The High Sheriff of Hampshire 2018/19 Mark Thistlethwayte has announced the 21 recipients receiving commendations for their great work in the community in the field of law and order related projects. The High Sheriff Community Awards are a mark of distinction and recognition given to Hampshire based volunteers, groups and public servants making a significant contribution to society through enhancing safety and cohesion in our communities.
The successful individuals and groups regularly go beyond the ‘call of duty’ in their everyday work activities and deserve special recognition for their commitment. The awards were presented on the evening of 20th March 2019 at a ceremony held in the Great Hall in Winchester with 200 people in attendance.
The individuals and groups receiving special recognition for their work are as follows:
- Police Constable Andrew Reid
- Pompey in the Community ‘Pompey Restore’ Delivery Team
- Active Communities Network (ACN)
- Carolyn Exley, Portsmouth Abuse and Rape Counselling Service (PARCS)
- Citizens Advice Winchester District’s Court Desk Volunteer Team
- Emmaus Hampshire
- Gillian Finch, CIS’ters
- HMP/YOI Winchester Employment Academy & Partners
- Jib Belbase – Greater Rushmoor Nepali Community (GRNC)
- Jo Hill, Havant Probation Officer
- Kirsty Robertson, Motiv8
- Lucy Kay, Stalking Service Manager, Aurora New Dawn
- Portsmouth High School, Cyber Ambassadors
- RAM Kalyan “Kelly”, Unity 101 Community Radio
- Trinity Winchester
- Portsmouth Street Pastors
- Saints Foundation (Saints4Sport Programme)
- Winchester Youth Counselling
- Volunteer Police Cadets – Hedge End Unit
- Y Services for Young People
- Kevin Saunders and Zak, Hampshire Search & Rescue Dogs
The High Sheriff, Mark Thistlethwayte commented: “It has been truly inspiring during my year in office to see first-hand the outstanding and meaningful work carried out by these unsung heroes who help those less fortunate across our county. I am delighted to be able to give special recognition for their hard work and achievements in keeping our communities safe and thriving in support of vulnerable people in our area.”
The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) works in partnership with the High Sheriff of Hampshire to administer the Community Awards, and Grant Cornwell MBE, Chief Executive of HIWCF commented “We are delighted to support the High Sheriff Awards which uphold the values implemented by the Foundation across our communities in support of those less fortunate. We congratulate each of the 21 recipients for their well-deserved awards, and for their hard work and dedication in making Hampshire a better and safer place to live”.
More information about each of the 21 High Sheriff Community Award recipients:
Basingstoke:
Police Constable Andrew Reid
PC Reid is a Rural Beat Constable in Basingstoke and has been specifically responsible for Upton Grey, including Mapledurwell, Up Nately, Greywell, Herriard and the Candovers since 2004. He is an approachable and visible policeman and is well known to many in his community, and as a result the community has become his ‘eyes and ears’ with any opportunists reported within minutes to the benefit of the community. PC Reid works very closely with the farming community in an attempt to stem the constant trespassing, poaching and theft of high value farm machinery and equipment – his presence and commitment has undoubtedly saved the rural area many thousands of pounds.
Eastleigh/Hampshire:
Gillian Finch, CIS’ters
CIS’ters was founded by Gillian Finch in September 1995 to provide self-help support for women who were sexually abused as female children by a member of their immediate or extended family. Gillian has worked tirelessly and determinedly to provide support and services for women seeking to deal with the impact of what they have experienced. On behalf of CISters she campaigns to raise awareness amongst professionals and the public both locally and nationally of childhood sexual abuse and its impact on victims and the need to improve resources and services. CISters currently has over 400 members and operates with a small team of volunteers to run workshops, training, conferences, a peer support group and provision of information and Advocacy. Gillian accepted the personal award but also wanted the dedication and commitment of CISters small workforce to be acknowledged and the courage of the survivors who contact CISters, and other organisations.
Gosport:
Kirsty Robertson, Motiv8
Kirsty has dedicated more than 15 years to giving young people life chances. Alongside her team at Motiv8 she has created a safe, welcoming and non-judgemental place where vulnerable young people can come for support, advice, guidance and a person to trust. Kirsty has supported more than 2,000 local young people to believe in themselves, to make better choices and to be resilient. She never turns a young person away and her amazing attitude and commitment has seen some impressive successes. Many of the young people that she has supported remain in contact and make positive steps within their lives.
