The UK Security Commonwealth (SyCom) has opened nominations for the 2026 David Clark Award, which recognises exceptional voluntary contributions to the UK security sector.
Nominations close on 2 October 2026, with the winner to be announced at an awards ceremony hosted by ASIS UK during its Central London Winter Event on 19 November.
Award recognises voluntary sector contribution
The full title of the award is the David Clark CPP PCI PSP FISRM FInstLM Award for Exceptional Contribution to the UK Security Sector.
First presented in 2021, the award was established in memory of David Clark, who served as Chair of the Security Commonwealth and the UK Chapter of ASIS International. Clark died in 2019 and was recognised for his voluntary work supporting initiatives, teams and individuals across the security profession.
The award is intended to recognise contributions that support improvement and development across the UK security sector.
Two award categories
Nominations are being accepted for two categories: outstanding individual and programme or initiative, including projects involving multiple organisations.
Entries must be recommended by a Security Commonwealth member organisation. Self-nominations are permitted where they have been approved by an appropriate SyCom member body.
Applications must be limited to 650 words and address six judging criteria:
Effective collaboration, cooperation and communication
Sharing good practice and promoting continuous improvement
Supporting industry development and engagement
Bringing the UK security profession together under the ethos “Stronger Together”
Demonstrating SyCom’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion
Providing clear evidence of exceptional contribution to the UK security sector
Commercially focused applications and initiatives directly connected to sitting SyCom Board Members will not be considered.
Judging arrangements
Entries will be assessed by a panel comprising representatives from Security Commonwealth member organisations and other security industry professionals.
A separate SyCom moderating panel will oversee the process, with an independent adjudicator invited to support consistency and transparency.
Completed and approved nominations must be submitted by email to [email protected] by 2 October 2026.
ASIS UK to host 2026 ceremony
ASIS UK will host this year’s award ceremony as part of its annual Winter Event in central London on 19 November.
Responsibility for hosting the ceremony rotates between Security Commonwealth member organisations, with future hosts able to incorporate the event into their own conferences and business programmes.
The Security Commonwealth retains responsibility for the award and its administration.
Previous recipients
The award has recognised a range of individual and organisational contributions since its launch.
In 2025, the individual award was presented to Nick Aldworth, the former senior counter-terrorism police officer who campaigned for Martyn’s Law. The group award went to the Women’s Security Network, championed by Liz Lloyd of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA).
Safer Business Networks received the 2023 award for its “Ask for Angela” and WAVE initiatives, which focus on the safety of women in the night-time economy.
In 2022, security consultant Roger Noakes of Daro Associates received the individual award for his voluntary contribution to industry representation.
The inaugural award in 2021 was presented to the Inclusive Security Special Interest Group (ISSIG) of the Security Institute.