The Revelaires Variety Group receive the Kings Award for Voluntary Service

A King’s Award for Volunteer Performers – Revelaires Variety Group!

I was very honoured to join HM Lord-Lieutenant and Caroline Breckell MVO DL in presenting The Revelaires Variety Group with the Kings Award for Voluntary Service recently. They are an Amateur Variety group founded in 1953 who for the past 72 years have been providing free musical entertainment to care homes and dementia units in Spelthorne, Elmbridge and Runnymede from Sept to March and have a fundraising show once a year at Riverside Arts Centre, Sunbury-on-Thames. They are one of nine organisations that received the Award in the County in 2024.

Do watch the presentation video which is available on their Facebook page HERE

The Amber Foundation – Transforming Lives.

I enjoyed an informative visit to The Amber Foundation in Ockley on April 16th with my wife Suzanne and Patricia Lees, the Resident Judge from Guildford Crown Court. We were escorted round my Louise Cheung, Fundraising Manager, who showed us the facility which can house up to 30 young people aged between 18 and 30 years ago offering support to help them transform their lives.

Celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, they have four locations in Devon, Wiltshire, Kent and Surrey.  The focus at the centre is on health and well-being, personal development, independent Living and education and employability. The average stay is six to nine months, during which the young people progress through three stages;- induction, development and move-on, with the aim that at the end of their time at The Amber Foundation, they leave to start employment which the Foundation helps arrange together with their living accommodation. I had the pleasure of meeting some of the residents who were enthusiastic about the support they were receiving and enjoying their time at The Amber Foundation. Having recently received a grant from Your Fund Surrey the Foundation are about to commence building an outdoor covered space to provide additional facilities.

To find out more about the Amber Foundation click HERE

Spelthorne Litter Pickers awarded with a Kings Award for Voluntary Service!

The Kings Award for Voluntary Service – Spelthorne Litter Pickers

I was delighted to attend the presentation of the Kings Award for Voluntary Service to the Spelthorne Litter Pickers at Spelthorne Council Offices on April 15th. The award was presented by the Lord Lieutenant at a reception hosted by the Mayor of Spelthorne to Shirley Lunn the Co-Founder and Chair of Spelthorne Litter Pickers. Set up during COVID they now have some 1,200 volunteers across the Borough with five trustees co-ordinating their activities and collection by the Council. They are one of just nine volunteer organisations in Surrey which were awarded the Kings Award for Voluntary Service this year.

The Kings Award for Voluntary Service - Spelthorne Litter Pickers.

Welcoming New British Citizens

On Monday April 14th I was privileged to be asked to preside over two British Citizenship ceremonies held at Surrey County Council’s head office in Reigate. For each ceremony there were 30 people who each declared an oath and ended their personal, sometimes long, journey in becoming a British Citizen. It was clearly a very happy day for them all and it was a most enjoyable experience for me to hand them their certificates and welcome them as citizens of the United Kingdom. My wife, Suzanne, and two cadets, Grace and Imogen, were also present at the ceremonies.

To find out more about British Citizen Ceremonies in Surrey click HERE

Surrey Heritage Awards 2025

Surrey Heritage Awards Ceremony 2025

I was delighted to attend the Surrey Heritage Awards Ceremony at Wotton House, near Dorking on the evening of April 9th.

I had been invited along with the Mayor of Guildford, Sallie Barker, to celebrate the best designs in an historical context and the best building craftsmanship. It was fitting the awards were held in the magnificent Old Library in Wotton Hall which had been designed by Henry Woodyer, a Victorian architect who designed or amended some 60 buildings across Surrey and many more nationally, as Robin Stannard of ADAM Architecture informed the packed room.

Dr Deborah Mays, Director of The Lutyens Trust and one of the judges announced the awards and the evening was compered by Amanda Lewis, Chair of Surrey Historic Buildings Trust.

It was great to see the level of craftmanship on display and the desire to conserve and improve property in a historically sympathetic way was evident in all the buildings up for an award.

Farncombe Community Garden

The Farncombe Community Garden.

I was delighted to visit the Farncombe Community Garden on April 9th, meeting Deepa Craig, a Trustee and an old friend from when she worked at the Community Foundation for Surrey.

