Author: HM Government

St Paul’s Cathedral released a copy of the Order of Service for Baroness Thatcher’s funeral service.

The funeral service – which began at 11am on Wednesday 17th April – was marked by a single half-muffled bell toll as the cortege arrived. The St Paul’s Cathedral Guild of Ringers rang ‘Stedman Cinques’ with the Cathedral’s bells half-muffled, for about 30 minutes.

Royal Hospital Chelsea chosen for charitable donations

The West Steps of the Cathedral was lined by 14 Pensioners of the Royal Hospital Chelsea (aged between 65 and 90 years old).
 
Lady Thatcher had a strong connection to the Hospital over the last 10 years. She started attending the Chapel at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in 2002 with her husband Sir Denis Thatcher when she moved back to the area and continued attending after he passed away. She was a very strong supporter of fundraising for the Margaret Thatcher Infirmary which was completed in 2009. 
 
There were two arrangements of white lilies and greenery at the foot of the lectern. There was also a ring of flowers around the candle. Lady Thatcher’s family asked that, if people wish to pay their respects, they consider making a donation to the Royal Hospital Chelsea rather than laying flowers. Details of how to do so are available on the Royal Hospital Chelsea website.

A service framed by British music

Lady Thatcher wanted the service to be ‘framed’ by British music. Several traditional pieces by many of the great British composers were played at the beginning and end of the service. She chose the hymn, ‘He Who Would Valiant Be’, because as well as being a traditional hymn for such an occasion, its words reflected her philosophy. It was also a favourite hymn from her childhood.

The Charles Wesley hymn, ‘Love Divine, All Loves Excelling’, reflects the influence of her Methodist upbringing. While Psalm 84, set to the music of Johannes Brahms, is also a personal and significant choice. It is the same piece that Lady Thatcher chose to be played at the funeral of her husband Sir Denis Thatcher.

The final hymn, ‘I Vow To Thee, My Country’, is considered one of the great patriotic verses.

Lady Thatcher’s favourite poem featured

The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Richard Chartres delivered the address at the service.

The Prime Minister and Amanda Thatcher delivered the two readings, both great traditional funeral readings from the King James Bible. Lady Thatcher was particularly fond of the King James Bible and found its prose to be beautifully poetic.

TS Eliot was a particular favourite, which is why she chose ‘Little Gidding’ from Four Quartets for the service. One of Lady Thatcher’s favourite poems, William Wordsworth’s poem ‘Ode: Intimations of Immortality’, is printed on the final page of the order of service.

Prime Minister David Cameron has offered his best wishes to those celebrating the festival of Vaisakhi today.

Mr Cameron said:

I send my best wishes to everyone in Britain and the world celebrating Vaisakhi this year.

During this important time for the Sikh community at home and overseas, family and friends will come together to give thanks and celebrate the anniversary of the Khalsa. Hundreds of thousands of people will be marking Vaisakhi at parades and events across the country, as well as visiting Gurdwaras which will burst into life with colourful decorations.

Earlier this year I was privileged to visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar where I was able to learn more about the Sikh faith. It was an intense and moving experience and I can understand why Sikhs are so proud of this beautiful and holy place. I was very touched by the warm welcome I received in the Punjab and the other places I visited during my trip to India.

This special time of year also sees people of Hindu religion celebrating a new year: spending time with family and friends and taking part in acts of worship.

Last year the census revealed large increases in the number of people of Sikh and Hindu faiths living in this country. These communities are making a significant contribution to our country in so many ways, whether in business, public service, sport or the arts. And this contribution began many years ago; from fighting oppression in two World Wars to helping rebuild the nation in peacetime. British Sikhs and Hindus are an important part of our island’s history – and have helped form the richly diverse and tolerant society we live in today.

I wish all those observing this special occasion a happy Vaisakhi.

Prime Minister David Cameron met with Chancellor Angela Merkel in Meseberg, Germany earlier today.

A Downing St spokesperson said:

The PM and Chancellor Merkel held talks this morning with their respective teams at the Chancellor’s guest residence in Meseberg.

On the EU, the PM set out his approach to European reform, following on from his speech in January. They agreed on the urgent need to make Europe more competitive and flexible and talked about ways to achieve this. And they discussed how we can work together in the run up to the May and June European Councils to make further progress.

