About

2024

The High Sheriff of Clwyd’s Annual Community Awards were held on Saturday 9th March 2024 at Brynkinalt, Chirk – home of the current High Sheriff Kate Hill-Trevor.  Those invited to attend were nominated by others in the community and The High Sheriff was delighted to be able to recognise and personally thank them for their dedication and commitment to the voluntary sector and their local communities.

Kate Hill-Trevor said “ Being High Sheriff is a tremendous privilege which has given me the opportunity to learn more about the uplifting projects that are happening here in North Wales and to meet some incredible people.  Volunteers are active at the heart of every UK community, and it is very clear that the millions of people who give their time and skills to charities and community projects are quite simply an essential part of the world today.

However this work often goes unseen and unsung. These awards give me an opportunity to recognise a small number of the volunteers and organisations who work tirelessly within Clwyd to make a difference to those around them”.

The High Sheriff also welcomed the winners of the Crimebeat North Wales Project of the Year in Clwyd, Rhyl Youth Boxing Club  – chosen in recognition of the outstanding work done by the club to support young people in Rhyl. She presented the Head Coach – Dan Andrews, A-J Hughes  one of the  young boxers and PC Simon Keeting from North Wales Police who is also a volunteer Coach at the Club with a glass trophy.

She said “Crimebeat supports projects undertaken to help to keep young people out of trouble, support victims of crime, stimulate an interest in voluntary work, improve school attendance and behaviour and generally improve the lives of everyone in the community. This year’s winners are a not-for-profit club who provide boxing training for young people from all social backgrounds as well as those disabilities and several Ukrainian refugees. They build friendships, respect and support between different generations and with the police, helping with social cohesion and a reduction in antisocial behaviour issues in the area, and are a wonderful example of the type of project that Crimebeat supports”

Nominations for the Community Awards are sought each year, with 2 individuals and one group winner being chosen from each of the four areas (Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham) that make up the now ceremonial preserved county of Clwyd.

The High Sheriff was delighted to have had a good number of nominations from a wide range of people and organisations and said “This is a wonderful reflection of the strength of the voluntary sector here in North Wales but it does make it very tough for the panel to choose the winners”.

Awards were presented in the presence of the Lord-Lieutenant, Henry Fetherstonhaugh OBE FRAgS, Superintendent Jon Bowcott and Special Constabulary Chief Officer of North Wales Police Mark Owen MBE,  Ashley Rogers – Chair of PACT (Police and Community Trust) and Clwyd’s Under Sheriff – Mrs Sarah Noton of Swayne Johnson Solicitors, past High Sheriffs, the Chief Officers and representatives of the four Voluntary Councils of the area and selected guests.

The winners of each area are as follows:
CONWY
Jenny and Hughie Fitzpatrick –  In recognition of their work to support the communities of Kinmel Bay.
Ann Vaughan –  In recognition of her work to support the communities of Bro Cernyw.
Incredible Edible Colwyn – In recognition of their work establishing a number of community edible gardens in Colwyn Bay.
DENBIGHSHIRE
Nerys Haf Biddulph –  In recognition of her work to support refugee communities in Rhyl and Prestatyn.
Malcolm Wilkinson – In recognition of his work with Friends of the Ffrith and community groups in Prestatyn and Meliden.
The Denbigh Workshop – In recognition of their summer school programme working with disadvantaged young people.
FLINTSHIRE
Stephen Jones  -In recognition of his work to support and promote disability sport in Flintshire and beyond.
Daniel Reynolds – In recognition of over 15 years volunteering to support the young people of 1st Mynydd Isa Scouts.
RainbowBiz CIC – In recognition of their work to promote diversity in communities across Flintshire.
WREXHAM 
Caroline Richards – In recognition of her work transforming the lives of young people through music.
Hywel Williams – In recognition of over 15 years volunteering to support the annual Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
Marford and Gresford Luncheon and Caffi Group – In recognition of their dedicated work to support older members of their communities.

High Sheriff Special Awards were given to:
Anna Buckley-  In recognition of her tireless work to support refugees and victims of the war in Ukraine.
Sion Edwards and Nicholas James –  In recognition of their inspirational work with young people at The Venture Youth Inclusion Project.
AVOW Young Influencers – In recognition of their work to support the young people of Wrexham.

