High Sheriff of Dorset

High Sheriff of Dorset 2020/21

“I see my role as High Sheriff being to take an active interest in, and offer encouragement to, any organisation or individual involved, directly or indirectly, in the administration of justice, law and order in the County including voluntary and community groups, particularly those involved in offender rehabilitation, and victim support as well as those organisations which work to prevent the vulnerable getting drawn into crime.

Recognising the importance that strong communities play in successful societies, bringing different groups together will be important to me.”

George Streatfeild

Sam

Sam: In Too Deep

A short film which highlights the dangers of County Lines drug gangs to young people in Dorset. It is the true story of ‘Sam’ (we have changed his name). He was vulnerable, came from a split family and was being bullied in school.

Inspiring Hope

Inspiring Hope - An insight into the inspirational work of some of Dorset's charities and towns from The High Sheriff of Dorset 2020/21

At my High Sheriff Declaration on 27th March 2020, I summarised my ambition for the year as being to “seek out and promote those organisations and individuals that have been, and are, inspiring hope in those that are struggling.”

During the pandemic I have visited, or zoomed, parts of Dorset, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole to which many would not normally go. I have learnt and seen things about which many of us have no idea and found untold stories which should be told.

This booklet gives space to a few of the charities and organisations which I have had the pleasure and privilege of meeting in 2020.

Video

Without Fear or Favour: A short film of appreciation, thanks and celebration to replace the cancelled Dorset Legal service 2020

About

Who am I?

We moved from Uploders to Denhay Farm, Broadoak, just after I was born. My father appreciated that it grew grass well and started dairy farming, which we still do today. After my degree in Agriculture from London University, I worked in Australia and New Zealand returning to Dorset in 1976 and married Amanda Edwards who came all the way from Bridport! We worked on a dairy farm in Chedington before returning to Denhay in 1977 when my father died.

We had started cheese making in 1959 which meant keeping bacon pigs to feed on the whey. In 1989, Amanda and I started to develop an air dried ham with our pork; this transferred into a bacon business – now successfully supplying many national supermarkets and catering outlets with premium dry cured bacon. Having retired from full time work at Denhay Farms Ltd., I am still responsible for estate management and like nothing better than being out with my chain saw clearing dead wood for winter fires!

 

I have been involved with many organisations to do with food and farming over the years; chairing Taste of the West and a Chief Steward at the Royal Bath & West Show. More recently I co-created Discover Farming, the agricultural education wing of the Melplash Agricultural Society. I have also taken a keen interest in conservation and was involved with FWAG in the early 1980s. We were finalists in the Silver Lapwing award for conservation and were presented with ‘Excellence in Farming’ award by the RASE. Both Amanda and I have been awarded Fellowships of the Royal Agricultural Societies of England. I was vice chair of Kingston Maurward – Dorset’s agricultural college.

 

I am a Church and Chapel Warden and chair the Symene Community Land Trust and Broadoak Village Hall Trustees, recently retiring as Chair of Governors of Symondsbury School and Chair of Bridport Museum Trust. In my spare time, I am fascinated by other cultures and have been lucky enough to travel to many interesting parts of the world, and have a passion for photography.

History

History of the High Sheriff

The office of High Sheriff is the oldest continuous secular Office under the Crown, dating back to Anglo-Saxon times when the King’s Reeve, also known as the High Reeve, acted as a royal official able to enforce the King’s interest in a county without becoming embroiled in local factions. The High Sheriff was accountable to the Court of Exchequer for tax payable to the Crown; a rent roll which had been determined by the Domesday Survey. Each Sheriff had the facility to ‘farm’ (also spelt ferm) his taxes, which meant that he could apply taxation on the populace for his own benefit as well as for the Exchequer. It was this that made the medieval Sheriff such a deeply unpopular and hated figure, giving rise to caricatures such as the evil Sheriff of Nottingham in the tale of Robin Hood.

The High Sheriffs’ early powers to administer justice within the land were extensive. They could raise the hue and cry after criminals in their counties and keep the King’s peace by mobilising the posse comitatus, the full military force of the county. In theory, this can still be raised and as recently as the two World Wars, High Sheriffs’ powers were re-invoked in case of an emergency, fulfilling their duty to defend the realm against the King’s enemies.

The High Sheriff also traditionally had the responsibility to provide juries, had powers of arrest and had the responsibility to organise and oversee hangings. By the 14th century, they had become highly influential in choosing their counties’ parliamentary representatives and the duty of High Sheriffs to act as Parliamentary Returning Officers remains to this day.

The role and position of the Shrievalty has evolved and its survival is thanks to the flexibility of the officeholders to remain relevant today.

Role

The Modern Role of the High Sheriff

The Office of High Sheriff is a non-political Royal appointment. Every county’s High Sheriff is proposed by the local community and then selected by the Privy Council and in March, the Sovereign who, by ancient custom, uses a silver bodkin to ‘prick’ a hole through a vellum scroll against the appointed name to confirm the appointment.

