Walsall Community Association

I was really pleased to meet with the Management Committee of the Walsall Community Association. For many years this organisation has been running a centre in the middle of Walsall where local residents can visit to enjoy food, social activities ( Dominoes remains a firm favourite ), and informative sessions to enhance well being. As […]

Graduation Ceremony for Birmingham Newman University

I was delighted to attend the Degree Awards Congregations for Birmingham Newman University at Symphony Hall as a guest of the Vice Chancellor Professor Jackie Dunne. The Ceremony was expertly led by Juliet Etchingham and included the award of an honorary doctorate to Mr Lewis Goodall in recognition of his work in journalism. It was […]

60th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate at St Chads Cathedral

I was honoured to attend a Service at St Chads Cathedral in Birmingham to mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate. This declaration by the Catholic Church in 1965 expressed a clear vision and intention to recognise the goodness reflected in other religions, so as to initiate and promote a deeper dialogue between all faiths. […]

Freedom of the Borough of Dudley

It was a real pleasure and honour to attend the Ceremony at Himley Hall at which Mr Joe Bullock was granted the Freedom of the Borough of Dudley. Joe is 100 years young and served in the Royal Navy from 1942-1946 and took part in the D-Day landings. The Ceremony was led by the Mayor […]

Citizenship Ceremony in Dudley

I was delighted to attend a Citizenship Ceremony in the Borough of Dudley alongside Deputy Lieutenant Liz Foster and the Mayor of Dudley, Councillor Pete Lee and the Mayoress Gloria. We congratulated and welcomed 21 new British Citizens from a wide range of backgrounds and highlighted the responsibilities and opportunities of becoming a Citizen in […]

Employer Engagement Event at HMP Birmingham

I made another visit to HMP Birmingham to participate in an Employer Engagement event coordinated by the Prison Employment team. It has been clearly proven that if ex offenders can secure some form of training and employment on their release from custody, it has a significant impact on the likelihood of them reoffending. Therefore this […]

Pathfinder project at BCFJC

I had a most enjoyable and informative return to the Birmingham Civil and Family Justice Centre at the Priory Courts in Birmingham to learn more about the Pathfinder initiative. This pilot project has been running for around 18 months to try and improve the processes which underpin the consideration of civil cases involving children in […]

GBYPY25 Awards Evening

I had a most enjoyable evening at the 25th Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year Awards held at the ICC. The awards are organised by the Future Faces team, which are part of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce It was a bit of trip down memory lane for me as I remember the […]

Annual Justice Service

I was honoured to host the Annual Justice Service for all those concerned with the administration of justice in the West Midlands, at Birmingham Cathedral, at the start of the legal year. We are joined by members of the Judiciary, including many Magistrates, as well as members of His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and […]

Talking Magistrate Recruitment at Third Week Wednesday with Black Country Chamber

I had a really enjoyable morning at the Third Week Wednesday networking event organised by the Black Country Chamber of Commerce. I had an opportunity to explain a little bit about the history and then the responsibilities of the High Sheriff in the 21st Century. But the key area of discussion was around how businesses […]