High Sheriff’s Personal Awards were given to:
Volunteer Police Cadets – Brooke Blake-Hains & Steffan Lea –   In recognition of their enthusiasm and commitment as The High Sheriff’s Cadets and as a valued members of the Clwyd Crimebeat Committee.
We Mind the Gap –  In recognition of their work developing programmes to empower, inspire and support young local people.
The DPJ Foundation – In recognition of their work regarding Mental Health in rural communities,  supporting those with problems, raising awareness and providing  training within the agricultural sector.
Theatr Clwyd – In recognition of their work with the Justice in a Day crime education programme and multiple projects benefiting the local Community.
Chirk Hospital’s Circle of Friends – In recognition of their continued fund raising and improvements in equipment and services for Chirk’s community hospital and nurses.

Wrexham AFC Community Trust – In recognition of the Club’s Community projects and social cohesion work.
North Wales Police’s Volunteer Police Cadet Leaders –  In recognition of the voluntary time given to support and inspire Volunteer Police Cadets.
National Garden Scheme North East Wales County Team of Volunteers –  In recognition of their work supporting the numerous NGS garden openings across the area each year, raising substantial sums for multiple charities
Wrexham Litter Pickers – In recognition of their commitment to keeping local areas free from litter and building a stronger community spirit.

The High Sheriff ended by thanking Dawn Roberts-McCabe, the Chief Officer and Ken Rowlands of AVOW the County Voluntary Council for Wrexham who facilitated the nomination process this year.  She also added a large thank you to North Wales Police, PACT and Crimebeat North Wales for their unending engagement with the High Sheriffs of both Clwyd and Gwynedd.

Mrs Hill-Trevor’s tenure as High Sheriff of Clwyd commenced in April 2023 and will shortly finish as the post is for a single year. The Community Awards ceremony is one of the highlights of the Shrieval year and Mrs Hill-Trevor said “Clwyd really is very lucky to have such a strong and vibrant Voluntary sector. I certainly have been humbled and uplifted by everyone I have met during my year in office.

I hope that these awards will also encourage more people to give volunteering a go – there really is a volunteering opportunity out there for everyone and together we can make a difference.”

Following the awards, guests enjoyed afternoon tea and the chance to share stories of their volunteering journeys in the historic setting of Brynkinalt.

April 2023 – Kate Hill-Trevor

Making a Difference.

I have to admit to being totally shocked when I was asked if I would consider being High Sheriff.  The initial feeling of honour wore off incredibly quickly and my thoughts rapidly turned to that fact that this was my chance to make a difference but the question was, and still is, how to do it and can I ? And what can I achieve in just one year ?

Previous and current high sheriffs from Clwyd and other counties have all been incredibly helpful in talking through their experiences and The High Sheriff Association has been equally supportive with informative meetings and seminars.

In a world of gadgets and technology, the importance of community and communication mustn’t be forgotten. Many previous HS have talked about being humbled and inspired by the people they have met during their year and I had a small glimpse of this whilst preparing for the role. There is also a strong sense of community amongst all the other High Sheriffs I have met so far and particularly between my fellow High Sheriffs in Wales.

As you will have already seen from other pages on this website, High Sheriffs are appointed by his Majesty the King to represent him in the county in matters of law and order and this is certainly one of the key objectives promoted by the High Sheriff Association although they encourage you to “do it your own way”.  I plan to support and learn more about the many elements of law and order within the county such as the Police, Emergency Services, the various aspects of the Judiciary, and the Prisons and Probation Services. I hope that I will be able to visit and see for myself the issues faced daily by all of these services and thank personnel who work hard to keep the communities in which we live safe.

I also look forward to working with Janet Phillips – High Sheriff of Gwynedd 2023-24 when appropriate (for example North Wales Police covers both our Counties).

As the role of High Sheriff has evolved and adapted to keep its relevance in today’s society, supporting, promoting and encouraging the voluntary sector and, particularly those involved with crime reduction and social cohesion, has become a large part of the position. I certainly want to visit as many local charities as possible and meet the wonderful people who are giving their time and making a difference to the lives of those they are supporting and helping.

One recurring piece of advice regarding my year in office was to do something that interests you, and I am a Country girl at heart who appreciates how lucky I am to have grown up in and to continue to have access to plenty of green space.    I decided to start with charities relating to the Countryside and I hope that I can help our rural communities have a voice in an increasingly urban world.

