning Irish novelist, Claire Kilroy. There’s more on all four libraries’ projects, plus further pictures from the awards event, here. Unfortunately, Madeleine Phelps, winner of the Young Person’s £100 Award, was unable to attend the event. The Vaisey Trust is delighted to congratulate and recognise the efforts of all participants in this year’s competition and looks forward to expanding next year’s to embrace a cohort of school libraries too. Watch this space for more news!

Pictured above, left to right, are Sarah Cooksley, Head of Learning and Participation at Cheltenham Festivals, who introduced the Awards event; Jonathan Taylor, retiring Chairman of the Vaisey Trust, consulting with Claire Kilroy beforehand; and Chair of Judges John Dougherty, who spoke in glowing terms about all four award-winning projects.

TEWKESBURY WINS THE 2022 VAISEY PRIZE

Late afternoon on Sunday 9 October a packed room at the Queens Hotel waited anxiously for Chair of Judges, Debby Thacker, to announce the winners of the 2022 Vaisey Prize. It went to the Tewkesbury Library team for their work with Queen Margaret Primary School. A shining example of a library meeting the needs of the community, there’s more on the project here. The £5,000 Prize, together with the Willans Bowl, was presented by 2021 Booker Prize winner Damon Galgut. Earlier he’d spoken movingly of the value libraries bring to society. It was a double triumph for Tewkesbury whose volunteer, Harriet Alexander, won the 2022 Young Persons Award; see here for more on her accomplishments. Congratulations to all concerned! Well done too to three joint runners-up in an unusually close competition, each of whom received £1,000: Fairford, Longlevens, Prestbury and Quedgeley (a combined entry) and Nailsworth libraries.

2022 Vaisey Prize-winners, the Tewkesbury Library team, with Damon Galgut and representatives from Queen Margaret Primary School. Left to right: Emily Bytheway, Joy Pegg, Rachel McGarvey, Win O’Donovan, Damon Galgut, Dale Wootton (Deputy Headteacher), Anne Careless (Team Manager, holding the Willans Bowl), Sara Bennion (Headteacher) and Harriett Alexander (winner of the 2022 Young Persons Award)

Representatives of the runners up: left to right, Laura Clarke and Margaret Fox (Longlevens, Prestbury and Quedgeley), Lucy Yarham (Nailsworth) and Claire Richardson (Fairford).

A PROGRAMME FOR BOOK LOVERS – BBC BOOK CLUB

Click here to listen as bestselling author and previous Chair of Judges Rachel Joyce joins James Naughtie to answer listener’s questions about her novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. It’s the moving, heartwarming story of a man who impulsively sets off on a walk from Devon to Northumberland to visit his long lost friend Queenie. With no map, no plan and no walking boots, he tramps across England reflecting on a past life, in particular his troubled relationship with both wife and son.

A TRUST SUPPORTS THE TRUST

Links between the Vaisey Trust and the Honourable Company of Gloucestershire (HCG) were reinforced on Wednesday 2 March when Mark Heywood, HCG Trust Chairman, presented a cheque for £1,500 to his Vaisey counterpart, Jonathan Taylor. Appropriately, the event took place at Matson library – winners of the 2021 David Vaisey Prize. The cheque represents the first instalment in a welcome three-year commitment on the part of the HCG to support the work of the Vaisey Trust. Thank you HCG!

Left to right: HCG Warden Professor Chris Gaskell, Kim Edwards, Jonathan Taylor, Mark Heywood, Sally Williams and HCG trustee Mark Hurrell

VAISEY JUDGE APPEARS ON BBC RADIO 3’s PRIVATE PASSIONS

On Sunday 14 November Jamila Gavin, previously a Vaisey Prize judge, spoke to Michael Berkeley about her varied career and latter day success as an award-winning writer. Interspersed with an absorbing conversation about her early life in India, her music and television background and some of the serious themes she addresses – even in her children’s stories – are musical choices ranging from Handel, Schubert and Brahms to traditional Indian music. A link to the programme is here.

RACHEL JOYCE LIFTS THE LID ON LIFE, LOVE AND LIBRARIES

Hot on the heels of yet another book prize, Debby Thacker’s predecessor as Chair of Judges, Rachel Joyce, speaks to Vaisey trustee, Sarah Smyth; click here for a transcription of her fascinating interview.

  

The Trust works with Gloucestershire Library Services, with The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, with national as well as local charities, private trusts and a number of individuals.

For photographs, information about the Charity and queries, please contact Pat Lipinski, Administrator and Secretary to the Trustees: patjanta@gmail.com.