The Royal British Legion have an impressive set of ‘Silent Silhouettes’ which allow everyone to say Thank You to ‘all who served, sacrificed and changed our world’ 100 years ago. We chose the RAF/RFC Airman and the Suffragette, but there are many others. Please help this appeal in whatever way you can – thank you!
Guildford Cathedral was the scene this afternoon for the Provincial Grand Lodge Of Surrey annual Service of Thanksgiving, under Provincial Grand Master, Ian Chandler (below). The many Civic Dignitaries were led by Deputy Lieutenant, Paul Ryder.
One secret from recent fundraising efforts – Ian is now also Provincial Grand Master Chef! (so bookings may now be a problem)
An ideal opportunity for us to say ‘thank you’ on behalf of our county for the very significant contributions made by all members of the Provincial Grand Lodge Of Surrey to our local community.
Perfect weather for the SCT 5 Peaks Hikeathon, and we were able to complete our 13 miles half hikeathon (but only with the active encouragement of SCT Chair, Sir Denis O’Connor, and his family over the last few miles!) The beautiful Surrey scenery between Bramley and Abinger Hammer (via St Martha’s Church and Newlands Corner) was a real pleasure and reminded us all just how lucky we are to live in this terrific county. All proceeds raised go to the charity thanks to the continued sponsorship of Broanmain Plastics – a much appreciated contribution to our community.
Denis joined us to record our triumph with Elaine Tisdall, CEO (who was not able to join the walk itself because of the organisation required – apparently!), and we all had great respect for the two-thirds of all walkers, who were not happy with a ‘half’ and went on to complete the full 36 miles! Well done to all of the staff, trustees and volunteers who made it all possible – great way to raise funds, even if it is exhausting!
My theme for the year has been given a substantial boost, thanks to advice and guidance from David Blow (Head at Ashcombe School, left), Ben Bartlett (Head at Hinchley Wood School, right) and Lady Louise O’Connor during a highly productive informal session this morning.
As I approach the end of the first half of my Shrieval year, it was important to establish exactly what additional activities may now take place to help further highlight this important, and very complex issue (without me getting in the way!) The expert advice received was greatly appreciated, and will help create the foundation for the second half of my year – watch this space!!
The Women’s Support Centre (well done Karen, Camilla, Donna and all the staff!) and the Trustees of the Lightbox, Woking, combined forces once again to present this thought-provoking exhibition, ‘Hear My Voice’. This awards scheme inspires women whose lives have been impacted by the Criminal Justice System to express themselves, very powerfully, through art. ‘Women In Prison’ Chair of Trustees, Yvonne Roberts and CEO, Kate Paradine, welcomed a packed audience to the Lightbox, including many of the participants in the renowned ‘Sliding Doors’ programme, who also contributed the ‘Red Bus’ work in the exhibition (must be seen!) The Mayor and Mayoress of Woking, Will and Hannah, are giving their full support to this impactful project, together with WBC – CEO, Ray Morgan, and ensured that many of their Mayoral friends from across Surrey were also on the guest list to spread the word!(see below).
The exhibition can be seen until 14 October, when it moves to Horley Library, then Caterham Valley Library, Farnham Maltings, Cranleigh Arts Centre and finally Epsom Library next February – so opportunities for all in Surrey to see the great work.
A full Council Chamber at the Spelthorne Borough Council Offices in Knowle Green this morning for the successful launch of this critically important initiative. Following a small scale trial in Sunbury, SBC have decided to roll the project out in both the South and, today, the North of the Borough. Led by Janette Breese (centre – Manager of Stanwell Children’s Centre) and Sue Burgess (my right, Manager of Clarendon Children’s Centre), supported by Alexis Hynds (my left, SBC) and Chair for the day, Cllr Richard Walsh (left), the launch allowed the 50 attendees from all areas of expertise, professionalism and sections of the community to share thoughts and identify areas of specialism. Mayor, Jean Pilkington (centre), was keen to express her full support for this project, and all present agreed that with so much enthusiasm and professional talent amongst the participants in the room, the partnership is certainly off to a great start!
Forward Trust celebrated their first birthday as ‘Forward’ (following the merger of RAPt and Blue Sky) at an event in HMP Downview, where the prisoner’s charity began in 1992. Talking with Mike Trace, CEO; David Bernstein, Chair of Trustees; Revd John Wates, Trustee; and Frank Quinn, the first ever graduate of the RAPt 12 Steps Programme of drug and alcohol recovery (and a very powerful speaker indeed), I was left in no doubt that this charity is achieving real results by supporting individuals to make their own decisions to change. They have the added bonus of this set of researched results to prove it! But what about these few selected statistics regarding the users of Forward Trust services, taken from many in the report;
On average, each person has 22 previous convictions
1 in 10 are women offenders who often have complex needs and have experienced trauma
Over half left school before 16
63% are parents, and of those 84% don’t live with their children
1 in 3 have mental problems
Over 50% of prisoners have a history of drug or alcohol problems
50% REPORT THAT THEY WILL BE HOMELESS ON RELEASE
75% OF PRISONERS ARE RELEASED WITHOUT A JOB TO GO TO
PLEASE HELP IN WHATEVER WAYS YOU CAN
Another very enjoyable Citizenship Ceremony, with the typically British subject of volunteering in the local community the centre of discussions amongst the twenty five new citizens following the formalities. The Ceremony was led by Tanya, Deputy Superintendent Registrar;
My thanks to Rob Morello, FIS Manager at SCC, for demonstrating this extraordinarily helpful on-line Directory. This fits well with supporting young people who are in danger of being excluded from school because of disruptive behaviour, or who face other difficulties. Whether a parent or a teacher, just go to the SCC website, then to FIS and you reach this simple page;
Press ‘Directory’ and then add in your own keyword (eg Special Needs Support) and location (home, school, district etc), to receive a detailed list of all options available. I am very grateful to Joe Crome, Community Foundation for Surrey, who is working with Rob and his dedicated team to ensure that all relevant charities and organisations are featured in the directory. Rob and his team of advisors sweep the information on a rolling programme throughout the year to ensure that it is up to date and accurate, although active review by the organisations themselves is also encouraged, particularly as they add new services or develop increased capacity. As Rob emphasises, the more this facility is used, the better it will become!
The beautiful All Saints’ Church in Warlingham was the scene this afternoon for the celebration of David and Pam’s year in office. Throughout it’s near 800 year history, the church will rarely have seen a more enthusiastic crowd of guests, with the many fellow Mayors, Deputy Mayors, friends and the local community all relishing every moment of Revd Michelle Edmonds’s (left) enjoyable service. The weather was perfectly behaved, as can be seen by the photo showing the civic dignitaries, led by Deputy Lieutenant, Col Tony Guthrie (left), congratulating David and Pam, centre stage!
