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High Sheriff Awards - all winners

High Sheriff Awards - Award Winners

High Sheriff Awards - winner Primal Roots

Primal Roots CIC

High Sheriff Awards - winner Making Miracles

Making Miracles

On 17 March the High Sheriff of Kent Awards were announced at a ceremony at the Corn Exchange in Rochester.

The annual High Sheriff Awards celebrate the charitable work of organisations who contribute their time and care to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable members of the community.

The High Sheriff Award winners were Primal Roots, Olympia Boxing CIC, Thanet Women’s Refuge, Growing for Good CIC, and Making Miracles and the High Sheriff’s Consort Award was won by SERV Kent.

John Weir JP, The High Sheriff of Kent, said, “There are hundreds of grassroots charities and community groups doing amazing work across Kent and Medway so drawing up a short list and then selecting the winners was not an easy process. We met with the winning groups and were very impressed to hear about their work and how each one is supporting their community. The celebration was a huge success, and I am grateful for the support of the Kent Community Foundation team to assist with its planning.”

Representatives from Kent Police County Lines and Gangs Team also attended the evening to receive a special award for their work to combat the flow of drugs into Kent and to protect the young and vulnerable.

John Weir JP, The High Sheriff of Kent, said of the special award, “I am making a special award to The Kent Police County Lines and Gangs team in recognition of their efforts not only to combat the flow of drugs into Kent but also to protect the young and vulnerable who become ensnared by such gangs. Having spent time “on the ground” with these officers I have no doubt that this award gives them well deserved recognition.”

High Sheriff Award Winners 2022

Primal Roots - Over the past five years Primal Roots has worked with over 400 participants experiencing addiction, homelessness, mental and physical health challenges, and people who’ve been caught up in a life of crime and the criminal justice system.

www.primalroots.org.uk

John Weir JP, High Sheriff, said, “Primal Roots was born in the main out of the personal life experience of Carl Adams with the aim of giving everyone, irrespective of background, an opportunity to ‘get fit’ in the great outdoors and give people a sense of responsibility for their own wellbeing.”

Olympia Boxing CIC - Founded on the back of the London 2012 Olympics, England Boxing Coaches engage communities across Kent in physical activity and create a pathway for people to get into the sport.

www.olympiaboxing.co.uk

John Weir JP, High Sheriff, said, “I have followed Olympia Boxing for some time and could not be more impressed with the commitment of Wayne Smith and his colleagues to the sport of boxing and providing a real focus for many young people.”

Thanet Women’s Refuge - The refuge offers safe, temporary accommodation to self-defining women fleeing domestic abuse. 

www.oasisdaservice.org

John Weir JP, High Sheriff, said, “Beverly and I visited the Thanet Refuge very early on in my tenure. Because of my experience chairing criminal courts, I am only too aware of the desperate situation in which some women who have been subjected to abuse, find themselves. We were much impressed with the support that Loukia Michael and her colleagues can offer to those women seeking a safe environment.”

Growing for Good CIC (The Glasshouse) - Based in HMP East Sutton, the project aims to reduce reoffending through horticultural training and employment. 

www.theglasshouse.co.uk

John Weir JP, High Sheriff, said, “Growing for Good CIC make a significant contribution to redressing the balance when it comes to breaking the cycle of reoffending when women are released from custody by providing opportunities to train and qualify in horticulture thus improving future employment opportunities.”

Making Miracles - The charity offers baby trauma and bereavement care, counselling and emotional support to the whole family.

www.makingmiracles.org.uk

John Weir JP, High Sheriff, said, “Making Miracles provides invaluable support to bereaved parents. Chair, Sally Howells and Kelly Wells and their team have done so much to support families suffering the loss of an infant not only in the immediate aftermath but in providing ongoing support. It is without doubt one of the most difficult environments in which to provide support, but this charity does it with absolute compassion and commitment.”

High Sheriff Consort Awards Winner

ServKent - SERV Kent ‘Service by Emergency Response Volunteers’ also known as Bloodrunners, provides emergency courier services outside normal working hours, transporting blood products, samples and other essential items for the major hospitals and hospices in Kent. 

www.servkent.co.uk

John Weir JP, High Sheriff, said, “SERV Kent also known as ‘Blood Runners’ provide a remarkable service to the emergency services in Kent, particularly our hospitals and the Air Ambulance. This band of volunteers provide a genuine 24/7 service, without any costs whatsoever to the taxpayer.”

The High Sheriff’s Consort is Beverly Weir.

About the High Sheriff Awards

The annual High Sheriff Awards celebrate the charitable work of organisations who contribute their time and care to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable members of the community. In addition to the High Sheriff Awards another group is chosen each year to receive the Consort Award. The award winners receive a cheque for £500. Each year The High Sheriff works closely with Kent Community Foundation who have facilitated the awards since 2013.


High Sheriff Awards - winner Olympia Boxing

Olympia Boxing CIC

High Sheriff Awards - winner Oasis

Thanet Women's Refuge - Oasis Domestic Abuse Service

High Sheriff Awards - winner Growing for Good CIC

Growing for Good CIC

High Sheriff Award winner - ServKent

ServKent

High Sheriff Award winner - Kent Police County Lines and Gangs Team

Kent Police County Lines and Gangs Team

Kent Police

Kent Police

MASSIVE 'thank you ' to everyone at Kent Community Foundation. Your funding support is HUGELY appreciated and has enabled us to get into the heart of local communities with REAL, affordable, healthy and tasty food that does so much more than feed people.

Community chef Mike Spackman, Sheppey Matters

KCF's enthusiasm for what we are doing and hoping to do, coupled with helpful advice, gave us the confidence to take this daunting step which has paid off.

Liz Turner, Octopus Foundation

It's great having a foundation that empowers organisations and charities in our community to make real positive differences and changes!

Tom, MMK Mind