School chooses pastoral officer for a High Sheriff’s Award

25 January 2022

North East Surrey Short Stay School (NESSS) chose Niki Razey, leader of engagement and pastoral care, for a High Sheriff’s Award for her superb work supporting pupils at the school.

The High Sheriff, Dr Llewelyn, was delighted to present the award to Niki. She also found out more about the work headteacher Nick Elliott and staff are doing with young people and Spelthorne schools to try and prevent permanent exclusion.

Dr Llewelyn also spoke to several students and youth engagement officer PC Roy Egarr who visits schools to engage and build relationships with pupils.

To learn more about the many ways in which the police support young people in the community, Dr Llewelyn left NESSS to visit Staines Police Station. She met Inspector Maxine Cilia and other members of the Safer Neighbourhood Team, who updated her on their current projects.

Later in the afternoon, officers took Dr Llewelyn on a walk around Staines town to discuss recent youth-related issues.

Dr Llewelyn said: “It was really humbling to see the work being done by teachers and the police force to help the young people of Staines.”

Bulldog spirit strengthens Skillway

The High Sheriff visited Skillway in Godalming to thank the dedicated volunteers and staff for their tireless efforts in the face of recent challenges.

During her visit, Dr Llewelyn looked around the craft workshops and met some of the students learning such practical skills as stonework, carpentry and joinery.

She learned how everyone at Skillway had pressed on despite Covid-19 measures to continue helping Surrey’s disadvantaged and disengaged young people find “optimism, calm and fulfilment” while learning to use their hands.

As an NHS doctor, the High Sheriff is acutely aware of the complexities organisations have had to navigate due to Covid-19 and was particularly impressed that staff and volunteers at Skillway had kept going despite everything.

Ockford Ridge project benefits make an impression

A walking tour of the Ockford Ridge refurbishment and redevelopment project in Godalming has provided the High Sheriff with a fascinating insight into the scheme’s benefits for local people.

Waverley Borough Council Housing development manager Louisa Blundell and head of housing delivery and communities Andrew Smith showed Dr Llewelyn one of the phases under construction. She also met the site workers and manager, who explained the extensive and successful regeneration work undertaken on the estate.

Dr Llewelyn said: “I was most impressed by the style and quality of the new housing in this large-scale regeneration project, which will certainly benefit the local community.”

Let’s Create Jubilee Fund opens in January

If your voluntary or community organisation has charitable aims, the ‘Let’s Create’ Queen’s Jubilee Fund, recently launched by the Community Foundation for Surrey, opens on 4 January 2022.

Let’s Create supports voluntary and community groups in developing creative and cultural activities in Surrey for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022.

Grants of up to £10,000 are available for successful applicants who must focus on creative and cultural activities, such as music, theatre and visual arts, and partner with an artist, creative or cultural organisation to deliver the project.

Dr Llewelyn, the vice-chair of the Foundation, recommends submitting applications when they open on this page on 4 January 2022, although you have until 28 February 2022 to apply.

Visit the Community Foundation for Surrey.

Learning how Eikon helps youngsters to thrive

A visit by the High Sheriff to The Eikon Charity had to be changed to a Zoom call with Chris Hickford, chief executive of the charity.

He gave Dr Llewelyn insight into the charity’s excellent ongoing work to support the most vulnerable young people in Surrey.

Eikon works with schools, communities, health and social care, and other organisations to deliver a range of services providing much-needed emotional wellbeing and mental health support for young people. The charity has successfully placed specialised support workers in six schools in Surrey, and their efforts to support attendance at school are close to Dr Llewelyn’s heart.

Dr Llewelyn said: “Eikon is a very well-respected Surrey charity, and I was impressed by all the work they are doing, especially their plans to increase the number of specialised workers in schools.”

Well-deserved Unsung Heroes Award for Stanwell charities

The High Sheriff was delighted to present an Unsung Heroes Award to Victoria Goodacre for her work as a volunteer at the Stanwell Events Community Project near Staines.

Ian and Linda Millin from Stanwell Events said: “We nominated Victoria to receive this award as she works so hard with the pre-school children and their parents who visit the project. She is always helping to make positive memories for others.”

The Stanwell Events Christmas Giving Project gives food items and family presents to community members who need extra support at Christmas. During Dr Llewelyn’s visit, the project was in full swing, with Stanwell Events’ chief executive Anne Marie Goodacre taking a call offering 40 turkeys, which were gratefully received.