The garden was a wasteland owned by Surrey County Council until acquired by Farncombe Community Garden, a not for profit organisation, that aims to bring the local community together in a working garden. Their vision is to grow community wellbeing by gardening together. The garden is open to all three sessions a week and for charity and community groups on other occasions. They are run by a small group of volunteers and, supported by a number of national and grant givers, they have transformed the space in very quickly into a social but tranquil space where people can come and help develop the garden or sit back and enjoy the view!

They encourage anyone to come along and see the wonderful space they have created and are also on the lookout for more volunteers so that the garden can be open longer and enjoyed by more of the Community. More information can be found HERE.

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Mayor of Guildford's Diversity Show

The Mayor of Guildford’s Diversity Show

It was a privilege to attend the Mayor of Guildford’s Diversity Show at Holy Trinity Church on Saturday April 5th together with Marilyn Scott DL and Michael Ramcharan the President of Guildford Wey Rotary.

In an action packed show 18 local acts from a variety of cultures and heritages showcased their respective talents through music, dance and theatre; illustrating the widely diversified community that we live in and demonstrating how we can celebrate our differences through the performing arts. Huge congratulations go the Mayor, Sallie Barker, for making this project a reality, Nick Wyschna for compering and Charlotte Wyschna for working the hardest to make the necessary on-stage changes between acts.

All proceeds from the evening were donated to the Big Leaf Foundation who undertake extraordinary work with displaced young people and Co-Founders Kayte and Vicki should be justifiably proud that the highlight of the evening was an emotional piece performed by young people supported by Big Leaf incorporating stories of the arduous journeys undertaken by some people fleeing their homelands accompanied by shadow puppets and evocative music; it drew a standing ovation and the shedding of a few tears.

Read more about the show HERE

Spelthorne in Bloom

Spelthorne in Bloom

I was delighted to attend the launch of Spelthorne in Bloom 2025 on April 3rd at Squire’s Garden Centre in Upper Halliford.

Hosted by Deputy Lord Lieutenant and 15 year Chair of Spelthorne in Bloom, Nick Wood-Dow, the 33rd year of Spelthorne in Bloom was opened by announcing the winners of the Poster Competition which had been entered into by the local primary schools. I was delighted to award the overall winning prize to seven year old Isabelle from St Michael Catholic Primary School  after the Mayor of Spelthorne had given a welcome speech. Squires kindly hosted the evening and provided delicious refreshments and thanks go to Sarah Squire and her team. Huge thanks also go to the whole Spelthorne in Bloom Committee and all the volunteer gardeners; and good luck to all the people entering into the eleven different categories in this year’s competition. https://www.spelthorne.gov.uk/article/17394/Spelthorne-in-Bloom

HMP Bronzefield – A Progressive Approach to Rehabilitation.

On April 3rd, my wife Suzanne, the Resident Judge at Guildford Crown Court HHJ Patricia Lees and myself visited HMP Bronzefield in Ashford. We were kindly escorted by Deputy Director, Raymond Rogers, viewing all areas of the prison including the house blocks, education facilities, skills training area, mother and baby unit and the fitness and wellbeing centre.

It is the largest women’s prison in Europe capable of holding 572 women, both those convicted and those on remand. Run by Sodexo, the prison was opened in 2004, and is very progressive in providing facilities to help rehabilitate the women and prepare them for their release. This includes providing educational classes (which are monitored by OFSTED), neurodivergent facilities and numerous vocational courses and qualifications including bike mechanics, barista work, hairdressing, beauty and spa work. The prison also has its own job centre.

I was tremendously impressed not only by the professionalism of all the staff members I met, but their enthusiasm, dedication and commitment to their respective duties and the mutual respect shown by both Officers and prisoners alike. I would like to extend my gratitude to Raymond for providing such an informative visit.

Find out more about Bronzefield Prison HERE

BBC Surrey Interview with James Cannon

Want to know more about the High Sheriff and his role? Listen to this great interview conducted by BBC Surrey’s Breakfast host, James Cannon, from the 1st April, just a few days after Mr Peter Cluff was installed as the 2025-26 High Sheriff of Surrey.