A JERSEY resident has been honoured at an international awards ceremony for a lifetime of achievement in heritage.
Marcus Binney, founder of SAVE Britain’s Heritage and Save Jersey’s Heritage, was at the Europa Nostra Awards in Bucharest to pick up his award.
The awards, known as the heritage “Oscars”, took place in the Romanian Athenaeum, one of the most important cultural institutions in Bucharest, during the 2024 European Cultural Heritage Summit.
Mr Binney was one of four “heritage champions” who were recognised for their “tireless efforts” to save Europe’s built and cultural heritage. To sustained applause, he received his award from Europa Nostra vice-president Professor Jacek Purchla for being a “tireless champion in saving heritage-endangered buildings in the United Kingdom and all over Europe”.
In a message to the audience, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said: “In such a complicated period, monuments, museums, memorial houses, traditions, and their guardians become even more important as cultural landmarks of our fundamental values, which we must pass on to future generations.”
The winners at the Europa Nostra Awards were selected by a jury of 12 heritage experts from across Europe, and were among more than 200 nominees submitted by organisations and individuals from 38 countries.
It is almost 50 years since Marcus Binney co-founded SAVE Britain’s Heritage with Sir Simon Jenkins and John Harris. He was also a founder member of the Twentieth Century Society, started Save Jersey’s Heritage after the successful Government House campaign in 1989 and was instrumental in creating Save Europe’s Heritage.
