Moving tribute to people impacted by Covid

The Peace Garden at the Muslim Burial Ground in Woking was the peaceful setting for the Woking People of Faith Prayer Vigil – a moving commemoration and celebration of lives affected by the pandemic.

Woking People of Faith invited Dr Llewelyn, the Mayor of Woking, the Bishop of Guildford, the Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey and the public to light an LED candle in memory of those who passed away and thank those who gave incredible service over the last 18-20 months.

Following the Mayor’s welcome, multiple faith leaders from the Baha’i, Christian, Quaker and Muslim faiths offered short prayers.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey gave the closing remarks.

Royal visit to Transform Housing and Support

A visit to the charity Transform Housing & Support with the Countess of Wessex gave the High Sheriff the ideal opportunity to discuss housing challenges across Surrey with the chief executive and chair of trustees.

During a visit to one of the charity’s residences in Hersham, Dr Llewelyn spoke to CEO Lawrence Santcross and chair Mark Austen. They are keen to do more with the homeless community in Surrey and build on their success and learning during the pandemic.

Dr Llewelyn and the Countess of Wessex met some of the people who teach cooking skills to the residents and the Countess made pizzas! They also met residents who were doing a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.

Happy visit to Gosden House School

Gosden House School in Bramley extended a warm and happy welcome to the High Sheriff and the Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey during their visit in November.

Dr Llewelyn and the Lord-Lieutenant, Michael More-Molyneux, attended a whole school assembly with an audience of children with special educational needs (SEN) and their teachers and teaching assistants before touring the school and grounds.

The assembly took place outside on a bright sunny day, and Dr Llewelyn and Mr More-Molyneux presented badges to new school council members. The councillors are responsible for sharing pupils’ opinions with teachers.

Dr Llewelyn said: “We then had a delightful tour of the school, looking at their focus on working with each child to put together an individual toolkit for all they need to learn to be successful when they leave school.”

It’s the second visit by the High Sheriff to the outstanding school, which focuses on growing lives and building futures for children ‘facing the toughest challenges every day’.

Princess Alice Hospice tour reveals outstanding care

Nicki Shaw, chief executive and Sean Hilton, chair of trustees, welcomed Dr Llewelyn to a tour of Princess Alice Hospice in Esher, where she met staff and volunteers.

During her tour of the In-Patient Unit, Dr Llewelyn saw the outstanding palliative and end-of-life care the hospice provides to adults across Surrey, south-west London and Middlesex. The hospice also supports patients’ friends and families.

Dr Llewelyn thanked team members Nicki, Sean, Lesley Munro, Jo Reynolds, Rosie Noble, Sarah Friggeri and Carrie Lee and volunteers Vanessa Hill and Debbie Clements for their hospitality. They discussed the wonderful work they do in caring for patients, volunteering, engaging with the community, and supporting the bereaved.

As a leading UK hospice charity, part of its work involves learning, teaching, and research, but 84% of its income is spent on care, and at least 800 people in need receive care at any one time. All its work is funded by fundraising and community support to supplement its modest NHS grant.

Celebrating Hambledon Community Fund’s success

Hambledon Community Fund has now given over £30,000 in grants to local organisations and occasionally villagers in need and is a vital part of the vibrant and thriving village community.

Among the organisations to receive grants from the endowment fund are the shop, football club, cricket club and almshouses. The fund has also purchased a defibrillator, equipment for the nursery and storage heaters for the village hall.

Dr Llewelyn, who chaired the fund until this year when she became High Sheriff, unveiled a plaque at Hambledon Village Hall. It was to celebrate the fund’s success to date.

Transformative MASCOT Hub earns award

A visit to St Michael’s Church and the Maybury and Sheerwater Community Trust (MASCOT) showed the High Sheriff how joined-up work by churches, local authorities, voluntary and community groups and residents can strengthen and transform communities.

Dr Llewelyn met the Reverend Gillaine Holland and Tracey Francis, before walking to the MASCOT Hub in Sheerwater, Woking.

The Hub is a facility for the trust, community organisations and agencies for local residents. It’s the place to go for everything from a Foodbank to career support, computer support and language help. Citizens Advice Woking also pops in every Thursday.

At the Hub, Dr Llewelyn was delighted to present a High Sheriff Award to Eddy Valletta and Martin Smith for their hard work at the centre, supporting the community of Sheerwater and Maybury.