They both want to see faster progress on trade deals between the EU and the rest of the world. And they agreed that the EU should be prepared to put an ambitious offer on the table for EU-US negotiations which we want to get underway this Summer.

They also discussed the upcoming G8 summit in Lough Erne and especially how the G8 countries should show global leadership by taking concrete action on tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance and making clear that everyone must pay their fair share of taxes. They will also work together at the May European Council and the G20 to achieve wider progress on global standards for the exchange of tax information.

On foreign affairs, discussions focused on Syria, Afghanistan and Iran. The PM updated the Chancellor on the trilateral talks with Presidents Karzai and Zardari and they discussed how the international community should work in partnership with Afghanistan to support the country beyond 2014.

On Syria, they share grave concerns about the deteriorating situation and the ongoing bloodshed. They agreed that the UK and Germany should keep working together to find ways to increase the pressure on Assad and his regime while also strengthening the moderate opposition.

The invitations to the funeral service of Baroness Thatcher at St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday 17 April will be printed today and will start being dispatched tomorrow.

The guest list has been drawn up by Lady Thatcher’s family and representatives with the assistance of the Government and the Conservative party. It is expected that over 2,000 invitations will be sent out.

The doors of St Paul’s Cathedral will open at 9am. Guests are asked to be seated by 10am with the service due to commence at 11am.

Those invited include family and friends of Lady Thatcher, those who worked with her over the years, including all surviving members of her Cabinets, former Chiefs of Staff, Conservative associates, Peers and MPs, members of the Cabinet, Peers and MPs, Members of the Order of the Garter, Members of the Order of Merit, foreign associates and dignitaries and representatives from the wide range of groups she was associated with.

In agreement with Lady Thatcher’s representatives, around 200 states, territories and international organisations are being invited to send an official representative to the funeral service. We have invited those countries and institutions with whom we have normal diplomatic relations. In addition, there are invitations being made in a personal capacity to some current and former world leaders as well as others from overseas who had a close connection to Baroness Thatcher.

St Paul’s has a capacity of 2,300 and is expected to be full on the day. Invitees include:

• all surviving former prime ministers
• all surviving former US Presidents and a Reagan family representative
• Hillary Clinton
• all surviving members of Lady Thatcher’s Cabinets
• the current Cabinet
• the Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition
• President Jose Manuel Barroso
• Sir Bernard and Lady Ingham
• Fredrick Forsyth CBE
• former Prime Minister Mahathir of Malaysia
• a representative of Nelson Mandela

Some of those attending include:

• Mr and Mrs Michael Portillo
• Tony & Cherie Blair
• FW de Klerk
• Dame Shirley Bassey DBE
• Jeremy Clarkson
• Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber
• Lord and Lady Archer
• Lord Powell of Bayswater KCMG OBE
• Lord Carrington
• Prime Minister Harper of Canada
• Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney of Canada

As invites are accepted we will issue updates on this list.

The family has approved the guest list and the Cabinet Office and Foreign Office are assisting Lady Thatcher’s office in the process of sending out the invitations.

They have been contacting guests directly over the last couple of days to let them know that they are on the list. Invitations will be dispatched on Friday by first class post. Additional requests from people wishing to attend are being discussed with the family on an ongoing basis.

Dress code

The following dress code will be sent out with invitations:

• full day ceremonial without swords
• morning dress (black waistcoat and black tie) / dark suit
• day dress with hat
• medals and decorations may be worn

Invitations

Invitations are due to be dispatched on Friday.

VIP invitations are white and those guests will be seated under the dome of the Cathedral – they have a red or green stripe – which designates port or starboard. All other invitations are different colours – depending on where your seat is in the cathedral.

Latest

• PM’s statements on Lady Thatcher’s death
• Margaret Thatcher at 10 Downing Street
• Tributes to Lady Thatcher from Parliament

Tributes from Parliament to Lady Thatcher

Parliament was reconvened for MPs and peers to pay their respects to Lady Thatcher.  Watch the opening statements from the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

Lady Thatcher’s funeral

Baroness Thatcher’s received a ceremonial funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday 17 April. Her coffin first passed streets lined by mourners and the military.

More than 2,000 dignitaries attended the service. Prime Minister David Cameron gave a reading and said the funeral was a “fitting tribute” to a major figure.