Role: The role of the High Sheriff is to represent the Queen’s interests in the county; in particular matters of criminal justice and the welfare of those who work within it and who work to maintain the Queen’s peace and the safety and security of her citizens.

Job Description: To take an active interest and offer encouragement to any organisation or individual involved, directly or indirectly, in the administration of justice, law and order in the County, eg: the courts, the probation service, witness support, the prison service, Police, Fire and Rescue and Local government officers, mayors and councillors. It will also include voluntary organisations, particularly those involved in offender rehabilitation, and victim support as well as those organisations which work to prevent the vulnerable getting drawn into crime. The aim is to be a force for good in the county: to be both reactive to requests of attendance and proactive in seeking out organisations of special relevance and to take an intelligent interest in the people and organisations you meet, to listen to their stories and to offer encouragement, thanks, and to show appreciation of their achievements.

News & Events

News and Events

21st March - Visit to The Verne Prison

I was delighted to present the Dorset Prisons Group of Alcoholics Anonymous with a High Sheriff award for their work in supporting those in prison and struggling with alcoholism. The award was accepted by the Deputy Governor and the Substance Misuse team at The Verne prison on behalf of the whole group.

Since the start of lockdown Alcoholics Anonymous meetings have been postponed. However, volunteers of Alcoholics Anonymous have been regularly writing to Verne Residents in recovery with encouraging and supportive words. This has been extremely beneficial to the Residents and has encouraged them in their abstinence throughout the pandemic.

The initiative has proved very successful and has been adopted at other Dorset prisons and also Channings Wood and Dartmoor. I was really impressed with by the way this has helped residents with the recovery process as well as supporting them during the necessary restrictions of the pandemic.

Pictured from Left to Right – Hatti Amos (ISMS Support Worker); Richard Homer (ISMS Recovery Lead); High Sheriff ,George Streatfeild,: Deputy Governor Andy Tanner; Lucy Bradley (ISMS Recovery Worker).

18th March - Catching up with Gillingham and a last-minute visit to Ferndown

One of the last days of visits George Streatfeild made as his allotted year came to an end, was to Gillingham Town Council and Ferndown Town Council. The High Sheriff had visited Gillingham in September and was so impressed by the community spirit that he vowed to return to make a High Sheriff’s Community Award. And so it was that he met with Mayor Barry von Clemens, serving his last few weeks in that position, Town Clerk, Julie Hawkins and volunteer, Mandy Greenwood outside the Town Council offices to present them with the award. Mandy explained how they had created a band of volunteers to take care of those shielding or struggling to get out to shop or collect medicines.

As in many other towns, the Community Spirit had been amazing and had continued. George was able to thank Barry also for his many years’ service as mayor and Julie told an amazing story of how her grandfather had turned up in Gillingham in the 1930s from the North. Thinking that he was going to Gillingham (Jillingham) Kent he was looking for dockwork but by chance – it was a long story – ended up playing for the local Dorset football team and being given building work there. Kent’s loss! And Gillingham has often struggled to assert its position, but a visit there will ensure you will leave with no doubts that it is an incredibly special, community-minded, town. Thanks for the visit.

Then on to a new town to visit for the High Sheriff – Ferndown. A community group had set itself up and so successful had it been that it was nominated for the High Sheriff’s Community Award. Though the Town Council has offered to help, the group, spearheaded by Stuart Wayment, Tony Brown and Hannah Hobbs-Chell, created an efficient team of volunteers to support those unable to get out - Ferndown Community Coronavirus Support. The results have been so impressive that they are forming themselves into a charity to maintain that community spirit and to continue the amazing community work.

After the award presentation, Cllr Cathy Lugg, Mayor Julie Robinson, and Cllr Krissy Stamp took George on an outside tour of the newly renovated Town Council recreational premises with its community room and bar which will be used for entertaining visiting sports teams and for hire. The hall is on the edge of the King George V Recreation Grounds which are set with a backdrop of the heathland. A fantastic new play area has been built, with good security and health and safety provision, and this is next to some smart tennis courts, available to hire. Just beyond is a new wheel sport facility, started by Cathy’s late husband Steve, and now a really tribute to him.

Pictured: George Streatfeild, with Mayor Barry von Clemens, Town Clerk Julie Hawkins and volunteer Mandy Greenwood

High Sheriff Awards in Bournemouth

Many stories of great achievements were sent to the High Sheriff during lockdowns 2 and 3 and when the opportunity came to start being able to present awards, George Streatfeild was highly delighted to be able to do so.

