The Mission & Vision of Charlie’s Promise

The High Sheriff met the founders of ‘Charlies Promise’ to find out more about their fight against the rising issue of knife crime in the UK and to help them raise awareness of the dangers of both carrying and using a knife.

CEO & Founder, Martin Cosser said of the visit, “We at ‘Charlie’s Promise’ were privileged to have the opportunity to meet The High Sheriff of Surrey – Shahid Azeem DL, and the Mayor of Farnham – Councillor Brodie Mauluka who is also supporting our Charity this year.  Shahid took the time to listen to our tragic story about the unnecessary loss of our beautiful son Charlie and the work we’ve been doing in the Home Counties to educate young people about the dangers and immeasurable impacts of knife crime. He pledged to help us as much as he can in raising awareness and profile, which will enable us to grow and fulfil our Charity Objectives.“

Charlie’s family and friends have created a website to educate people on the consequences of carrying knives and also offer support to families of victims of knife crime. (https://www.charliespromise.org)

Whilst Charlie was on life support, his Dad Martin made the most important promise of his life. He whispered in Charlie’s ear and promised him he would make it his life’s work to do everything he can to raise awareness of knife crime and the immeasurable damage it causes to the victim and their family and friends. 

If it can happen to Charlie, a young lad who didn’t like arguments and avoided trouble – he preferred silly dancing and making people laugh – it can happen to anyone.  

The High Sheriff said of the visit, “This is one visit that I wish was not necessary because no parent should ever lose a child to something as senseless as knife crime. It was extremely sad and emotional to learn how a teenager Like Charlie who goes to a party, never came back home to his family. There can nothing in life that is worse than having to bury your child. I urge people to visit the ‘Charlies Promise’ website and make themselves aware of the dangers of carrying knives and help Martin fulfil his promise to his son by educating their children. If you can support by fundraising too please do and I applaud the work done by Charlie’s brave family and friends so that other people do not have to endure the pain they have gone through. I too believe we are stronger together – when we work together we can achieve so much more.“

The Surrey Lord-Lieutenant Awards at Sandhurst.

On Thursday 17th October the High Sheriff attended the Surrey Lord-Lieutenant Awards Ceremony at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

The Lord-Lieutenant awarded Seven Meritorious Service Certificates from across all three Services and one Best Reservist Award. Also during the evening, seven new Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadets were appointed for 2024-25.

#surreylieutenancy #highsheriffofsurrey #RoyalMilitaryAcademySandhurst #surreycadets

BEM Honours for Surrey Residents.

The High Sheriff was in attendance at HMK Birthday Honours British Empire Medal Investitures, held at Loseley House in Guildford recently, hosted by The Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey – Michael More-Molyneux, who presented awards to six Surrey residents. He was joined by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant, Mrs Mary Creswell who read the citations.

The recipients were – Mr Selwyn Boothe – For services to Education, Mr Eric Champion – For services to the Riverside Arts Centre and to Culture in Spelthorne, Mrs Lynda Jones – For Voluntary Service to the British Red Cross, Mrs Rachael Lake – For services to the community in Walton on Thames, Surrey (NY Honours), Mr Lucas Maxwell – For services to Education and Dr Christian Wilcock – For services to the NHS and to the community in the London Borough of Croydon.

The High Sheriff – Mr Shahid Azeem DL, is pictured with Woking resident – Mrs Lynda Jones BEM and her guests who continues to give a lifetime of voluntary service, supporting the older and most vulnerable local people in the Woking area. A volunteer with the British Red Cross for over 60 years, she has supported the Red Cross by fund raising, undertaking ambulance duties on NHS work, first aid duties at local events and working in local hospitals.

Read more about Honours in Surrey on the Surrey Lieutenancy website HERE.

The Award Presentation at Losley house by HM Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey
The High Sheriff of Surrey – Mr Shahid Azeem DL with Mrs Lynda Jones BEM and guests.

