See list of recipients of awards from organisations other than the Morris Federation
Pauline was nominated for, and awarded, an EFDSS Gold Badge Award in 2025 for unique and outstanding contributions to the folk and morris worlds.
As one of only two Morris Federation Presidents to receive such an award, and the only female President to do so, we are extremely proud of her.
In her time as President, Pauline has achieved some very unique and incredible things. She was the brain behind taking morris online during the COVID pandemic, successfully organising and running a programme of workshops via Zoom to keep the morris population, of not just the UK but also the wider world, dancing during Lockdown. She also organised a successful Arts Council bid which saw morris and folk being taught in schools within 3 levelling-up areas of the UK, bringing our traditions to a variety of children from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
EFDSS published the following announcement in their EDS magazine –
“Pauline, President of The Morris Federation from January 2020, has been modernizing and enlarging the activities and profile of the organization by way of online workshops and talks for the wider morris world (particularly during COVID) and, more recently, an Arts Council funded schools’ project. A morris dancer from age 19, and former dance teacher of Windsor Morris.”
When asked how she felt when she found out she was getting a Gold Badge, Pauline said
“Initially I was shocked, then very honoured, and then left wondering who had nominated me, and why. As only the second Morris Federation President to receive a Gold award, alongside John Bacon in 2018, I was thrilled to receive such recognition for not only myself but also the Morris Federation by an external organisation. Being the only female President to be awarded an EFDSS Gold Badge, and the fact it is happening during the 50th anniversary of The Women’s Morris Federation makes it even more special to me.”
Pauline was due to be awarded her Gold Badge at the Morris Federation AGM in Sheffield on Saturday 27th September, but due to unforseen circumstances, Michael Heaney, who was due to award the badge, was unable to attend. A gold rubber ducky (which was to be a personal gift given by Eliza at the next day’s committee meeting) was instead awarded by Frank Lee as an interim measure, and the citation still read out by Eliza Russell, alongside a presentation of photographs from Pauline’s long history of morris dancing.
Pauline’s Gold Badge was later awarded to her at a Chiltern Hundreds North West Clog Morris practice in Bushey, on Sunday, 26th January 2026 by Mike Heaney.
The full citation is available to read here on the EFDSS website or alternatively in PDF format.
Video footage of the citation reading and presentation, along with Pauline’s response can be watched here.
Alternatively, a playlist of videos of the award ceremony can also be found on our YouTube channel.