What a day the High Sheriff had in Bournemouth, organised by Hazel Randall, the Mayor of Bournemouth’s PA. Keen to be able to make awards to those nominated by the Mayor, Susan Philipps, George Streatfeild booked a distanced series of visits to the amazing nominees doing work in the town. The first visit was to Hazel Allen who leads the team in the Liver Disease group in Dorset working within the NHS. She has been in that group for over 24 years. At the same time, she is a BCP Councillor and spearheads the Homelessness team for the Council, particularly during the pandemic period. This has given access to health care for many who have been hard to reach for some time. The aim of the Council is to make Bournemouth Hepatitis B free by 2025. She was joined by her husband Dave, who has been involved in the bus project during lockdown.

The next was to Brenden Howard who has managed the Grove Hotel, a Macmillan Respite centre for many years until it was sadly closed finally in October 2020. Providing economically priced deluxe rooms, overlooking the sea, for those suffering from cancer and other diseases and their families, Brenden has cared for his customers with great dedication. He worked hard to find grants to continue this work, but Macmillan had felt their diminishing resources should be concentrated elsewhere. He is joined by fellow staff members, Lesley and Paul.

Finding his way around the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, George made his way to the lakeside to meet two worthy recipients for the High Sheriff’s awards – Cheryl Johnson and some of her team, Lindsey Hicks, Billy Malone and Lydia Cunningham, and Kate Hibbitt of the homelessness Health Bus. Cheryl leads the nursing team at Royal Bournemouth Hospital and accepted the award on behalf of all the staff and volunteers who have worked through the pandemic so tirelessly. Cheryl is also a BCP councillor to continue her passion for helping others. Kate works closely with those helping the homeless in the Community.  She is one of these unsung heroes, a lady who quietly runs the Healthbus and has worked without a break throughout the pandemic.  The success of the bus means that a new one is being commissioned to go out into the community and help treat the homeless which will be a huge asset. There are so many at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital who deserve awards, but in particular,

Ben Kaye was the first to represent and develop the LGBTQ Programme ‘We are With You’.  He is a Volunteer Worker with Street Scene and also the Champion for ‘Keshet’ a U.K. organisation supporting Jewish and gay people.  He is totally dedicated to helping others. He was joined by his fellow worker at ‘We Are With You’, Ryan McCormack, who has been helping with the programme for around 20 years.

The last award on the High Sheriff’s Bournemouth trip was to Emma Heath. Emma is a positive role model within ‘Steps to Active Recovery’ (STAR). She ran the Recovery Course from Addiction which now operates in 20 different Churches across Dorset and further afield. She is also connected to Faithworks and her vision is to help change a culture of addiction through faith-based programmes. Emma has embarked along an incredible journey to become an inspirational woman, encompassing the needs of others, putting aside the challenges of addiction, and turning her efforts into ground-breaking recovery work. She was joined by her mother Lizi who also helps with the addition courses.

The trip finished back at the Town Hall with a welcome cup of tea in the Mayor’s Parlour with Jeff, Deputy Macebearer, and a chance to look at the impressive portraits and treasures belonging to the Council. With many thanks to Hazel Randall who had organised the visit with such precision.





15th March - Dorset and Somerset High Sheriffs join at HMP Guys Marsh to present their awards

High Sheriff of Somerset, Mary Clare Rodwell, and George Streatfeild, High Sheriff of Dorset, joined at HMP Guys Marsh to present a Community Award to Ian Walters, the Governor, and the staff of the prison who had taken the prison through the pandemic with great care and dedication. To date, they have avoided the pandemic getting into the prison and had kept staff and inmates safe and well.

In order to achieve this, there were many more restrictions than is normal including the inability to use the workshops to train inmates in work skills once they are released. The Governor is very keen to work with local businesses once the restrictions are eased. They are already looking at repairing electrical goods for reuse. It was a great opportunity to meet a number of the staff and hear for them of their passion for the job and how rewarding they found it to be.

Before finishing, Ian outlined his plans for future development of the prison thanks to a Government commitment to rebuild parts of the prison damaged by fire some years ago and add some new ones as well including improved facilities for the inmates.

Awards

High Sheriff Awards

Each year the High Sheriff acknowledges the enormous contribution which members of the public services and volunteers make to society through the High Sheriff Awards.  There are so many individuals who are making a real difference to communities and the lives of others by giving up their time freely and without expectation of reward.  The High Sheriff awards provide an opportunity for the selfless dedication of our public servants and volunteers to be acknowledged and celebrated.

High Sheriff Community Awards 2020

In many parts of Dorset, the fight against Covid-19 has genuinely been a community effort led sometimes by an individual, sometimes by a local government employee and sometimes by an elected person. The common thread is that a large number of that community has voluntarily rallied around to support others, be it for shopping, collecting medicines or just being company and a friendly voice. In recognition of this amazing work, the High Sheriff will present a special ‘certificate of recognition’ to some communities rather than lots of individuals awards which can, by their nature, miss out some and include others who perhaps may not be quite so deserving.