Helen Glencross said that being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to heritage in Guernsey had come as a complete surprise.
She had only found out on Boxing Day following a call from Government House.
‘I was absolutely speechless. I didn’t expect it at all.
‘It’s quite overwhelming, to be honest, but I feel very, very honoured,’ she said.
‘I’m very lucky to be in a job where I’m able to serve the island. The job that I do is about promoting and sharing our unique culture, history and heritage, and I think to be recognised for that is really, really humbling.’
Mrs Glencross became head of heritage in 2019 but has worked in the service since 2007.
She is responsible for the island’s four museums and more than 80 historic sites housing more than 80,000 artefacts and 3,000 artworks, and chairs the local ‘Blue Plaque’ panel.
This year also saw her chair the committee in charge of the 80th Anniversary Liberation Day celebrations that included a two-day visit by HRH The Princess Royal and saw more than 38,000 people from some 50 countries watch the Liberation firework display and inaugural drone show.
‘That was an absolutely enormous job and I don’t think I realised that it would be quite the undertaking it was going to be,’ she said.
‘It was a huge team effort and hugely rewarding for me personally, and I think it’s something that I will always remember being part of.’
Other highlights of her career include being the driving force behind the Island Memories Project, a sound archive in partnership with the BBC that captured personal testimony from the Second World War, curating a series of events and exhibitions to mark the coronation of the King, and working with a local benefactor to host an exhibition of 10 paintings by Renoir, marking his visit to Guernsey in 1883.
Although awards of this nature often come at the end of a career, Mrs Glencross said that she had no thoughts of stopping and was busy planning a full calendar of events for next year and looking forward to 2027 and the celebrations to mark the 1,000th anniversary of William the Conqueror’s birth.
‘I’ve got an amazing team and amazing colleagues,’ she said.
‘Part of the role that I do is about building partnerships and working with other people, and I absolutely want to continue to do that. In a way getting a recognition like this only actually encourages you to do more.
‘And I believe strongly in Guernsey’s culture and heritage and the part it can play in the community.
‘I’m very proud of my Guernsey roots, and that’s what’s driven me throughout my career.
‘I see my role as being able to champion Guernsey culture and heritage, and that’s something that means a huge amount to me.’
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