• Photo gallery: Baroness Thatcher’s funeral
• Lady Thatcher’s funeral service – St Paul’s Cathedral

Prime Minister’s statements on the death of Lady Thatcher

Following her death on 8 April 2013, David Cameron paid tribute to Lady Thatcher. Speaking outside 10 Downing Street, he said:

“Today we lost a great leader, a great Prime Minister, and a great Briton. Margaret Thatcher didn’t just lead our country; she saved our country. And we should never forget that the odds were stacked against her. She was the shopkeeper’s daughter from Grantham who made it all the way to the highest office in the land.”

He also paid tribute to her patriotism:

“Margaret Thatcher loved this country and she served it with all she had. For that, she has her well-earned place in history and the enduring respect and gratitude of the British people.”

• Watch the video of the Prime Minister’s tribute to Lady Thatcher – 10 Downing Street 8 April
• David Cameron’s tribute to Lady Thatcher made in the House of Commons – Wednesday 10 April

Leaders around the world have also paid tribute to former UK Lady Thatcher. Read their tributes

Lady Thatcher at 10 Downing Street

• Margaret Thatcher’s biography
• We called her ‘mother hen’: staff memories from Downing Street
• Photo gallery: Lady Thatcher’s lasting influence on Downing Street

A statement by the Prime Minister has been released to mark the 15th anniversary of the Belfast, or Good Friday, Agreement.

David Cameron said:

Today we mark the fifteenth anniversary of the Belfast, or Good Friday, Agreement. I have no doubt that the Agreement was a truly momentous event in the history of Northern Ireland. After decades of division and terrorism, the Agreement heralded a new beginning for relationships within Northern Ireland, between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and across these islands.

At this distance it is easy to forget just how painstaking and lengthy the process was that eventually led to the Agreement. It involved many very difficult compromises and judgements, on all sides. The final product itself was not perfect; its implementation would take many more years to achieve. Yet it represented a massive step forward from what had gone before, a clear manifestation that politics and democracy would triumph over violence. For that, the architects of the Agreement, and those who displayed remarkable political courage in pushing it forward, deserve our thanks.

We should not be shy about trumpeting the achievements of the Belfast Agreement and its successors at St Andrews and Hillsborough. There is still a strong tendency in Northern Ireland to view politics as a zero sum game, in which there are only winners and losers. That is not the case with the Belfast Agreement. I firmly believe that all parts of the community were winners on 10 April 1998.

Fifteen years ago people decided overwhelmingly that the future would only ever be determined by democracy and consent, never by violence. The Belfast Agreement was the platform to build a new, confident, inclusive and modern Northern Ireland, whose best days lie ahead. While we have come a long way, much remains to be done.

The meeting was chaired by Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude and attended by representatives of the Thatcher family, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Ministry of Defence, Metropolitan police, Foreign Office and Downing Street.

It was agreed that the funeral service of Lady Thatcher will take place on Wednesday 17 April at St Paul’s Cathedral. Other issues discussed included the details of the funeral procession, invitations, matters of foreign protocol, the role of the military and the service at St Paul’s.

There will be similar meetings between now and the day of the funeral service.

The title for the operational plan for Lady Thatcher’s funeral is ‘True Blue’.

Flags are being flown at half-mast at UK government buildings and UK embassies around the world. They will be at half-mast for the rest of today and again on Wednesday 17 April when they will be lowered at sunrise and raised again at sunset (8am to 8pm).

Books of condolence have been opened at the Grantham Museum and Finchley & Golders Conservatives. They are open daily and both venues are looking at keeping them open over the weekend. A book of condolence will be opened in central London. UK embassies around the world will also open books of condolence (unless security arrangements make this impractical).

The Number 10 website attracted more than 35,000 visits yesterday, with more than 2,400 comments received from the public via our online condolence page since it went live last night.

Prime Minister David Cameron has made a statementat Downing Street following the death of Lady Thatcher:

Margaret Thatcher didn’t just lead our country; she saved our country.  And we should never forget that the odds were stacked against her.  She was the shopkeeper’s daughter from Grantham who made it all the way to the highest office in the land.

He paid tribute to her patriotism:

For many of us, she was an inspiration.  For others, she was a force to be defined against.  But if there is one thing that cuts through all of this, one thing that runs through everything that she did, it was her lionhearted love of this country.  She was the patriot Prime Minister, and she fought for Britain’s interests every step of the way.

Earlier, the Prime Minister gave his initial reaction to the news of death of the UK’s first female Prime Minister:

It was with great sadness that l learned of Lady Thatcher’s death. We’ve lost a great leader, a great Prime Minister and a great Briton”.

