DonorsNewsOCFA victim of crime being counselled by SAFE

High Sheriff of Oxfordshire Jane Cranston will hold an online auction in association with Mallams to raise money for local charities that are tackling crime prevention, offender rehabilitation and victim support. She is now seeking donations of auction lots to help raise as much as possible.

Jane’s chosen theme for her year in office as High Sheriff is justice and opportunity. OCF is supporting Jane, just as we have done with the three previous High Sheriffs, to channel her fundraising into the charitable sector, via the High Sheriff’s Charitable Fund, which is held and managed by OCF.

Jane is raising awareness of some shocking problems about criminality locally:

  • In HMP Bullingdon, Oxfordshire, the rate of re-offending for prison terms of less than 12 months is over 60%
  • Re-offending costs the economy between £9.5-13 billion per year
  • 70% of sentenced prisoners in custody are assessed as having an education, employment or training need
  • Adolescent victims of crime have higher than average rates of teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, depression and violent offending.

Funds are urgently needed for those parts of the expanding voluntary sector that operate in the areas of crime prevention, offender rehabilitation and victim support. In October and November 2017, with the support of local auctioneers Mallams, Jane is running an online auction where she hopes to raise a significant sum for the High Sheriff’s Charitable Fund, with proceeds to three charities that are leading the way in these areas locally: Aspire, SAFE! and Youth Challenge Oxfordshire (YoCO).

This can’t be done without some fabulous and prestigious auction lots. Jane says: “Could you donate something wonderful? Tickets for leading sports events? An adventure? A holiday? A weekend away? A dinner? An artefact? A once-in-a-lifetime experience? An event with a celebrity? A unique work experience placement? PLEASE – I and the organisations I am supporting will be most grateful.”

Commenting on Jane’s project, His Honour Judge Ian Pringle QC said: “I have been asked by the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire whether the many and increasingly numerous voluntary organisations that operate in crime prevention and offender rehabilitation make much difference to the criminal justice system in this country. The short answer is that they are absolutely vital. In the seemingly perpetual struggle to prevent those convicted of crime from repeatedly appearing before the criminal courts on a regular basis, these organisations, along with the hard-stretched government agencies, provide often the only hope to the offender on release from their sentence of avoiding homelessness, avoiding being drawn back to sleeping on the street, avoiding the offers of drugs and alcohol from erstwhile associates, and of avoiding the otherwise inevitable path that leads to re-offending. Well resourced programmes run by all the sectors can and do indeed break that cycle, and can dramatically turn around the lives of many, often vulnerable, people who would otherwise have so little chance of creating a decent life for themselves. It is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job when I see successful outcomes in this area.”

The publicity for this prestigious auction will be widespread across Oxfordshire and neighbouring counties with brochures (online and paper) going to over 5,000 people. All donors are invited to put their logo and a brief resume of their business alongside the photos and the description of the auction lot.

To make an auction lot donation, please download this form, fill it in on screen and email it to oxfordshirehighsheriff@outlook.com.