The inaugural awards ceremony was held at Brewers’ Hall in the City of London on Tuesday 12 May, with merits awarded to 13 recipients who had prevented serious harm and saved lives.
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Their acts of bravery ranged from intervening in a knife attack and a drink‑spiking incident to preventing suicide attempts and protecting vulnerable customers.
A Malcolm Eidmans Award was also granted to Nottingham Police Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Paul Gummer for his long-term dedication and support for the Nottingham City Pubwatch Scheme.
Important partnerships
The awards were sponsored by Diageo and presented by MP for Gower Tonia Antoniazzi.
Full list of recipients:
• Ben Pilott, bar manager, and Thomas Endersby, door supervisor, at the Dizzy Donkey in Dover, who saved the life of a woman during a knife attack.
• James Peggie, a doorman working at Montagues bar, Kirkcaldy, Scotland, who intervened to stop a young man from taking his own life.
• Simon Hatfield, licensee of the Nuthatch Bar in Middlesbrough, who saved a customer’s life after they suffered a cardiac arrest.
• Holly Napier, Zita Wright, Charlotte Nairns, Ross Walker and Charlie Robson, staff at the Wetherspoon pub, the Bishops Mill in Durham, who prevented a female customer from taking her own life.
• Connor Sullivan, Wetherspoon duty manager, at the Standing Order in Derby, who acted decisively to protect female customers following a drink spiking incident.
• Calum Jameson and Ewelina Fesnak, licensees of the Dog and Duck in Southampton, who intervened to protect a vulnerable woman.
• Krystal Fishlock, a member of the public, for her courage in preventing the attempted kidnapping of a young woman in Swindon town centre.
Presenting the awards, Antoniazzi said: “National Pubwatch is one of the oldest and most important local partnerships operated in our towns and cities.
“I know there are several Pubwatch Schemes in my office of Gower in south Wales. They are a crucial part of the infrastructure to our local communities.
“The safety of everybody in the night-time economy, and especially the safety of women and girls, is a huge priority. I pay tribute to the work that National Pubwatch does in supporting local schemes and championing them for a number of years now.
Great bravery
“Today is a really important opportunity to celebrate some of the amazing individuals who have demonstrated great bravery and gone the extra mile to keep people safe. So congratulations to you all, and thank you for everything you have done.”
Some 800 Pubwatch schemes are currently in place across the UK, supported by the voluntary organisation and carrying out vital work to safeguard the public.
National Pubwatch chair Steve Baker OBE said: “It is a real privilege to recognise these outstanding individuals, who have either shown tremendous courage or acted selflessly to save life or reduce harm to people socialising in the night-time economy.
“Their heroic actions are a powerful reminder of the vital role played by licensees, door staff, pub teams and members of the public.”