Havant:
Jo Hill, Havant Probation Officer
Jo Hill has worked for the National Probation Service for over 25 years, in 2005 becoming a Breach Prosecution Officer working in Court prosecuting offenders for not complying with the requirements of Court Orders. More recently, Jo has moved into a role assessing and assuring the quality of breach cases referred to the Courts. Jo was always fair and proportionate with Defence Solicitors and unrepresented service users alike, which not only contributed to the efficient disposal of proceedings but also reflected positively on the organisation. Jo sees the footprint of an effective enforcement process across the entire offender journey and the positive impact it can have on victims and public protection generally.
Portsmouth:
Pompey In The Community ‘Pompey Restore’ Delivery Team
Hooligans at football matches are usually mandatorily prosecuted. At Portsmouth FC v Oldham FC in September 2017, 37 arrests were made, 32 of which were 12-17 year olds with no previous dealings with the Police. ‘Pompey in the Community’ have worked closely with Hampshire Police to design a project to mentor the youngsters through a volunteering and education programme. Each participant received a Community Agreement and if they had the support of a parent or carer, attended workshops and volunteered with ‘Pompey in the Community’, they would receive their Season Ticket back rather than starting life with a criminal record. The programme was implemented by Football Policeman PC Stuart Dickerson, Stadium Manager Marie Stedman and Mentor Paul Morrison. Of the 32 young men on the programme, 17 have now received their season tickets back and have a clean slate with no recorded police issues. To prosecute first time offenders costs an average of £8,000 and this project has therefore saved the local economy over £250,000 and other constabularies are now trialling this restorative approach.
Carolyn Exley, Portsmouth Abuse and Rape Counselling Service (PARCS)
PARCS works with communities in Portsmouth and South East Hampshire to provide specialist support and counselling for survivors of sexual abuse of all ages. The charity also runs a community based education programme aimed at raising awareness of the causes and consequences of sexual abuse, encouraging everyone to play a part in bringing about its end. Carolyn originally volunteered for 12 years with PARCS from the beginning, training volunteers and providing counselling for victims and survivors needing help. She championed the importance of Rape Crisis Centres at a time when the needs of victims were overlooked, funding was non-existent and victims who risked coming forward faced blame, shame and disbelief. Carolyn is now a trustee for PARCS and continues to go above and beyond her role, actively recruiting counselling staff, supporting the development of volunteers and raising the profile of PARCS to encourage greater understanding of the needs of survivors and the part that everyone can play in ending abuse.
Portsmouth High School, Cyber Ambassadors
Portsmouth High School has been part of a pilot scheme to promote online security, led by the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Youth Commission. The Commission, set up by the Hampshire Police & Crime Commissioner helps young people be part of the solution to tackling crime and improving policing. The main aim of the scheme is to skill-up pupils on key online safety issues and establish them as Cyber Ambassadors. These pupils then pass on their learning to offer helpful support to their peers.
Portsmouth Street Pastors
Portsmouth Street Pastors put trained, uniformed DBS cleared volunteers onto the Streets of Portsmouth, to patrol in areas that the Police have advised are high risk between the hours of 10.30-3.30am at weekends. The Street Pastors offer reassurance, safety and support through caring, listening and helping. They are also available to offer practical help, spending time safeguarding intoxicated people, handing out flip flops to those with bare feet, picking up bottles and broken glass, ensuring vulnerable people get home safely and calming potentially aggressive situations. They are equipped with radio to communicate with Police, Door Safe Staff, CCTV and Paramedics and each volunteer has over 45 hours of training before they join a patrol. Street Pastor training is carried out regionally and it costs Portsmouth Street Pastors approximately £350 to train and equip one volunteer, and on average 9 new Street Pastors are trained and equipped each year.
Lucy Kay, Stalking Service Manager, Aurora New Dawn
Lucy has been working with Aurora clients for seven years, initially working with victims of domestic abuse at risk of serious harm or murder, and has been instrumental in changing the landscape of support for stalking victims in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Lucy was the Independent Stalking Advocate for the Hampshire clinic until 2018, during this time the Clinic received many accolades nationally including being held up as best practice by the UK Consultation on Stalking Services and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, with the advocacy undergone with victims recommended to be a gold standard model. Lucy is currently the Stalking Service Manager for Aurora and leads for Hampshire in a national project alongside the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, the Met Police and Cheshire Constabulary. Lucy’s focus ensures that victims remain at the centre of everything she does when dealing with these horrific crimes.
Portsmouth/Havant:
Active Communities Network (ACN)
ACN work in partnership with both Havant and Portsmouth police neighbourhood teams, utilising a proven referral process where young persons at risk of exploitation and criminality are offered tailored help to reduce their vulnerability. The group have worked with over 3,000 people through weekly engagement in 2018 alone. ACN is committed to helping to tackle high harm issues such as County Lines drug supply, child sexual exploitation and criminal exploitation, and has co-ordinated training for various partner agencies, community groups and families. Training has also been provided for 350 professionals, covering a range of issues including safeguarding training and practical advice. Workshops were also provided to over 800 young people within schools and vulnerable places throughout Portsmouth and Havant. The team are able to provide insight and context to police and partners, ensuring that appropriate intervention action can be taken to help young people and their families.
