As the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire’s shrieval year draws to a close we reflect on the highlights of Sally Scott’s tenure, culminating in an awards evening to celebrate the unsung heroes of our county.
The role of the High Sheriff is to support voluntary and statutory organisations engaged in aspects of law and order, with a particular role in supporting the judiciary. Over the last 12 months the High Sheriff has immersed herself in her role, seeing first hand the work being done by the police, judiciary, prison service and emergency services. Sally has been passionate about enlightening the public about the crucial work of the criminal justice system, demystifying it and helping to shed light on its vital role in our communities. This included an open day at the combined courts, which was an enormous success, with mock trials, as well as police dogs, drones, seeing inside the cells and firearms officers talking about their work. Sally also persuaded the Attorney General Victoria Prentis to deliver her Law Lecture, and invited hundreds of children from local state schools to pose her questions.
At OCF, we have been delighted to work with Sally during her shrieval year to further her charitable work. Through her generous funding, we were able to publish Oxfordshire Uncovered, a report that shines a light on the most vulnerable people in our county. Sally kindly hosted the launch of the report on Giving Tuesday, where we were able to share the report findings with new and old friends from across Oxfordshire. As part of this collaboration, Sally has raised around £50,000 for her High Sheriff’s Fund, hosted by OCF, which will go towards supporting our grant-making to grassroots charities around the county.
Sally’s shrieval year culminated with the annual High Sheriff of Oxfordshire’s awards, given to people in Oxfordshire who have made outstanding contributions to the communities in which they live and work. The award recipients were nominated by individuals, recognising their inspirational work and the example they have shown to others. Sixteen people received awards in County Hall in Oxford for their work, which ranges from support for those that are homeless, to raising money for Katharine House Hospice and running community larders. All recipients have helped to enrich the lives of the people they support, showing huge generosity of time and spirit.
Sally Scott said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my year and have learned so much about our beautiful county. I’ve been inspired and humbled at the wonderful work being performed across the county by individuals, charities and organisations.”
Thank you Sally for your contribution to Oxfordshire, and we look forward to working with the next High Sheriff, James Macnamara.
Find out more about our flagship report, Oxfordshire Uncovered and how you can support our vital work in the county.