April 23 News - 1st month in office!
I have enjoyed an incredibly varied first month in office as High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, travelling to all parts of the county. Following my Declaration Service on 1st April at St Peter’s Church Berkhamsted, my first official engagement was a visit to Bhaktivedanta Manor in Watford for their Ramanavami Festival.
Dacorum Borough Council arranged an excellent day of visits including the almost completed Crematorium just outside Hemel Hempstead, The Old Theatre in Old Hemel, and Open Door Community Space & Café in Berkhamsted.
Briege and her colleagues welcomed me to the Herts Chamber of Commerce where we discussed possible company involvement in improving literacy, and I visited the University of Hertfordshire to discuss organising a symposium in the Autumn to develop my theme of ‘Reading, Writing and Rehabilitation’.
As well as attending a number of Mayoral Civic Services and Dinners, it was very special to attend BEM and Prince’s Trust award ceremonies, and to visit a number of charities. In the last week of April I visited three charities, and attended the Stephen Lawrence Day, a Coronation Tea Party at the Coptic Church in Stevenage and the Herts Schools Music Gala at the Royal Albert Hall.
Special thanks to Herts probation service for an eye-opening day of the caring and extensive work that they undertake, and to Herts Police and Herts Fire & Rescue Services for excellent visits – I had no idea that Herts police receive 1,500 x 999 or 101 calls every day, or the breadth and amount of community work that both services carry out in their local community.