Afterwards, Dr Llewelyn visited volunteers from the church who help to run a pop-up café. It’s an after-school activity for primary age schoolchildren mostly from Broadmere Primary School and their parents and carers. The children enjoy a healthy snack and play games and crafts.

Dr Llewelyn said: “The pop-up café was full of local families from all faiths and it was wonderful to see everyone clearly having such a great time.”

Applause and certificates for deserving young dancers

The High Sheriff presented certificates to each group taking part in the Young Dance Makers Platform – Dance Woking’s annual dance showcase.

The platform gives school-children and students from colleges the opportunity to perform in a professional theatre – the Rhoda McGaw Theatre – and experience the excitement of performing in front of an audience.

This year’s theme was ‘our precious planets’ and the groups came from King’s Academy Binfield, Sythwood School, Claygate School, St Theresa’s, Westfield Primary School, St John the Baptist School and Woking College.

Speaking after the event, Dr Llewelyn said: “I congratulated the dancers on excellent performances and Dance Woking for putting on such a stimulating event. It was all extremely professional and hard to believe it was all pulled together in a matter of weeks!”

Dr Llewelyn also spent time talking with chair Alan Sutherland about the live performance projects Dance Woking can now start with a wide range of schools and their upcoming Christmas holiday club.

Visit the Dance Woking website.

Claygate Dance Club
St John the Baptist School
Woking College
Westfield Primary School
King’s Academy Binfield
St Theresa’s
  • Sythwood School
  • Sythwood School

Building relationships to enrich pupils’ lives

North West Surrey Short Stay School’s brilliance at keeping young people in education dovetails exactly with Dr Llewelyn’s theme as High Sheriff – every child included.

So, she was pleased to accept Headteacher Paul Jackson’s invitation to visit the Kingsway Centre site in Woking and start to build a relationship with the school that will enrich students’ lives.

Dr Llewelyn spent three hours at NWSSSS meeting pupils and the dedicated staff who help them alter their attitudes, attain the resilience and skills to manage their behaviour and go on to succeed.

She learned that early intervention is key. The school has an excellent range of programmes carried out to meet individual student’s needs across both sites – Key Stage 3 pupils at Kingsway and KS4 students in Pyrford.

Dr Llewelyn also heard about other challenges the staff are facing, including budgetary.

Visit to HMP Coldingley

The High Sheriff visited HMP Coldingley in Bisley to find out more about the prison.

Governor Niall Bryant conducted Dr Llewelyn on her tour of the prison, which includes accommodation for 500 male prisoners mainly serving four-year sentences, but many more than 10 years.

Dr Llewelyn said: “It was a pleasure to meet the governor and be shown around the site’s extensive educational and rehabilitation facilities, which include printing and sign-making facilities, a large new creative graphics area and building skills training. All these supply and work with external organisations and provide prisoners with employment skills when they leave.”

The High Sheriff was impressed by the atmosphere of mutual respect between staff and prisoners and the prison’s positive reinforcement of positive behaviour.

Honouring veterans at Brookwood American Military Cemetery

Hundreds of Americans who died in the British Isles or its waters during World War I are honoured at Brookwood American Military Cemetery. The High Sheriff joined armed forces members and other dignitaries at the cemetery to lay wreaths to mark Veterans Day.

The commemorative ceremony is an annual public event hosted by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). The Commission is the guardian of 468 American graves and the dedication to 564 missing in action in the chapel.

The guests included US armed forces and their allies from the UK, France and other nations, the police force, the Scouts, and families and friends.

After the welcome by AMBC’s Superintendent and an introduction by Master of Ceremonies Laura Taylor, DOR, St James Chapter, the colours were posted and an invocation read by the British Army Chaplain.

A piper played Amazing Grace before the memorial address. Then Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy London, Ambassador Philip T Reeker, and senior officers in the US military laid wreaths, followed by the British military and dignitaries including Dr Llewelyn and Major General Tim Sulivan CB CBE, a Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey.

Both national anthems – God Save The Queen and The Star Spangled Banner – were played before the benediction and retiring of the colours.

Dr Llewelyn said: “It was an honour to attend the ceremony, which pays moving tribute to the many veterans from overseas who sacrificed their lives in the Great War. It also reminds us of the values and history we share with the United States and allied nations.”