It followed the announcement that Baroness Thatcher died in London at the age of 87. Serving from 1979 to 1990, she was the UK’s first female Prime Minister and the longest serving of the 20th century.

In Downing Street, the Union flag was flying at half mast following the announcement. 

The Number 10 website has a condolence pageon which people are able to write private messages for the Thatcher family. 

It has also been announced that Lady Thatcher will receive a Ceremonial funeral with military honours at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral.  

Lady Thatcher’s family have asked that, if people wish to pay their respects, they consider making a donation to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, rather than laying flowers. Details of how to do so available on the Royal Hospital Chelsea website .

The public will be unable to attend the funeral service itself but can line the route of the funeral procession from the RAF Church in the Strand to St Paul’s Cathedral.
 
Further details will be made available in due course.

Update – Monday 8 April 2013

Due to the death of Baroness Thatcher the Prime Minister has cancelled planned talks in Paris with President Francois Hollande and will return to the UK today.

Starting the week with his first official visit to Madrid since taking office, the Prime Minister will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Rajoy. He will then travel on to Paris for a working dinner on Monday evening with President Hollande. At the end of the week, the Prime Minister will meet with Chancellor Merkel in Germany for further discussions about taking forward his reform agenda.

Ahead of the visits, the Prime Minister has spoken to leading newspapers in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland to make the case directly to a European audience about the need to reform the EU to make it more open, competitive and flexible; and to address the issue of democratic consent.

He said:

What I want to do is to achieve a reform of the European Union. That is what my Bloomberg speech is all about. I think this organisation is ripe for reform. I think we’re in a global race where we have to compete with [countries like] India, China, Indonesia and Malaysia. We need a Europe that is more open, that is more competitive, that is more flexible, that thinks more about the cost that it’s putting onto its businesses, particularly small businesses; we want a Europe that wakes up to this modern world of competition and flexibility. That is the aim.

We are a major European power, a major European player. But do we think that the European Union has sometimes overreached itself with directives and interventions and interferences? Yes, it has. And that needs to change.

There are some reforms I think we need to make. Already we’re starting to make some of them. I would say there’ve been successes in recent months. For the first time, probably since the European Union was founded, we now have a Commission that is committed to withdrawing proposals, a Commission that is committed to deregulation, that is committed to taking costs away from business. We’ve had the budget deal, which I think was a great success. For the first time in Europe’s history we’re going to see the budget go down, rather than the budget go up. That is real progress, because in Europe, we’re all having to do more with less. We’re all having to spend less money and Europe should not be immune from that. So I would say already on the agenda of reform, there’ve been some successes. More flexibility, more competitiveness, more single market and reduced seven-year budget.

The agenda of the speech is change that all of Europe can benefit from. It is a more competitive, open, flexible Europe for all countries of Europe. And the second thing is that – you know, this is not about cherry-picking, but to argue as some do that you can’t have a flexible Europe is wrong. We have a flexible Europe.

Britain is not in the single currency; neither are many other countries. Not all of us are members of Schengen. You know, some countries want to go ahead with the financial transaction tax. We don’t. You know, so I think we can have a flexible Europe where we don’t all have to do the same things in the same way at the same time. I think, as I say – as I argued in my speech that Europe will be more successful if it has the strength of flexibility rather than the weakness of inflexibility.

I think the best outcome for Britain is our membership of a reformed European Union. But just as the two themes of my speech, if you like, are first that Europe needs reform, the second is that we need to recognise that consent for Britain’s membership of the European Union, and all the ways that it’s changed, has become wafer-thin in Britain. And politicians, if they do their job properly, have to recognise this fact rather than try and brush it under the carpet.

The fact is that in British politics, the fact that parties and governments year after year promised referendums, didn’t hold referendums when they could have done, that damaged consent for Britain’s membership of the European Union and there’s no good wishing that away. It exists; it’s a fact. And the best thing to do when you have a problem is to confront that problem, deal with it. And to those people who say to me, ‘Ah, but you’re creating uncertainty’, the greatest uncertainty would be to have this problem and to wish it didn’t exist. Much better to have a plan for how we make changes to the European Union, how we make changes to Britain’s membership, how we secure Britain’s membership of a reformed European Union and we settle this issue. I have a plan.

Prime Minister David Cameron gave a statement following the death of former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher.

