Conservation specialist awarded Plowden Medal

Professor of Conservation receives high honour for Services to the Conservation Profession

Professor of Conservation Jane Henderson has been awarded the Plowden Medal for Conservation in recognition of her contribution to the field of conservation.

Long-serving academic and practitioner, Professor Henderson received the award on 29 September at St James’s Palace for her outstanding leadership and development of new generations of conservation professionals, her essential role in the development of the profession and her continuing commitment to bringing leading research and innovations into conservation practice in the UK and internationally.

The 2021 gold medal was uniquely awarded to two individuals Professor Jane Henderson and director of Holy Well Glass Stephen Clare MBE in light of the year’s impressive entries.

The Plowden Medal is awarded annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the conservation profession and whose nomination would be widely welcomed within the conservation community.

Established in 1999 to commemorate the life and work of the late Hon. Anna Plowden CBE (1938 – 1997), it covers all aspects of conservation be they practical, theoretical or managerial in both private practice and institutions.

A leading figure in the field of Conservation, Jane said:

“Conservation is such a wonderful profession. We are a group of people whose passion is to make things that are special to people stay special. To be recognised with Stephen Clare for having made an outstanding contribution to an outstanding profession is truly thrilling.”

Professor Jane Henderson is an advisor to Welsh Government for museum strategy, an expert for European Standards and Secretary General to the International Institute for Conservation. A founder member of the Care of Collections and architect of the Conservation Accreditation Scheme, she trains future generations of conservators in the School of History, Archaeology and Religion and regularly contributes to conservation podcast The C Word.