High Sheriff’s Awards at Windsor Castle

On Thursday evening I had the great pleasure of attending the High Sheriff of Berkshire’s Awards, hosted by Sean Taylor at the beautiful Vicars’ Hall within the precincts of Windsor Castle.

The setting itself is extraordinary. Vicars’ Hall is one of those places where history seems almost to settle into the walls, and gathering there with representatives of Berkshire’s civic life made for a rather special evening.

Sean’s awards recognise individuals and organisations he has worked closely with during his year as High Sheriff of Berkshire. In that sense they are slightly different from the approach I have taken in Oxfordshire. Sean’s focus was very much on those partnerships and relationships that have shaped his own shrieval year.

It made for a deeply personal and thoughtful evening.

Listening to the citations, it was clear how much can be achieved when people from different sectors - policing, charities, community organisations and volunteers - work together with a shared sense of purpose. Many of those recognised had supported Sean’s work over the past twelve months, and the warmth in the room reflected the strength of those partnerships.

One of the pleasures of the shrieval role is the opportunity it provides to see how colleagues in neighbouring counties approach the year. Each High Sheriff brings their own style and priorities to the role, but the underlying spirit is always the same - celebrating service, encouraging partnership, and recognising those who quietly make their communities stronger.

Thursday evening was a fine example of that spirit.

Following the ceremony, Sean very generously hosted award recipients and guests for dinner at The Ivy Royal Windsor Brasserie. It was a rather wonderful way to continue the evening, allowing those who had been recognised to spend time together and reflect on the work that had brought them there.

My warm congratulations to Sean and to all those who received awards. It was a privilege to be there to share in the celebration.

And, of course, it was also a reminder that across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and the wider Thames Valley, there are remarkable people doing extraordinary things in the service of others.

As ever, those are stories worth telling.