He paid tribute to her “lion-hearted love for this country”.

Watch the full statement below.

Funeral arrangements for Lady Thatcher.

Downing Street can announce that, with The Queen’s consent, Lady Thatcher will receive a ceremonial funeral with military honours. The service will be held on Wednesday 17 April at St Paul’s Cathedral. A wide and diverse range of people and groups with connections to Lady Thatcher will be invited. The service will be followed by a private cremation. All the arrangements being put in place are in line with wishes of Lady Thatcher’s family. Further details will be published over the coming days.

In response to the news that Lady Thatcher had died the Prime Minister said:

It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Lady Thatcher. We have lost a great leader, a great Prime Minister and a great Briton.

Details on media access to Lady Thatcher’s funeral will be released by the Cabinet Office on Thursday morning (11 April).

In line with the wishes of her family and with the Queen’s consent, Lady Thatcher will receive a ceremonial funeral with military honours. The service will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday 17 April.
 
A wide and diverse range of people and groups with connections to Lady Thatcher will be invited. The service will be followed by a private cremation.

The funeral

The funeral will be a mix of the public and private. The service at St Paul’s Cathedral will be televised and members of the public can watch the coffin procession from the Palace of Westminster to St Paul’s.
 
Lady Thatcher’s wish was for the armed forces to be able to take part in the funeral. And more than 700 Armed Forces personnel will take part on the day with all 3 services involved, including those from ships, units and stations notable for their service during the Falklands Campaign. Read more about the Armed Forces’ role in the funeral of Lady Thatcher.

On the day before the funeral, the coffin will be moved to Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster. There will be a short service following its arrival. The coffin will rest in the chapel overnight.

On the day itself, the streets will be cleared of traffic and the coffin will travel by hearse from the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster to the Church of St Clement Danes, the RAF Chapel, on the Strand.
 
At the church the coffin will be transferred to a gun carriage drawn by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. The coffin will then be borne in Procession from St Clement Danes to St Paul’s Cathedral. The route will be lined by tri-service military personnel.
 
The coffin will be met at St Paul’s Cathedral by a guard of honour tri-Service personnel and Pensioners of the Royal Hospital Chelsea will line the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral.
 
The coffin will be borne into and out of the cathedral by a tri-service bearer party.
 
The guest list for St Paul’s will include family and friends of Lady Thatcher, those who worked with her over the years, including members of her Cabinets when she was Prime Minister, and representatives from a range of groups she was associated with. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister will attend and the Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet will be invited.
 
Flags will be flown at half mast at Downing Street today and tomorrow, and will be again on the day of the funeral.

Information for the public

Lady Thatcher’s family have asked that, if people wish to pay their respects, they consider making a donation to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, rather than laying flowers. Details of how to do so available on the Royal Hospital Chelsea website.

The Number 10 website has a condolence page on which people are able to write private messages for the Thatcher family. 

The public will be unable to attend the funeral service itself but can line the route of the funeral procession from the RAF Church in the Strand to St Paul’s Cathedral.

He will meet with and take questions from staff at a defence company.

Stressing the importance of the defence sector to the British economy, he will say:

Defence matters. And defence jobs matter.

Scotland has a world renowned and highly skilled defence sector that employs over 12,600 people and has annual sales in excess of £1.8 billion. It plays a key role in equipping and supporting the UK Armed Forces – from iconic industries like shipbuilding on the Clyde and Rosyth to cutting edge, high tech manufacturing.

Being part of the UK opens doors for the Scottish defence industry around the globe. When we sell Typhoons overseas, this benefits jobs and growth for companies making components in Scotland.

Scotland counts for more on the world stage because it is part of the United Kingdom and Scottish defence jobs are more secure as part of the United Kingdom.

The business community tell me that they want certainty – and I want to offer that certainty by saying that I remain absolutely committed to the defence of the United Kingdom and to the future of defence jobs in Scotland.

Defence matters. We are stronger and safer together.

Welfare

Asked whether the PM thought he could live on £53 per week, the PMS said that the PM believed the benefit levels were fair. Welfare reform was ensuring work paid and unemployed people were supported back into work. Benefits were designed to support people back into work and were not for the long term. Asked whether the government was looking at changing the minimum wage level, the PMS said that the Low Pay Commission were looking at the appropriate level and that the Department for Business would respond, but that it was important the the NMW worked and supported people.

