Gateshead Youth Justice worker honoured by royalty at national awards ceremony
A Youth Justice worker from Gateshead was honoured by The Princess Royal and HRH King Charles III at an awards ceremony to recognise those excelling in the criminal justice sector last week.
The annual Butler Trust Awards celebrate people who have showcased significant contributions to the criminal justice system by working in prisons, probation and youth justice services across the UK.
Selected from over 200 nominations—a record for the Trust—the 10 winners for the 2025 Awards represent a diverse array of accomplishments.
Gerry Bowman, who received an award at the ceremony held at St James Palace last Tuesday (25 March), has worked for Gateshead Youth Justice Service for 23 years.
Over this time, Gerry has changed the lives of young people and their families across the borough and beyond, as well as colleagues across the sector, including solicitors, police officers and social workers.
Throughout his career, Gerry has worked with young people, families and professionals in a no-nonsense way, and proved himself time and time again to be dependable and trustworthy.
Gerry's nomination recognises his professionalism and willingness to go above and beyond to support young people. In his nomination form, Manager Emma Blackwell describes Gerry as someone who "wears his heart on his sleeve and is the biggest advocate for young people who are extremely vulnerable and experience difficult times."
Princess Anne presented the awards in her role as the trust's patron, and King Charles III participated in the subsequent reception, engaging with the winners and hearing firsthand accounts of their contributions.
The efforts of the award winners not only improve lives across the country, but also cut prison system costs, estimated at £48,000 per inmate annually by the UK government.
Those honoured were joined by members of their family, representatives from their places of work, and senior figures from the across the sector, including the Minister for Prisons, Probation & Reducing Reoffending, the Minister for Sentencing & Youth Justice and the Chief Inspectors of Prisons and Probation for England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Councillor Gary Haley, cabinet member for Children and Young People at Gateshead Council, said: "The recognition Gerry has received for improving the lives of young people and their families over the last 20 years couldn't be more well deserved.
"Gerry's dedication to his role, going above and beyond for every individual he works with, is valued by colleagues across the service. When collecting stories for the nomination, we were truly overwhelmed by the amount of responses, detailing how Gerry is a pleasure to work with and, despite having an incredibly tough job at times, is always there to offer support and a smile.
"Most importantly, Gerry inspires every young person he works with, even those who have suffered through the most difficult circumstances that life can offer you.
"By receiving the honour of an award at the acclaimed Butler Trust ceremony, Gerry has made everyone who has had the pleasure of knowing him, and the entire borough of Gateshead, proud."
The Trust plans to release a detailed report in June, featuring case studies to inspire broader adoption of these successes.
A Youth Justice worker from Gateshead was honoured by The Princess Royal and HRH King Charles III at an awards ceremony to recognise those excelling in the criminal justice sector last week.
The annual Butler Trust Awards celebrate people who have showcased significant contributions to the criminal justice system by working in prisons, probation and youth justice services across the UK.
Selected from over 200 nominations—a record for the Trust—the 10 winners for the 2025 Awards represent a diverse array of accomplishments.
Gerry Bowman, who received an award at the ceremony held at St James Palace last Tuesday (25 March), has worked for Gateshead Youth Justice Service for 23 years.
Over this time, Gerry has changed the lives of young people and their families across the borough and beyond, as well as colleagues across the sector, including solicitors, police officers and social workers.
Throughout his career, Gerry has worked with young people, families and professionals in a no-nonsense way, and proved himself time and time again to be dependable and trustworthy.
Gerry's nomination recognises his professionalism and willingness to go above and beyond to support young people. In his nomination form, Manager Emma Blackwell describes Gerry as someone who "wears his heart on his sleeve and is the biggest advocate for young people who are extremely vulnerable and experience difficult times."
Princess Anne presented the awards in her role as the trust's patron, and King Charles III participated in the subsequent reception, engaging with the winners and hearing firsthand accounts of their contributions.
The efforts of the award winners not only improve lives across the country, but also cut prison system costs, estimated at £48,000 per inmate annually by the UK government.
Those honoured were joined by members of their family, representatives from their places of work, and senior figures from the across the sector, including the Minister for Prisons, Probation & Reducing Reoffending, the Minister for Sentencing & Youth Justice and the Chief Inspectors of Prisons and Probation for England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Councillor Gary Haley, cabinet member for Children and Young People at Gateshead Council, said: "The recognition Gerry has received for improving the lives of young people and their families over the last 20 years couldn't be more well deserved.
"Gerry's dedication to his role, going above and beyond for every individual he works with, is valued by colleagues across the service. When collecting stories for the nomination, we were truly overwhelmed by the amount of responses, detailing how Gerry is a pleasure to work with and, despite having an incredibly tough job at times, is always there to offer support and a smile.
"Most importantly, Gerry inspires every young person he works with, even those who have suffered through the most difficult circumstances that life can offer you.
"By receiving the honour of an award at the acclaimed Butler Trust ceremony, Gerry has made everyone who has had the pleasure of knowing him, and the entire borough of Gateshead, proud."
The Trust plans to release a detailed report in June, featuring case studies to inspire broader adoption of these successes.
