The Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) is proud to play a pivotal role in supporting a new initiative, the ‘Jacobs Medal,’ which was unveiled at the Celebrating Forces Families Awards launch party at the London Transport Museum. Hosted by Mott MacDonald, a global engineering, development, and management consultancy, the event highlighted the importance of recognizing the remarkable achievements of military children and their families.
Jacob Mason, the 14-year-old son of a submariner, is the driving force behind this initiative. At just 10, Jacob penned the poignant poem “This is Normal For Me,” sharing the unique experiences faced by children of military families. His performance of the poem at the Mountbatten Festival of Music in the Royal Albert Hall moved audiences deeply, shining a light on the emotional challenges and resilience of military children.
Inspired by his own experiences, Jacob envisioned a way to honour other young people in the Armed Forces community. With the unwavering support of RNRMC, Jacob designed the “Jacob’s Medal”—a powerful symbol of appreciation for their strength, courage, and achievements. This medal will be awarded to all young people nominated for the Young Person’s Award at the Celebrating Forces Families Awards.
Mandy Harding, Head of Commissioned Grants at RNRMC, said:
“The Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity is honoured and humbled to be involved in the launch of Jacob’s medal – for children and young people linked to the Military Community who, like Jacob, have done something brave or shown courage.
“Jacob shared his story at an RNRMC Ball in 2022. It was very moving to see this young man speak and share a poignant poem he had written about his experience. Jacob, being utterly selfless, turned down a gift and asked if his gift could be this medal, which we asked him to design. RNRMC is delighted to be sharing this with Celebrating Forces Families to recognise those young people, like Jacob, who are inspired to go on in those difficult times,”
RNRMC is committed to recognizing and supporting young people who, like Jacob, rise to the challenges of military life with courage and determination. The charity’s partnership with Celebrating Forces Families aims to ensure that the strength and sacrifices of these young individuals do not go unnoticed.
Every young person nominated for the 2025 Young Person’s Award will receive a Jacob’s Medal as a token of recognition for their exceptional contributions to the Armed Forces community. Whether through volunteer work, advocacy, or community initiatives, these young individuals exemplify resilience and dedication to their families and wider military network.
For more information about the RNRMC, visit https://www.rnrmc.org.uk/.
To learn more about Jacob’s Medal and see his heartfelt performance at the Royal Albert Hall, visit https://www.celebratingforcesfamilies.co.uk/jacobs-medal.
If you know an extraordinary young person from a military family who deserves recognition, we encourage you to submit a nomination for the 2025 Celebrating Forces Families Awards. All the details can be found at https://www.celebratingforcesfamilies.co.uk/nominate2025.
