When I was first approached to consider being this year’s recipient of this award, I must admit that several things immediately sprang to mind. Firstly, that in order to qualify for recognition of a lifetime of achievement, you must have already experienced a lifetime and that possibly you are now nearer the end of it, than of the start. All of which makes me feel extraordinarily ancient. I suppose I have joined the ranks of what we like to refer to as the more mature.
Secondly, considering the distinguished names of the many luminaries who have graced this stage previously, accepting their own lifetime achievement award, I wondered what on earth I could possibly say to justify my inclusion amongst the ranks of the Early Years great and good? I imagine, as John introduced me so eloquently, graciously and with such humbling words, many of you were thinking to yourselves – who is David Wright and what makes him worthy to receive this award?
Well, I look at it this way, I absolutely love these Nursery World Awards. It is always a privilege to judge the inspiring entries. I love this event because it recognises and celebrates the hugely important work performed every day by everyone who works in our sector. Those of us who are lucky enough to be here tonight represent our colleagues across the country, indeed, across the world, who are making a difference in the lives of children, families and communities, day in, day out. Whether you are a winner, highly commended or a finalist, you should be rightly proud to have been nominated but the truth is we can all think of colleagues who could equally have been recognised. None of us do this for the personal recognition. We do it because we care.
And so I am happy to be singled out as the individual from the sector who accepts this award this year - on behalf of others. Primarily, it is on behalf of my wife, Anna, without whom Paint Pots Nurseries would not exist, I would not have joined the Early Years sector and I would not be standing here this evening. I accept it on behalf of the many, many colleagues locally and across the world who have taught, supported and encouraged me and given me the opportunity and determination to advocate for Early Care and Education. Quite a few of you are here this evening and I thank you. And most importantly, I accept it on behalf of our children. If I have achieved anything that I am proud of, it is to have given my time and energy to try and improve the life chances of children, be it on a one to one basis or influencing policy and practice at a national or global level.
I am humbled and ever so grateful to receive this award but as we close this evening, I just want to leave us with something to consider. In a time when we face such enormous global issues and challenges, I exhort every one of us to keep going because what we each do, matters.
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of standing on the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. I looked out across the water in front of me and imagined being amongst the crowd on August 28th 1963 hearing Dr. Martin Luther King’s historic ‘I have a dream’ speech delivered from those iconic steps.
One thing that strikes me about the text of his speech is his focus on the children -
Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity
I have a dream that one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
Why, I wonder did he choose to paint a picture of a future world of equity and justice populated by children? I would suggest that he did so deliberately because he recognised that Early Years is where the values of the next generation are formed and that Early Years is where the cycle of intergenerational hatred, discrimination and injustice can all be changed.
I first attended the World Forum on Early Childhood Education in 2009. It was held in Belfast at the Europa hotel which, we were reliably informed, was the most bombed hotel during the so-called troubles in Northern Ireland. The then president of Ireland, Mary Mcaleese, travelled up from Dublin to address the conference. Her words have remained with me. She told us how a deliberate policy of siting Early Years settings on the boundaries of sectarian communities had brought former enemies together for the sake of their children – little catholic boys and girls, joining hands with little protestant boys and girls as sisters and brothers. This is where the peace process was being played out.
And I think of my friend Eddie, in Rwanda. Eddie, whose family was butchered by his neighbours during the 1994 genocide. He fled the country but subsequently chose to return and live amongst those who had killed his family. He now sets up Early Years settings across Rwanda, to bring reconciliation and hope to broken communities. Little Tutsi boys and girls, joining hands with little Hutu boys and girls as sisters and brothers.
I have visited many, many Early Years centres across the World, some in the most impoverished and disadvantaged areas on the planet. Without exception, they have all been hubs of their communities. They are places of influence, restoration and hope.
As we leave here tonight to return to our own context, continuing our vocation and our mission, may we carry with us that same dream and confidence in the realisation that the change we want to see in the World, starts with our youngest children and that we are the ones privileged to make it happen.