Tim Rutherford, a partner in Bath-headquartered law firm Stone King’s charity and social enterprise team, has been honoured by the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis bestowed the honour of admitting Tim, pictured, to the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Sylvester Pope and Martyr as a knight.
The move is a way of thanking Tim for his great service and commitment over the years to the Association of Provincial Bursars (APB).
It follows the APB’s executive committee petitioning of the Vatican, via the Bishop of Clifton and the Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St James’s, on Tim’s behalf.
This award, confirmed by the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, His Excellency Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, honours lay people who are actively involved in the life of the church, particularly as it is exemplified in the exercise of their professional duties.
APB chair Fr Keith McMillan SJ said: “Tim Rutherford has been involved with APB for a long time and his continued and unwavering support has been of great value to our members.
“We are really delighted that we have received notification that this award has been granted, it is a fitting way to thank Tim for his great service and commitment to APB and its membership.”
Tim has been working with APB for more than 15 years and has been a regular presenter at its annual conference, including being part of the in-person and online open forum events for many years.
Tim and Amanda Francis, a partner with London-headquartered accountancy and HR consultancy Buzzacott, have been instrumental in producing two guidance handbooks for APB members – Embracing Change and Consecrated Journey – which were followed up by a three-part video series in 2022, looking to share practical guidance on legal, financial and governance issues with those involved in running Roman Catholic religious order charities.
Tim said: “I’m extremely humbled to be granted this honour and am touched and grateful that the executive committee at the APB asked the Bishop of Clifton to nominate me for this award.
“It is a privilege to work with the many members of APB, supporting them to navigate the challenges of operating as charities and through it I have personally learnt a lot, not just in legal context.”
Stone King, which employs more than 230 people across its offices in Bath, Bristol, Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds and London, has a strong tradition of supporting Catholic religious orders for more than 200 years and has built up considerable expertise in the unique requirements of these clients.
Tim’s formal investiture will be arranged by APB in due course.