Clwyd covers approx. 2,990km² (or 1,128 miles²) and is home to approx. 500,000 people. The number of people living and working in the countryside generally is shrinking but they form a significant part of the population here in Clwyd with about 40% of these people living in the less populated areas with their own set of issues.

I will be looking into projects in the county for rural communities dealing with issues such as poverty and isolation. I am particularly interested in those offering mental health support as this is an increasing concern in the agricultural sector.  I also hope to raise awareness of the incredible people who work and volunteer for emergency services such as the Fire Service, RNLI,  Mountain Rescue and Blood Bikes.

Returning to a law and order theme, Rural crime continues to be an problem and as issues such as County lines spread further outside the urban areas, I am hoping to spend some time with police units to see how they are helping both rural and urban communities and if there is a way the High Sheriff role can help too.  I will of course also be visiting Clwyd’s urban areas and learning more about the problems these areas face across the County and the inspiring projects happening within communities in our towns and built up areas.

I have already had the privilege of seeing first hand an incredibly powerful and informative education workshop called Justice in a Day. Run by Theatre Clwyd in partnership with North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT), it gives children an insight into the workings of the justice system. Its’ hands on and interactive approach helps children to understand the consequences of a criminal action and I hope to help raise the profile of this project and allow more young people to make informed decisions.

I also plan to continue the wonderful work of previous High Sheriffs in support of Crime beat, the High Sheriff Association’s national charity and in particular Crimebeat North Wales (www.crimebeatnorthwales.co.uk) which has just celebrated its 20th Anniversary.

Crimebeat helps young people develop projects which make their communities a safer place to live. Providing small grants to community-led proposals, Crimebeat supports young people to develop projects that aim to:

• Cut local crime and keep young people out of trouble
• Provide support to victims of crime
• Stimulate an interest in voluntary work
• Improve school attendance and behaviour
• Improve the quality of life in communities

A High Sheriff’s Role is largely to thank people and I must start as I mean to go on by saying a large thank you to the Clwyd Nomination panel for giving me this opportunity, I hope I can rise to the challenge.

To anyone reading this, please get in touch and point me in the direction of worthwhile individuals and organisations within the country and help me to do what I can to make a difference.

Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east, bordering England with Cheshire to its east, Shropshire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Gwynedd to its immediate west and Powys to the south. It additionally shares a border with the metropolitan county of Merseyside along the River Dee. Between 1974 and 1996, it was a county with a county council, and it was divided into six districts. It is named after the River Clwyd, which runs through the region. It was also a Royal Mail postal county before the postal county scheme was abolished in 1996.

Clwyd County Council and its districts were abolished by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, and local government was replaced by the four unitary authorities of Flintshire, Wrexham County Borough, Denbighshire, and parts of Conwy. At the same time, some smaller communities moved to Powys. The Act also abolished the County, and states the term “county” would be synonymous with the “principal areas” created by the 1994 Act. However the Act then created a further set of “preserved counties”, which were based on the eight created by the 1972 Act. These Preserved Counties, similar in respect to English Ceremonial counties, would be retained for a variety of purposes, including Lieutenancy and Shrievalty.
Clwyd County Council and its six districts ceased operations at midnight on 1 April 1996, and local government was immediately transferred to the new principal areas of Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham. The Preserved County of Clwyd also came into effect as of that date.

The area of Clwyd covers approx. 2,990km² (or 1,128 miles²) and is home to approx. 500,000 people. North Wales is one of the safest places to live in the United Kingdom.

What is Clwyd famous for? There is lots of stunning countryside throughout the county, with some great beaches and fabulous walking trails including part of the Offa’s Dyke.

Tourism is an important source of income in Clwyd, with Llandudno, Betws-y-Coed, Snowdon and Llangollen & the International Music Festival being particular focuses.

Many people come to visit the multiple amazing castles here including those at Flint, Rhuddlan, Mold, Conwy (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Chirk. We also have some incredible bridges for example Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and canal built by Thomas Telford (another UNESCO site).

Oh and did someone mention Football !…..The Racecourse stadium is the oldest stadium in the World and Wrexham Football club is the 3rd oldest club in the world. Wrexham was also granted city status as part of The late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee and Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla came recently to help the city celebrate.

Crimebeat http://www.crimebeatnorthwales.co.uk