The 2026 Services Awards Nominees Announced
The list of shortlisted nominees has been announced for the 2026 Services Awards.
The Services Awards which take place each year and are produced by the National Armed Forces & Emergency Services Events (NAFESE) team, celebrate the best in service from armed to emergency to volunteer and will take place on Wednesday May 13 as part of the daytime National Armed Forces and Emergency Services Event 2026 at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland.
The Services Awards features five categories for 2026 - Most Outstanding Armed Forces, Most Outstanding Emergency Services, Most Outstanding Volunteer, Mental Health Champion (across all services) and Most Outstanding Overall.
Event Director for NAFESE, Mal Robinson added, “each year you think you have heard it all in terms of heroism and selflessness, when it comes to people in the services and each year, you become equally as humbled and astounded at the sheer level of integrity of the most professional of people…it really is a proud moment for everyone, when the awards come round each year.”
The University of Sunderland’s Vice Chancellor and CEO, Sir David Bell added: “I am delighted that the University of Sunderland has been shortlisted for the Most Outstanding Armed Forces Unit Award. It speaks to the strong commitment that our institution has to the
armed forces and those students and staff who have served, or are serving, in defence of our country.
With increasing talk about the need to build national resilience, the University demonstrates what can be done in a way that benefits those who work and study here, at the same time as supporting our nation in these troubling and uncertain times.”
The shortlisted nominees in full are as follows:
Most Outstanding Armed Forces - in association with Maersk
Corporal Bradley Styles (Royal Logistics Corps)
Captain David Ridley (8 Rifles)
The University of Sunderland
Lieutenant Colonel Terry McDermott-Moses (British Army Reserves)
Most Outstanding Emergency Services - in association with IOSCM
PCSO Alan Fielding (Lancashire Constabulary)
NHS Fife
Most Outstanding Volunteer - in association with Stagecoach
Kerryanne Wilde (Penrith/Eden AFVBC)
Eunice O’ Hara (St John Ambulance Cymru)
Mental Health Champion in association with City and Guilds
Sam Neill (Ingeus UK)
Leanne Prinsloo (Veterans in Crisis)
Jason Smith (Zero78 Training)
The winner of the Most Outstanding Overall category in association with ACUA Ocean is drawn from the list of Category
Winners.
The 2026 Services Awards ceremony will begin at 1000 in Quinn’s Bar, whilst the
National Armed Forces & Emergency Services Event 2026 starts at 0900.
More information is available by contacting hospitality@nafese2023.com
NAFESE 2025 The National Armed Forces & Emergency Services Events (NAFESE) Team is delighted to announce the launch of their main event for 2025 - The National Armed Forces & Emergency Services Event 2025 (NAFESE 2025). NAFESE 2025 will take place on Wednesday April 9 at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland and Beacon of Light, Sunderland and it is the only National event celebrating the communities of both the forces and blue light services under one roof. NAFESE 2025 will be the third year of the event and the biggest to date, incorporating not one, but two sites adjacent to each other at the prestigious Sunderland Stadium of Light - home of the event for the past two years. The National Armed Forces & Emergency Services Event typically features a Recruitment & Resettlement Zone for those leaving the services, a STEM Village for visiting schools and colleges, a Regional Showcase Hub for local brands and firms to showcase themselves on a National stage and an Armed Forces Veterans Breakfast Club - open to all attendees and exhibitors on the day and featuring guest speakers. As mentioned, for the first time, NAFESE will be staged over two sites - The Stadium of Light and the Beacon of Light - and also for the first time, NAFESE will feature a trade show element for the forces and services…the only one of its kind in the UK covering ALL of the services. NAFESE 2025 is set to be the biggest event ever staged for the service family in more ways than one! Commercial Opportunities for NAFESE 2025 Main Event Partner/Sponsor Your company/brand name included in the title of the event 2 x 6ms x 2ms stands at NAFESE 2025 - one at the Stadium of Light site and one at the Beacon of Light site Full page editorial and full page advert in Eyes Front - the official national event magazine for NAFESE 2025 Opening speech for NAFESE 2025 by a spokesperson of your choice at the Armed Forces Veterans Breakfast Club Promotional video footage on your company from the NAFESE team in the lead up to the event Your company video footage on all screens within the Stadium of Light at NAFESE 2025 10 tickets for the Armed Forces Veterans Breakfast Club at NAFESE 2025 Your logo on all event literature in the build up and at all events Optional extra of a presentation area inside the Beacon of Light at NAFESE 2025 1 x tables of 10 at the Covenant ‘25 Gala Ball held in London on April 2 (more info to be sent) Your company colours displayed on the entire outside of the Beacon of Light in the evening ahead of NAFESE 2025 Your logo on the cover of the Covenant ‘25 Anniversary Brochure inside the NAFESE Directory for 2025 Full page welcome, full page editorial and full page advert inside Covenant ‘25 Anniversary Brochure inside the NAFESE 2025 Directory Associate Sponsor Associate Sponsorship of both NAFESE 2025 1 x 6ms x 2ms stand at NAFESE 2025 at the location of your choice (either Stadium of Light or Beacon of Light sites) Full page Advert inside Eyes Front - the official magazine for NAFESE 2025 6 tickets for the Armed Forces Veterans Breakfast Club at NAFESE 2025 Your logo on all event literature across all events 1 x table of 10 at the Covenant ‘25 Gala Ball on April 2nd in London Your logo on the cover of the Covenant ‘25 Anniversary Brochure inside the NAFESE 2025 Directory 1 x full page advert inside the Covenant ‘25 Anniversary Brochure inside the NAFESE 2025 Directory STEM Village Sponsor 1 x stand space at the entrance to the Village 1 x full page advert in the event brochure Your logo on signage within the STEM Village Half page editorial feature in NAFESE 2025 Community Directory Regional Showcase Hub Sponsor 1 x trader stand space at the entrance to the Hub 1 x full page advert in the event brochure and various features in local press Your logo on signage within the Hub Selfie Frame Sponsor Your logo on the selfie frame used by the official photographer at NAFESE 2025 1 x exhibitor stand space at NAFESE 2025 1 x full page advert in the event brochure at NAFESE 2025 Exhibitor Stands - Stadium of Light 1 x full stand space at the NAFESE 1 x full listing in the official event brochure and online Stakeholder Engagement Package Do you feel you are a viable stakeholder to the NAFESE but can not make the event? We have the Stakeholder Engagement Package available allowing you presence there on the day. The package includes: Quarter Page space within the event brochure Promotional items of your choice to the event bag Both items are handed out at the Breakfast Club and Exhibition Please email hospitality@nafese2023.com for further information and pricing.