Rushmoor:
Jib Belbase – Greater Rushmoor Nepali Community (GRNC)
Jib Belbase is President of the Greater Rushmoor Nepali Community and has shown great leadership to unite the different Nepali communities in the area. He has aided community cohesion in Rushmoor, creating strong working partnerships with many groups including the Police and Fire Service. This is key for Nepali residents when dealing with crime, particularly for race hate crime and Nepali targeted gold burglaries. GRNC also work with Rushmoor Borough Council to co-ordinate an Information Day where vulnerable members of the community can access local services effectively, including Police, Citizens Advice, Local Authorities and mental health services, to provide better outcomes for all parties.
Southampton:
Kevin Saunders and Zak, Hampshire Search & Rescue Dogs
Kevin is a Special Constable and Search and Rescue Dog Handler and has devoted thousands of hours to developing police and volunteer search and rescue initiatives directly increasing the success of finding vulnerable missing people. Kevin leads and rigorously trains a team of over 20 Special Constable Volunteers, coordinating 24/7 availability with over 250 personal deployments to date. He responds in all weathers and all times of day and night whilst also working full time. Through his unstinting dedication he has directly contributed to saving countless lives. Kevin and his search dog Zak travel around Hampshire and the Isle of Wight as ambassadors for voluntary service, visiting schools and scout, guide and military cadet groups to raise awareness and showcase voluntary work within communities.
RAM Kalyan “Kelly”, Unity 101 Community Radio
Unity 101 Community Radio is the South’s leading Asian and ethic community radio station, operating from Southampton. It is staffed by volunteers who broadcast radio programmes for Southampton’s diverse and wider communities. As well as enriching communities with informative, educational and entertaining radio content, Kelly works tirelessly with local residents to help improve their lives and their local area. Statistically the area has higher levels of smoking, alcohol-related deaths and obesity than the rest of Southampton and is plagued with fly-tipping and a general lack of care. Kelly created the city’s first every Derby Run in August 2018 which was a community fun run to tackle these issues and it was so successful that a second event took place a few months later, with over 1,000 residents taking part. Kelly works very closely with local people, paying attention to their issues and working with them to address them and has built so many positive relationships across different communities, – faiths, ethnic groups, cultures, police and residents – which has massively strengthened cohesion in the area.
Saints Foundation (Saints4Sport Programme)
Saints Foundation work on the Saints4Sport programme in Southampton, with partner Society of St James, working with over 400 adults every year. Participants are referred to the programme due to issues with substance misuse, homelessness and criminality and 37% of participants were referred because of their involvement with the criminal justice system. The programme allows them to take part in an array of activities from golf to mountain biking, enabling them to gain skills such as confidence building and team work. 96% of participants reported that their emotional wellbeing improved after attending the programme.
Volunteer Police Cadets – Hedge End Unit
The Hedge End Cadets meet weekly at Wildern School, and one of their main priorities has been preventing theft from motor vehicles. The Cadets have been liaising with local Neighbourhood Police Sergeants and have successfully conducted door-to-door crime prevention and community engagement, targeting the owners of insecure vehicles to help prevent them becoming victims of crime. The Cadets have also been signing people up to Hampshire Alert, a method of communication used by Hampshire Constabulary, to help spread the message about theft from motor vehicle related offences within the Hedge End area, and there has been a big decrease in theft from vehicles and anti-social behaviour due to the increase of police presence and education by Police Cadets.
Waterlooville
Y Services for Young People
Young people today are facing increased challenges and pressures and Y Services’ staff and projects provide opportunities to support them, helping them to stay safe, be healthy and make a positive contribution. The organisation provides drop in youth work sessions, targeted programmes such as mentoring and small group work which can focus on issues such as Child Sexual Exploitation, and health and wellbeing including sports programmes. Specialist support is delivered to LGBT and young people through group or one-to-one activities. Young people attending youth club sessions can also work on various accredited programmes to enhance their skills and personal development, including drugs and alcohol awareness, young worker training and life skills programmes. Y Services provides a safe and supportive environment where young people can have fun, learn life skills and receive the support they need from positive role models.