Europe

Questioned about the Balance of Competencies Review and Eurozone unemployment, the PMS said that the review had always intended to be a transparent process and the government had invited other EU member states to contribute. The government understood that some other states saw it as a domestic review. On unemployment, the PMS said that Eurozone economies have impacted UK growth and that the UK needed to stay the course as outlined by both the PM and the Chancellor.

Toll Roads

Asked whether the PM believed there should be a tolled relief road on the M4 in Newport, the PMS said that good infrastructure was vital for the UK economy, but road tolling in Wales was a devolved matter for the Welsh Assembly. The government had a policy not to toll existing roads in England. Any decisions on future schemes would be made after the spending review.

Civil Service

Asked whether the PM believed civil service terms and conditions were too soft, the PMS said that the PM thought that while the civil service do a good job there was need for reform. It was important that the civil service reduced in size and became more flexible, as well as improving project management and procurement skills. The civil service had already seen pay freezes and reforms to privilege days.

Scotland

Asked about Scotland’s independence referendum, the PMS said that the PM believed it was important for people in Scotland to lead the debate. It remained the PM’s view that Scotland and the wider UK were better off with Scotland remaining in the UK.

The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of the Hon Lord Bracadale to Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council following his appointment to the Inner House of the Court of Session.

Mr Cameron said:

This is a landmark agreement that will save lives and ease the immense human suffering caused by armed conflict around the world.

It will reduce the number of illegal arms and make it harder for these to reach the hands of criminals and terrorists who are set on using them to destroy the lives of others.

We should be proud of the role Britain has played to secure this ambitious agreement, working with international partners to secure this momentous step that will make our world safer for all.

Prime Minister David Cameron has sent his best wishes to Christians in the UK and around the world celebrating Easter.

The Prime Minister said:

I send my best wishes to all those in the United Kingdom and around the world celebrating Easter this year in what is an incredibly exciting time for the Christian faith worldwide. 

This year’s Holy Week and Easter celebrations follow an extraordinary few days for Christians; not only with the enthronement of Justin Welby as our new Archbishop of Canterbury, but also with the election of Pope Francis in Rome. 

In the Bible, Saint Peter reminds us of the hope that comes from new birth through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Christians, it also reminds us of Jesus’s legacy of generosity, tolerance, mercy, and forgiveness. 

That legacy lives on in so many Christian charities and churches both at home and abroad. Whether they are meeting the needs of the poor, helping people in trouble, or providing spiritual guidance and support to those in need, faith institutions perform an incredible role to the benefit of our society. As long as I am Prime Minister, they will have the support of this Government. 

With that in mind, I am particularly proud to lead a Government that has kept its promise to invest 0.7 per cent of our gross national income on helping the world’s poorest, and I am grateful that we have been able to partner with both Christian and non-Christian charities to relieve suffering overseas. 

I hope you have a very happy Easter.

He stressed that this represented the end of a remarkable process, in which more Kenyans than ever before turned out to vote. The Prime Minister urged the Kenyan people to be proud of the strong signal they have sent to the world about their determination to exercise their democratic right peacefully. He encouraged all Kenyans to continue this spirit of peace and accept the decision of the Court as final.

“The Prime Minister stated that the Kenyan people had made their sovereign choice, and resolved disputes through the rule of law and the strong institutions of the Supreme Court and due Constitutional process. He welcomed the President-elect’s commitment that his new Government will work with all Kenyans in a spirit of inclusivity and reconciliation, and that the Government of Kenya will continue to meet its international legal obligations.

“The Prime Minister also underlined his strong commitment to the partnership that exists between Kenya and the UK. He described the relationship as deep and historic, with a substantial shared agenda of stability, security, development and prosperity that benefits both our countries. He looked forward to working with the President-elect’s new Government to build on this partnership, and to help realise the great potential of a united Kenya in line with Vision 2030.”

Following the decision of the Kenyan Supreme Court to uphold Kenya’s recent election results, the Prime Minister has written to President-elect Kenyatta to congratulate him and all others elected.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

The Prime Minister wrote to President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta today. He congratulated the President-elect and all others elected in Kenya’s elections, upheld today by the Kenyan Supreme Court. He stressed that this represented the end of a remarkable process, in which more Kenyans than ever before turned out to vote. The Prime Minister urged the Kenyan people to be proud of the strong signal they have sent to the world about their determination to exercise their democratic right peacefully. He encouraged all Kenyans to continue this spirit of peace and accept the decision of the Court as final.
 
