Archive for category: Uncategorized

Attended  a Surrey Gypsy Traveller Communities Forum at Ash Manor school in Ash (Head Teacher the wonderfully Scottish Agnes Bailey). This school has the highest number of Gypsy Roma Travellers children in the County: around  1 in 8 of the   pupils. An inspiring talk from Jo Luhman who recently left Ash Manor school after 18 years and is now Head of Kings International School in Camberley. She described the journey from when teachers didn’t bother with GRT pupils because they “had low expectations” to now when all children in the school are fully integrated and engaged in school life. The key has been trust between pupils and staff and between staff and parents. Such dialogues being encouraged by a restorative approach and a vocational agenda for learning not driven by academic results’ tables. 

Very beneficial for GRT pupils but the interventions and school culture are also essentially the same for supporting any children who for example are at risk of exclusion. 

Joined in the Inspection of  the Parade of Police Officers being promoted to Independent Patrol Status. A great ceremony in front of Loseley House with a military band and very proud families in attendance. The Parade was followed by a proper English Afternoon Tea. 

The charity Eikon (see previous blogs) held a reception @ 11 Downing Street last evening. Eikon are based in Philip Hammond’s constituency and the Chancellor did attend for part of the event and spoke. A great celebration of the work of Eikon with personal stories from two young people whose lives Eikon have transformed.

Surrey is blessed with thousands of volunteers working unsung in thousand of charities across the County.  This evening I attended a reception for the Nominees for the Queen’s Awards for Voluntary Service.  There were volunteers from 13 charities presenting the wonderful work they do. It was a privilege to meet them all. My photograph is of the Swingbridge Project funded through the Surrey Care Trust which is supported by the High Sheriff Youth Awards. We hope all thirteen charities’ nominations are successful. 

Invited to the Send and Ripley History Society by Clare McCann the Curator to open an exhibition (Send Inside Out) in their Museum. The artwork was by seven inmate artists of Send Prison who had been in the art workshops in the prison delivered by the Watts Gallery. This was a sequel to the Our Time exhibition in the prison last June involving many of the same artists. This programme is generously funded by the Michael Varah Memorial Fund. It was an honour to speak at the ceremony at Ripley Museum and to be able to recognise the therapeutic power of art for those in prison.