Icon member Carole Milner MBE: "Behind every achievement there’s a team"

Icon member Carole Milner was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List last month for “services to Heritage and Crafts during Covid-19”.

15 Nov 2020

Carole received the MBE for her voluntary role with the Heritage & Crafts Funders’ Network (HCFN), the informal group of trusts and foundations she brought together nine years ago to improve the quality of grant-giving and support provided by funders to the sector.

Carole is an experienced paintings conservator and has played a pivotal role in the development of the conservation profession in the UK and overseas. Leading the movement to establish a unified and inclusive lead body for conservation 15 years ago, Carole was the founding Chair of Icon.

Her vision to bring all the main funders of heritage and crafts together in a network was a stroke of genius... 

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Former Icon Chief Executive Alison Richmond commended Carole's contribution to conservation by commenting:

“The world of heritage is very fortunate to have the powerful advocate that it has in Carole. Her vision to bring all the main funders of heritage and crafts together in a network was a stroke of genius and without her commitment to working collaboratively, her powers of persuasion and persistence, Icon simply would not have happened! I am absolutely thrilled that Carole’s work has been recognised with this honour.”

Carole responded to her recognition by drawing attention to the team behind the achievement:

"I’m very touched by this award but also by the response I’ve received to it. That has been the true honour. Behind every achievement there’s a team. Everyone in the Network deserves recognition for coming together so collaboratively in the first place, persevering and trying to achieve some good, especially in these Covid times. Whether it’s building ECCO or Icon or the Network, for me it’s all about those personal relationships and the inspiration, outcomes and fun they engender. Sadly there’ll be no fun at Buckingham Palace this year - but at least that means I’m spared the hat!"

This year’s honours list was postponed from June in order to include people, such as fundraisers and volunteers, who have been instrumental in the Covid-19 effort. Read the full list.

Icon congratulates Carole on her hard-earned award and is grateful for her outstanding contribution to the profession and inspirational and dedicated leadership.

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