Winchester
Citizens Advice Winchester District’s Court Desk Volunteer Team
The Court Desk service provides valuable support to people facing the prospect of losing their home which is an extremely overwhelming experience for someone who is already in crisis. The court team consists of three volunteers Sara, Malcolm and Juliet who attend court hearings for housing possession cases offering support to the individuals involved. Without the service, many vulnerable people would be made homeless and their lives would spiral even further out of control. Last year, the court volunteers engaged with 19 new clients attending a hearing and subsequently helped them with 173 different issues, as a result helping to negotiate payment plans totalling £27,000 and secured income gains for these clients in the region of £4,400. Sadly the Court Desk Volunteer Team will come to an end this month due to funding changes and so it seems very fitting to recognise their work at this time.
HMP/YOI Winchester Employment Academy & Partners
A fundamental part of helping reduce reoffending rates is in supporting offenders coming out of prison and back into our community, helping them to sustain themselves through finding work. Winchester Prison’s ‘Reducing Reoffending’ function, the prison kitchen team, Milton Keynes College’s Education & Employment Academies teams and Premier Inn and Upham Breweries have been working in partnership, securing employment for 44 ex-offenders since the academy began. The team begin supporting offenders in the prison who have an interest in and aptitude for working in the hospitality industry. While working in the busy prison kitchen, they have the opportunity to cook meals to Premier Inn menu specifications, improve their knowledge of the hospitality industry and complete mock interviews with Premier Inn and Upham Breweries Managers who will offer job opportunities at their hotels and pubs if they are successful. Committed prison and Milton Keynes College staff ensure that strong partnership links are fostered throughout and this results in outstanding employment outcomes, while recognising the potential of the offenders on the programme is very likely to contribute to a reduction in reoffending.
Trinity Winchester
For over 32 years, Trinity Winchester has supported people who are homeless and vulnerably housed, including rough sleepers, ex-care leavers and victims of domestic abuse. For the last 10 years it has run Bradbury House, a purpose built day centre, offering nourishing hot meals, showers, laundry facilities, healthcare and a range of group and one-to-one counselling. Trinity’s learning programmes help people move into employment and offer emergency beds in severe weather. Last year Trinity supported 567 people with Trinity’s Women’s Service empowering 204 women to escape domestic abuse and rebuild their confidence and resilience. Trinity has a small core staff supported by over 80 volunteers who cook meals, organise food collections, run job-clubs, mentor clients, help with literacy, numeracy and IT and fundraising, providing invaluable support to homeless people.
Winchester Youth Counselling
Winchester Youth Counselling provides free counselling, walk and talk therapy and nature therapy sessions to young people aged 11-25 who live in the district of Winchester. Volunteers give up their time to help young people with a range of mental health issues, to help keep them safe and protected from harm. Walk and talk therapy sessions help those affected by issues of trauma to feel safe and listened to, while nature therapy sessions are run in conjunction with the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. Young people learn new ways of coping with issues relating to drugs and alcohol and how to stay safe from abuse and self-harm, with staff and volunteers helping over 2,000 young people.
Winchester/Southampton
Emmaus Hampshire
Emmaus Hampshire supports homeless people (known as companions) through social enterprise, to generate money that pays for a home, food, upkeep and personal development, as well as providing a small weekly allowance. Management, volunteers and companions at Emmaus Hampshire have supported 32 homeless people in the last year, 6 of whom have been supported back into an independent and sustainable life with new jobs and homes. The team have also opened and fully funded 3 new studio flats, opened a donations recycling store in Southampton offering work experience for companions and recycled 96% of furniture and home-wares donated during the year. Emmaus Hampshire are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, with plans underway to build a further 8 flats in 2020.
Photographs are available for each group on request, please email lucy@hiwcf.com
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NOTES TO EDITORS
The Office of the High Sheriff
The High Sheriff is one of the oldest Crown Offices, dating back to before the Battle of Hastings. As part of their role, the Sheriff grants awards to volunteers within the community and organisations from the voluntary sector, who are deserving of special recognition for their good work. For more information, contact office@hampshirehighsheriff.org.uk
About Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation
Registered Charity No: 1100417
HIWCF focus on the smaller, lesser known, community and voluntary groups working on the frontline in our communities who often only need a few hundred pounds to make a difference to local people’s lives. Local groups can take a look at the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation website to see if they might qualify for a grant – www.hiwcf.com or email HIWCF at grantsadmin@hiwcf.com
Contact details for Editor:
Name: Lucy Sweet, Marketing Manager, HIWCF
Grant Cornwell MBE, Chief Executive, HIWCF
Telephone: 01256 776116 Email: lucy@hiwcf.com
High Sheriff of Hampshire Mark Thistlethwayte 2018/2019 – PA Claire Dawkins – 01962 873300