FareShare Sussex & Surrey – No Good Food Should Go To Waste!

FareShare Sussex & Surrey were thrilled to host the High Sheriff of Surrey at their Guildford Depot on a recent visit. The visit was an opportunity to share the work of FareShare to redistribute food waste from all parts of the food industry to a network of 140 charities and community groups. These savings enable charities to invest precious funds into other key areas of work whilst receiving varied, quality food each week.

The High Sheriff said of his visit “The issue of food waste is one of my key focus areas during my term as High Sheriff and I was very impressed and encourgaged  by the operation at FareShare Sussex and Surrey. On a national level FareShare have redistributed 56,000 tonnes of food during 2023-24, helping around one million people as well as the environment. It is great to see such charities thriving and changing the way we think food wise in order to help combat hunger and improve the health of the planet for future generations.”

FareShare is the UK’s longest running food redistribution charity. They were born out of the belief that no good food should go to waste, especially when people are going hungry. This belief is as central to their work now as it was 25 years ago.

Also in the picture are Claire Hopkins and Andrew Osbourne from Surrey Charity – “Surplus to Supper’, another organisation with a common interest in food redistribution.

For more information about FareShare go to; https://fareshare.org.uk

Acknowledging the work done by ‘York Road Project’ on World Homeless Day.

The High Sheriff attended the open morning at ‘York Road Project’ resource centre this week. The charity, based in Woking exists to help people get off the streets, overcome housing challenges, and settle into a place they can call home. The event held on World Homeless Day was also attended by Will Forster MP.

The High Sheriff – Shahid Azeem DL said, “Woking is a town that works hard to support people with nowhere to live. I attended the open morning to catch up on what they have been doing and help raise awareness on the issues that face homeless people, especially as the temperatures start to drop. Contrary to popular belief it really can happen to anyone and the current economic situation has meant that organisations like York Road Project really do have their work cut out for them. Well done to Cherisse Dealtry and her team for the important work they do in the town.” 

Cherisse said “We were honoured to have the High Sheriff of Surrey, Shahid Azeem DL, at our event, acknowledging the vital role we play in helping those facing homelessness.”

To find out more or donate please visit;  https://yorkroadproject.org.uk

Photos supplied by ‘York Road Project’

Observing Surrey Police Officers at Work and the Challenges they Face – a Real Eye Opener.

I had the opportunity to spend time with Surrey Police, offering a firsthand look at the challenges and responsibilities they manage daily. Upon my arrival, I was met by Inspector Kayleigh Naismith, alongside Police Sergeants Pilkington and Clement. The evening began with a tour of the Custody Suite, where I was briefed on current staffing challenges as there were staff shortages for the shift.  This shortage highlighted the strain on resources, particularly in such critical areas of the police service.

I was then shown the CCTV operations for Guildford, where it was evident that several cameras required repair or replacement. These cameras fall under the jurisdiction of Surrey County Council, and their maintenance is crucial for public safety and effective policing. After signing the necessary waivers, I joined PC Bailie (age 22) and PC Vallance (age 21) for a ride-along to observe the policing of Guildford’s nightlife.

As we left the station, the officers received a call about an individual threatening to jump from a multi-storey car park in the town centre. We quickly arrived at the scene, where PC Dobie (age 19, though exuding the confidence and demeanour of a much older officer) had already engaged the individual, who was perched dangerously on a ledge. After approximately 40 minutes of tense negotiation, PC Vallance was able to bring the individual to safety with a swift and controlled move. Her composure, combined with the support of PC Bailie and PC Dobie, was impressive, as they restrained the individual and brought them under control.

After securing the situation, the officers were joined by PC Woodcock. Over the next 30 minutes, the police coordinated with their back-office to section the individual under the Mental Health Act. However, they encountered difficulties securing a bed in a specialist mental health facility, so the decision was made to transport the individual to a local Hospital. During this time, four officers were tied up managing this one incident, which shed light on the strain these kinds of emergencies place on police resources.

