News > Marjorie Wallace scoops Oldie Award

Created: 2006-10-22 18:11:26

Congratulations to Marjorie Wallace, SANE's chief executive, who has been named 'Campaigner of the Year' by The Oldie magazine. Marjorie received the award in recognition for her services in the field of mental health at a star-studded dinner attended by such luminaries as Jeremy Irons, Joan Bakewell and Lord (Melvyn) Bragg of Wigton.

Among the other recipients at the annual awards ceremony were: ‘Trouper of the Year’ Leslie Phillips; ‘Sea Dog of the Year’ Sir Robin Knox-Johnston; ‘Newshound of the Year’ Charles Wheeler; and ‘Royle of the Year’ Liz Smith.

Accepting the award, Marjorie said: “All my life I wanted to be funny, but I couldn’t tell jokes – so I put my energy into campaigning. What angered me was the appalling neglect of the mentally unwell being thrown out of the hospitals and into the community, and the intolerable burden that put on their families.”

The judges on the panel were Sir Terry Wogan, the former Private Eye editor and now editor of The Oldie Richard Ingram, Jon Snow, Ned Sherrin, Gyles Brandreth and Maureen Lipman. Lifting the lid on the judging process, Sir Terry said: “We argued long and loud. We were very pleased with our choices. Then Richard went back to the office and picked the people he wanted to win!”