President’s Award 2022 finalists announced

The three finalists for the third President’s Award for Endangered Crafts, established by Heritage Crafts President HRH The Prince of Wales, have been announced.

Each year the President’s Award presents £3,000 to the winning heritage craftsperson who will use the funding to ensure that craft skills are passed on to the future, with an additional £1,000 this year for a runner-up bursary provided by former Heritage Crafts Chair Patricia Lovett MBE. The winner will be presented at a special reception at Dumfries House, home of The Prince’s Foundation in September, as well as at a prestigious winners’ reception later in the year.

The three finalists are (in alphabetical order):

• Emily Johnson, pottery manufacturer
• Lorna Singleton, oak swiller and split hazel basket maker
• 

  Lorna Singleton – photo by Thom Atkinson.

  Johanna Welsh, pargeter

These three have now been put forward to HRH The Prince of Wales to select the eventual winner.

They were selected from a twelve-name shortlist by the Awards judges on 14 June 2022. The other nine shortlisted craftspeople were (in alphabetical order):

• Andrea Chappell, kilt maker
• Paula Duncan, kilt maker
• David French, withy pot maker
• Anna Kettle, pargeter
• Brian McGinn, spectacle maker
• 

  Johanna Welsh

  Tony Millyard, flute maker

• Jim Patterson, paper maker
• Geoffrey Preston, pargeter
• Robert Walker, brilliant cutter

The Award judges are renowned advocates of craft skills:

• Jay Blades MBE, BBC The Repair Shop, Jay & Co;
• Kate Hobhouse, Chair of Fortnum and Mason;
• Patricia Lovett MBE, former Chair of Heritage Crafts;
• Simon Sadinsky, Deputy Director of The Prince’s Foundation; and
• Rebecca Struthers, watchmaker and 2021 President’s Award winner.