The outgoing High Sheriff of Herefordshire, Robert Robinson, is bringing his year in office to close with the award of £12,000 in grants. Throughout his tenure, Robert Robinson’s key theme has been ‘advancing life chances’ and the county’s community groups were invited to apply for grants to support their work in this field.

Speaking about the grant awards, High Sheriff Robert Robinson said, “ We received a host of applications, all with great merit, and it has been a hard task to narrow it down to the final twelve. Ultimately, my aim was to give a boost to projects we considered most likely to enhance the life chances of identifiable individuals.”

He continued, “This process, and in fact my whole year as High Sheriff, has been a wonderful experience, showcasing quite how much kindness and concern there is in big-hearted Herefordshire for the wellbeing of other people.”

The grants are made possible thanks to the High Sheriff Fund, a funding pot which is managed and invested over the long-term by Herefordshire Community Foundation. It is added to each year, thanks to individual donations and  funds raised by High Sheriff events, such as the Shrieval Lecture. 

The successful projects are:

Cart Shed
Supporting alternative learning for young school non-attenders, with an emphasis on improving mental health.

Close House
Bursary and incentives to support young people in making  constructive life choices.

Community Chaplaincy Association (A Vennture supported project)
Supporting ex-offenders returning to the county, with reference to positive outcomes in other regions.

Cracked Slipper
Equipment to facilitate personal development for neuro-divergent young people.

H&W Community First Responders
New equipment such as training defibrillators and resuscitation mannequin, plus First Aid Training for new volunteers.

Herefordshire City of Sanctuary
Developing cycling skills of mainly female Afghan and Syrian refugees to enable physical mobility and the chance to engage socially.

Herefordshire Football Association
Training and equipment for young offenders to become football referees.

Herefordshire Young Carers
Respite and support for young people who have a dependent disabled or drug/alcohol disrupted family member, including physical and virtual Young Carer Clubs. 

Hope Support Services
Support for bereaved young people whose lives are destablised by the loss of a parent or other close family member.

Longlands CIO
PPE for young people who are not in employment, education or training, so that they can enjoy cookery, woodwork and supervised work experience outdoors.

Revive Community Cafe
A new lounge facility for female ex-offenders to help their return to mainstream living.

South Wye Development Trust
Mother and baby/toddler group sessions to reduce mothers’  isolation and aid children’s development.

The next round of High Sheriff Awards will open at the end of this year. To keep update to date about this and other funds sign up to HCF’s e-newsletter.

Donations to the High Sheriff Fund are always welcome, both large and small, and can be made here by following this link: www.bit.ly/HighSheriffFund