HOME START

Met two of the Home Start Surrey Trustees. The charity Home Start provides early help to families who are struggling with young children and thus  help prevent domestic crises. Across the County 400 (yes 400!) trained volunteers do amazing work helping each year some 800 families and 2,000 children. This early intervention will improve parenting which will in some cases help young people off a pathway which otherwise might end in exclusion from school and from society. Say thank you to these volunteers. 

 

 

Wellington Bomber

 

Monday was the opening of the new Brooklands Aircraft Factory and Flight Shed . The centrepiece of the new exhibition is the Loch Ness Wellington. That and many other exhibits are fascinating. Do visit and do thank the hundreds of volunteers who work at the Museum. All under the brilliant leadership of the Director Allan Winn. With great justification this new hangar is being named after him. 
 

Remembrance

 

Paraded, laid the first wreath and read a lesson at the Cranleigh Remembrance Service. A very large crowd inspite of the cold wind! The lesson from Micah has the wonderful words: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither  shall they learn war any more”. A very well organised event by the Royal British Legion. 

Volunteer Police cadets

 Attended the  Attestation of 63 new Volunteer Police Cadets (VPC) , aged 13 to 18 from three units,  as they paraded and wore their uniforms for the first time. I joined the Deputy Chief Constable in inspecting their serried ranks and was very impressed with their turnout. As were around 150 proud parents and families attending the event. Surrey Police began the VPC scheme a year ago and there are now six units across the County. These units are run by members of  the Police Force who voluntarily give their time. The national objective for the VPC scheme is to recruit at least 25% from disadvantaged backgrounds.  The scheme offers varied activities and opportunities to enhance the cadets’  interpersonal skills and confidence. The cadets I talked to were really enthusiastic.   I am in discussion with Surrey Police how the High Sheriff could play a role in the years ahead in promoting and celebrating this initiative which on today’s evidence is making a real difference to the lives of many young people in the County.  

 

FALLING POPPIES

Invited to join the very special occasion at County Hall of a Remembrance Service which culminated with  a Falling Poppy Display  projected onto the front of the offices.  Very dramatic and very poignant remembering every poppy is a casualty of War. I was privileged  to read the words after Reveille “When you go home, tell them of us and say: For your tomorrows, we gave our today”. 

 

Ashcombe School

David Blow the impressive long serving Head of Ashcombe School (1400+ pupils) in Dorking said to me on today’s visit “You can’t delete a child”. What a wonderful attitude  to creating a management approach for all his staff which puts the interest off every child first, whatever the challenges and whatever it takes with the commitment to keep the child on the school role and not to have to permanently  exclude. A great example of best practice.

 

 

Reigate Valley College

Reigate Valley College is another Pupil Referral Unit spread over five sites supporting children of all age groups who have been referred to the PRU by both primary and secondary schools.

I was particularly interested in the young people who come to the PRU at  KS 4 (GCSE years).  The children receive very personal support both to learn better behaviour

 as well as making academic progress. This Reigate  PRU is clearly successful because a typical cohort will stay the two year course and 95% will move onto college or apprenticeships. 

Watts Farewell

The Trustees and staff of the Watts Gallery said farewell and a huge thank you to Richard Ormond after his 37 years yes THIRTY SEVEN years of service to the Watts Gallery as Chairman of the Trustees. The Gallery is a very different place from 37 years ago and more particularly from 10 years ago. The place is transformed into “Watts Gallery Artist Village” and is now a “must visit” location in Surrey. Richard, who is a very distinguished art historian (the world expert on Singer Sargent) brought his deep knowledge, leadership and charm (and benefaction) to so successfully lead the Gallery to what it is today. It was privilege and pleasure to work with him. We wish all success to his worthy successor MaryAnne Stevens. 

 

 

Fordway Centre

Visited this Short Stay School (Pupil Referral Unit) in Ashford which caters for primary school pupils who are struggling to manage in mainstream schools. They work with pupils’ individual needs to improve behaviour for learning with the intention of returning them to a mainstream school. I have to say I was shocked and saddened at how young some of their pupils were  but gladdened by the commitment (and patience) of the wonderful staff I met. They are real heroes who are changing (before it is too late) for the better the life prospects of these young children. The key to success , as explained to me by David Euridge, who is the Executive Head teacher (and looks after three PRUs), is the collaboration with the primary schools to help their teachers learn more about behaviour management to both reduce exclusions  and to help re-entry for children from PRUs. 

 

 

SAFE DRIVE STAY ALIVE

600 young people sat in Dorking Halls yesterday morning to a “show” designed to change the way they drive and save young people’s lives from the disaster of road accidents. Films and personal speakers including parents who have lost a child, a child who has lost a parent and a permanently seriously casualty delivered extraordinary powerful messages of the brutal truth of the dangers on the road. It was all very emotive and engaging. Started in 2005, this month 12,000 young people from almost all the schools in Surrey will attend 19 performances. Evidence show that the number of drivers/passengers killed or seriously injured by a young driver/rider has fallen from 122 in 2004 to 72 in 2016. Congratulations to Russell Pearson and his staff at the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service for  so effectively delivering these life saving events. The High Sheriff Youth Awards is a committed supporter of these events.