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Buckinghamshire
County News
2009/2010
As I come to the end of my year in Office it has been a pleasure to look back on the events of the last year.
My first engagement upon taking Office last April was attending the Skill at Arms Meeting at Pirbright for the Buckinghamshire (The Rifles) Army Cadet Force. Soon after my arrival I was invited to lie down and fire rounds from an automatic light machine gun. Nobody had told me that this would be one of my duties as High Sheriff and I thought this year really is going to be fun if this is what I get to do! Needless to say I missed all of the targets but was, nevertheless, politely congratulated by the Cadets for a “good effort Sir!”.
The rest of the year proved to be equally as exciting as I had the opportunity to discover so much more about life in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. There are, of course, too many memorable occasions and events to list in full.
I have especially enjoyed meeting members of the judiciary and learning about the ways in which our laws are enforced through the wonderful work done by the police, by the Judges and Magistrates in our Courts, and by the authorities employed in the prison and related services. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to discuss some of the challenges facing society today with these authorities and I have learnt a huge amount.
I gave my support where possible this year to some local charities. One was the PACE Centre caring for children with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy. PACE gives their children an education for life helping them to find their own voice and walk their own steps. Another was the Iain Rennie Hospice at Home which does wonderful work offering specialist nursing and supportive care and advice to patients with cancer and other terminal illnesses, allowing them to remain in their homes. I was also pleased to work closely with two regional Community Foundations – the Buckinghamshire Community Foundation and the Milton Keynes Community Foundation. Both do excellent work supporting smaller, less well-known charities in the region.
The charitable work that I saw being done everywhere I went is fantastic. We are very fortunate to have so many dedicated people giving their time so selflessly. Frequently their huge contribution to the community goes unrecognised and often without thanks. 2009/2010 has not been an easy year for many organisations in the public, private and third sector but everywhere that I went I was struck by the optimism and cheerfulness of staff and volunteers despite the difficult economic times. I was therefore delighted to be able to recognise a number of people doing wonderful work by awarding High Sheriff Awards to 10 individuals representing their organisations.
I have also enjoyed learning more about schools, colleges and universities in the County particularly those catering for the young with special needs. Nearly always there was an opportunity to help raise the profile of their establishment through a fund-raising event or by setting up some informal networking meetings.
It has been great fun also getting to know my neighbouring High Sheriffs at various events throughout the year. It was particularly a pleasure to share a number of Thames Valley functions with the High Sheriffs of Berkshire and Oxfordshire.
Of course the list of memories goes on – church services, concerts, receptions, Royal visits, Citizenship Ceremonies, visits to police stations and to our local RAF stations. Without doubt this last 12 months has been one of the most enjoyable and memorable years for me.
Allan Westray
High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire 2009/2010
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