Stanwell Events volunteers work not only in Stanwell but also in the broader community of Surrey. They help their sister charity, the Stanwell Food Bank, which supports those in need in Spelthorne. The food bank works in partnership with other food banks and serves vast numbers of delicious meals, all cooked at the Community Centre kitchen.

Recognising the tremendous work of all the volunteers at both organisations with awards, the High Sheriff said: “It is clear that Stanwell Events and Food Bank play a vital role in their community and do a huge amount of excellent work.”

High Sheriff commends Spelthorne Youth Awards finalists

The High Sheriff congratulated the finalists of the Triumph over Adversity category in the biannual Spelthorne Youth Awards – the first in its history to be held virtually.

Thirty young people were nominated in the categories, which included Academic Achievement, Arts Achievement, Sports Achievement, Personal Achievement, Community Spirit, Triumph over Adversity and Unselfishness, Kindness and Bravery.

Spelthorne Borough Council Leisure Services organises the event, receiving nominations from teachers, sports coaches, community groups, charities, and many others.

All the nominees received a goodie bag before the ceremony, including a certificate of achievement from the Mayor of Spelthorne. At least one person from each category was also selected to receive a STAR award, including a trophy and cash prize.

Julie said: “I was truly impressed by everything the young people had done. There were some extraordinary stories in all the categories, and I was particularly struck by those who were in the Triumph over Adversity, Unselfishness, Kindness and Bravery category, which I was lucky enough to be able to introduce.”

Joining the Countess of Wessex at Disability Initiative

A visit by Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex to Disability Initiative in Camberley on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities allowed Dr Llewelyn to present High Sheriff Awards to deserving staff.

Dr Llewelyn presented a certificate to the team as a special recognition of the outstanding services to disabled adults with complex physical disabilities or acquired brain injuries that they support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The team all worked together incredibly well. There was massive collaboration at all levels. It included valuable contributions from their patron and trustees to ensure that all the people they help to care for stayed well and out of the hospital.

The visit was tremendous fun for everyone and had a Christmas theme. Staff, volunteers and clients sang a specially composed song, made chocolate robins and Christmas wreaths and participated in a rather difficult Christmas Quiz.

High Sheriff visits the Royal Alexandra & Albert School

Dr Llewelyn spent an enjoyable morning at the Royal Alexandra & Albert School in Reigate, touring the school and its magnificent grounds and meeting the staff team, pupils and the interim executive head David Blow. She also joined a maths lesson!

During her school tour, the High Sheriff learned from pupils about the school’s diversity and inclusivity, and it is always easy to get help from a ‘peer support’ or teacher. They also loved the boarding houses’ homely feel and told her all about the hobbies or sports they enjoyed and their ambitions for when they leave school.

Then, Dr Llewelyn congratulated the school chefs on their reputation for producing excellent food and enjoyed a delicious tea with pupils in the magnificent Gatton Park House.

About 12% of the school’s boarding places are reserved for Foundationers – pupils part-funded or funded by the Royal Alexandra & Albert School Foundation, charities, trusts, benevolent funds and local education authorities. Foundationers may have lost parents, have a parent that’s chronically ill, or have been abandoned or abused, or a parent can no longer meet their needs.

Day of visits strengthen ties in Reigate and Banstead

The Mayor of Reigate and Banstead, Councillor Jill Bray, joined the High Sheriff for a day of visits to the YMCA East Surrey Sports and Community Centre in Redhill and the borough council’s Earlswood Depot.

YMCA East Surrey supports vulnerable children, young people and adults in housing and health and wellbeing and is one of the mayor’s chosen charities of the year.

A visit to the YMCA centre kickstarted the day. Dr Llewelyn met the team, including the chief executive Ian Burks and Judith Brooks, head of children and young people services. She visited the multi-sport and gym facilities and saw exercise classes in action.

YMCA Hillbrook House is nearby. It offers affordable accommodation for young people who do not have a permanent home, along with a lot of support and I was pleased to meet some of the tenants enjoying a training session. Some of this group had recently benefited from a grant from the High Sheriff’s Youth Awards, which had enabled them to climb Snowden. It was great to hear their positive stories about the experience.

Next, Dr Llewelyn visited Earlswood Depot, where she had a fascinating tour and congratulated the numerous teams. She was delighted to thank the entire waste collection and recycling team for their commitment during the pandemic and the green-spaces team for helping to maintain the highly used public areas at this time.

Dr Llewelyn was intrigued by the area where the borough’s refuse and recycling is collected before being sorted and the community recycling centre. Here, a wide variety of waste is collected and recycled, including through a shop which has raised over £2 million for good causes.