Ray Winstone, one of the UK’s most celebrated ‘hard man’ actors, has been awarded the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of his extensive charitable and fundraising work.

A lifelong supporter of the West Ham United Foundation, the official charity of his beloved West Ham United Football Club, Winstone also backs ICAP's London office Annual Charity Day, which contributes 100% of its revenues and commissions to charitable causes. The initiative is linked to The Lord Mayor’s Appeal.

The award ceremony took place at The Mansion House, the official residence of the Lady Mayor, Dame Susan Langley, who hosted Winstone and his guests. He was nominated for the honour by former Lord Mayors Alastair King, who served last year, and Sir William Russell.

Winstone’s career, spanning five decades, includes iconic film roles in ‘Scum’, ‘Quadrophenia’, ‘Cold Mountain’, ‘Hugo’, ‘Beowulf’, ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’, ‘Sexy Beast’, and ‘Nil By Mouth’, for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He has also appeared in numerous television series, including ‘The Bill’, ‘Ever Decreasing Circles’, ‘One Foot in the Grave’, ‘Boon’, ‘Birds of a Feather’, ‘Home to Roost’, ‘Henry VIII’, and ‘Auf Wiedersehen, Pet’.

Speaking after his Freedom ceremony, Ray Winstone said: “Today, more than ever, I am a very proud Londoner and if my Mum and Dad were still here to see me receiving the Freedom of the City of London, I know that it would have meant the world to them – as it does me.

“This has been such a special day for me, and I am very grateful to Lady Mayor Sue Langley for hosting my guests and I at The Mansion House, and to Alastair King and William Russell for nominating me.”

Lady Mayor of the City of London, Dame Susan Langley, said: “Ray Winstone may have earned his 'hard man' credentials on screen but, off screen, he’s always had a big heart, as you can really see in his charitable work.

“West Ham means a lot to both of us: it’s the club that we've both supported for years, and it’s the area where I was born, so it’s been a real joy to see him receive this recognition today.”

The Freedom of the City is one of the City of London’s oldest traditions, dating back to 1237, originally granting recipients the right to carry out their trade. Today, it is bestowed by the City of London Corporation to recognise outstanding contributions to London or public life, or to celebrate a particularly significant achievement.

The Corporation itself is a major supporter of arts, culture, and heritage in the UK, investing over £130 million annually and managing institutions such as the Barbican Centre, Tower Bridge, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Guildhall Library, Guildhall Art Gallery, London’s Roman Amphitheatre, The London Archives, and Keats House. It also supports the London Symphony Orchestra and the forthcoming London Museum.

Recent high-profile recipients of the Freedom include actor, director, producer, and humanitarian Cate Blanchett; choreographer and director Sir Matthew Bourne; comedian, actor, and author Sir Lenny Henry; and sport ambassador and former Olympic and Commonwealth Games athlete Lady Mary Peters. Photo by Ibsan73, Wikimedia commons.