The St Aldhelm Cross Awards 2021

The Adhelm Cross is a yearly honour awarded to local church people for dedicated church volunteering and outstanding service to the Church. 

The St Aldhelm Cross is an engraved silver lapel cross given to lay people (non-ordained) who are nominated for outstanding contributions to Diocesan life. Created in 2005, the award is named after the Saxon Bishop who was instrumental in bringing Christianity to this part of England. 

Three St Aldhelm Crosses were awarded during Evensong in our Cathedral on Sunday 31st October. 

This year's recipients are Rosemary Cook, Graham Exon and Nigel Salisbury. 

Rosemary has made a huge contribution to the life of the Church, both locally and across the Diocese. She has been a churchwarden in her local parish, lay chair of her deanery and served on Diocesan Synod, Bishop’s Council, the Finance Committee, the Vacancy in See Committee and the Wilts Archdeaconry Mission and Pastoral Committee for many years. Rosemary has also been a member of working groups advising on the appointments of the Bishop of Ramsbury and Archdeacon of Wilts, as well as chairing the Fairer Share Review Group. She is a solicitor providing corporate-commercial legal services to businesses. 

Rosemary says: 

"I am very honoured and grateful to have been selected for the award of the Aldhelm Cross. This Diocese is truly blessed with talented and dedicated people who quietly serve the Lord's work in many capacities, whether as members of the clergy, as part of the Church House team or the DBE, as members of the various bodies and committees ranging from National Church to parish levels, or simply as parishioners, and it has been - and remains - a spiritually enriching experience to serve alongside so many of these wonderful people." 

Graham, in addition to his work as a banker, has spent a lifetime in public service, principally in the field of education. He is Chair of the Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust, which oversees the work of 22 schools, and is the founding Chair of the Bournemouth Septenary Trust. He has also served as Chair of Governors of his local church school and a large independent girls’ school. As a designated National Leader of Governance, Graham provided Department for Education targeted support to schools, academies and trusts over a wide area including Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire. Graham has worked with dioceses, local authorities, and the Regional Schools Commissioner to drive school improvement through the implementation of governance improvement. He chairs the national Steering Group of the Churches’ Ministerial Counselling Service and is a past Chair of the Bournemouth Churches Housing Association. He is a keen church musician and music director. 

Graham says: 

“It is a great honour for me to be awarded the St Aldhelm Cross. I am proud to have been associated with so many schools, academies and school trusts through a rapidly changing educational scene. It has been a privilege to work with so many in the development of the Christian ethos within schools.” 

Nigel has worked in the insurance and risk business for nearly 40 years, and continues to work part time at the insurance broker he helped establish in 2015. He moved to Salisbury with his wife Lucy and 3 children in 1999 where they remain members of the cathedral community and congregation, and where Nigel acts as a steward and Lay Canon. In 2015 he was appointed Chair of the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Finance. 

Nigel says: 

“I am deeply touched and honoured to be awarded the St Aldhelm Cross. I am also incredibly grateful for all the hard work and support of the Diocesan team through the stresses and difficulties of these last 20 months or so – thank you.” 

More images of the event can be found here.