At the hospital, I observed the burden such incidents also place on the healthcare system. After several hours, the officers were relieved by colleagues, allowing them to return to the station to complete their reports before ending their shift.

This experience was a real eye-opener. The professionalism, emotional control, and competence of these young officers in such a potentially traumatic situation was remarkable. Despite the wider public concerns about police visibility and availability, the officers I observed were a credit to their uniform, handling a difficult situation with care and composure. It also gave me a greater understanding of the immense challenges police face daily. This experience has deepened my respect for the police force, despite the occasional criticisms they may receive.

Well-deserved award for Guildford Crown Court

The High Sheriff paid tribute to the entire team at Guildford Crown Court for their incredible hard work and dedication throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

The team kept the courts open despite the challenges brought about by the situation and adapted swiftly to online working.

Dr Llewelyn presented the team with a High Sheriff Award for the great job they did and for their positive attitude and determination to keep the criminal justice system running in Surrey.

Dr Llewelyn said: “I can think of no better way to spend her last full day as High Sheriff than recognising the outstanding team at Guildford Crown Court.”

Fascinating tour of Surrey’s new Eco Park

Gareth Swain from SUEZ recycling and recovery Surrey and Cllr Natalie Bramwell from Surrey County Council gave the High Sheriff a fascinating tour of the Eco Park site in Shepperton.

The site processes waste from Surrey households and local businesses. As well as creating fuels to generate energy for the national grid (after powering itself), Eco Park will also turn food waste into fertiliser for farming.

Dr Llewelyn met some of the 120 staff at Eco Park and learned about progress, including the gasifier and anaerobic digestion (AD) plant testing and the latest landscaping works. She also visited the reuse shop – a recycling centre for residents to bring items for reuse and refurbishment.

The gasifier Converts general waste into energy. During the combustion process, gases are cleaned up in stages before being released into the air through a chimney after meeting strict environmental standards.

The Eco Park AD facility uses microorganisms to break down food waste. The process produces biogas to generate electricity and digestate, an organic material used as fertiliser on farmland.

Warm welcome from Wey Valley College

The High Sheriff’s visit to Wey Valley College (WVC) provided insight into their work to support young primary and secondary students referred from mainstream schools.

Wey Valley College’s director of education, Amy Smith, and head Oliver May hosted the visit, and a very helpful and impressive student showed Dr Llewelyn around. Dr Llewelyn spent time in the primary and secondary units and saw various teaching sessions, including art and crafts and physics.

All three schools are part of Inclusive Education Trust, a multi-academy trust in Surrey. They provide a bespoke education for 5 to 16-year-olds struggling with a personal crisis or needing help with their behavior and are at risk of exclusion from mainstream schooling.

Dr Llewelyn was impressed by the commitment and passion of the staff who care and support students who need help and the excellent overall support provided by WVC.

She said: “I also heard that the teachers have ‘better ears’ because they listen and understand, which I thought was a great compliment.

Six young people graduate from empowering programme

Six young people who have graduated from Big Leaf Foundation’s new Young Leaders programme received their certificates from the High Sheriff today.

The event took place at the Court of the Future in the University of Surrey’s School of Law. Dr Llewelyn individually thanked the students for their commitment to the programme and congratulated them on their tremendous achievements.

Big Leaf Foundation’s Young Leaders programme is an eight-week course for displaced young people from 16 to 25-years-old to come together and learn about leadership, how to create change and support others.

The programme was developed with Big Leaf partners School of Law, We Belong, Jamie’s Farm and Hope for the Young. It builds confidence and knowledge, helping participants explore identity, advocacy, leadership, and legal rights, so they feel more empowered.

Big Leaf gave every graduate a special commendation based on their participation and individual strengths.

Dr Llewelyn said: “These young people showed their talents, abilities and strengths, including great presentation skills, determination and language skills, which will help them to move forward and achieve all that they want to in life.”

Read about Big Leaf Foundation.