“The Prime Minister stated that the Kenyan people had made their sovereign choice, and resolved disputes through the rule of law and the strong institutions of the Supreme Court and due Constitutional process. He welcomed the President-elect’s commitment that his new Government will work with all Kenyans in a spirit of inclusivity and reconciliation, and that the Government of Kenya will continue to meet its international legal obligations.
 
“The Prime Minister also underlined his strong commitment to the partnership that exists between Kenya and the UK. He described the relationship as deep and historic, with a substantial shared agenda of stability, security, development and prosperity that benefits both our countries. He looked forward to working with the President-elect’s new Government to build on this partnership, and to help realise the great potential of a united Kenya in line with Vision 2030.”

Originally established in 2005 in Bude, North Cornwall, Community Action Through Sport won a three-year BIG Lottery grant in 2011 to help its work in harnessing young people’s interest in sport around the Olympics. With the help of this funding they expanded from one branch to 15 across the South West in just over 2 years.

Each branch helped young people turn their ideas for positive community action into solid proposals, which were brought to life by local agencies. The organisation targeted young people of all backgrounds and helped children at risk of getting drawn into anti-social behaviour make a more positive contribution to their local area. The organisation also sought to re-balance negative perceptions of young people in the wider community.

The work being commended today covered 3 key themes:

• anti-bullying campaigns and buddy programmes for primary schools
• getting kids off the streets and into sport through outdoor activities such as canoeing
• rewarding young people for tackling difficult issues in their communities through trips and sporting activities

One of the many successes over the last two years has been the ‘Friday Night Splash’. Inspired by the London 2012 Olympics, the ‘Splash’ was conceived by two 15-year-old girls who saw the link between teenagers having nowhere to go on a Friday night and nuisance behaviour in their home town of Bude. With a view to getting teens together, improving fitness and having a positive activity to do on a Friday night, the girls lobbied to get their local swimming pool to remain open until 9pm, and to reduce the entry fee from £3 to £1 to encourage young people to join them.

As well as up to 150 teenagers attending the Friday Night Splash each week, other benefits have also been realised, including:

• the police seeing a reduction in youth loitering in Bude
• fewer young people under-age drinking or causing a nuisance in their community
• an increase in physical and outdoor activity by young people out of school
• more interest in vocational qualifications including certifications in lifeguarding and instructing

Commenting on the award Prime Minister David Cameron said:

I’m delighted to award Community Action Through Sport a [Big Society Award] (http://www.bigsocietyawards.org “Big Society Award”) for their fantastic work in helping young people take positive action for their communities.

This worthwhile project has rewarded young people – of all backgrounds – with sporting activities, visits and trips for their positive contribution to their local communities. It has also helped young people help themselves through anti-bullying, skills and educational programmes.

The essence of the project is about engendering a culture within young people of making a positive contribution to their communities, which is then rightly recognised and rewarded.

And I’m pleased to see how the project has helped to realise wider benefits in their local areas such as reductions in crime, nuisance behaviour and under-age drinking.

I congratulate CATS for this well deserved Big Society Award.

Founder of CATS Denise May MBE, and Director of Sport and Assistant Headteacher at Budehaven Community School Said:

Community Action Through Sport are delighted to receive the Big Society award. It is testament to the ethos of CATS, which recognises young people for their positive contribution to their community. We firmly believe that volunteering is the inspiration, recognition is the key and sport is the driving force.

We believe sport is a wonderful way of channelling the energy of young people and promoting engagement and team spirit. What they learn through these activities can help in their careers, in their education, and even in the relationship they have with the wider community. Evidence has also shown that it helps with the crime rate in the community and the Police are one of our biggest supporters. We look forward to growing as an organization and helping more children make their ideas a reality.

CATS entered in the third year of their three year initiative. In this time they established 14 branches across Devon and Cornwall, and have run 22 sports diversionary programmes by this summer, through surfing, kayaking or other sports. Partnership and multi-agency work has proved an essential element of the success of the projects, with 14 established CATS branches with the target to develop more. CATS works to give support and ownership to young people in their own communities and this award will be gratefully received by all and hopefully enable more branches to be developed.

They have engaged with 124 primary and secondary schools in Cornwall and North Devon, as well as many community groups, thus rewarding and recognising more than 2,000 young people.