THE HIGH SHERIFF
High Sheriff's Diary
coffee
break
by Claire Locke
reading...
Keep posted
on what our
High Sheriff
has been up
to recently...
I
t has been an extremely
interesting and varied first few
months in my term as High
Sheriff of the Isle Wight, with my
first engagement the awards ceremony
of the MPCT - the Motivational
Preparation College for Training in
Ryde. The college takes young people
who are at risk of exclusion, or have
been excluded from mainstream
education, and puts them through a
military-style boot camp.
I was overwhelmed by the
transformation of the young people
I met, both boys and girls. They
were immaculately turned out; do
military-style physical fitness every
day, and learn team and people
skills to prepare for work, including
interview techniques. Some who
undergo the courses later successfully
apply for careers in the Armed Forces,
underlining the transformation. It was
touching that a lot of the youngsters’
parents and grandparents attended
the ceremony, and were so pleased
with the change in personalities.
44
www.visitilife.com
A
nother wonderful engagement
I attended was the St George’s
Day parade in Ventnor where
about 400 scouts, part of the East
Wight district, paraded through the
town in their uniforms, preceded by
a marching band and then attended
a church service. I had no idea there
were so many scouts on the Island,
who come in all ages, and there are
also girl scouts, and it was a very
special occasion with Canon Graham
Morris, the County Chaplain to the
scouts, leading the service.
F
inally, I was invited to the
AGM of the Shanklin Rifle and
Pistol Club by John Clifton,
the honorary secretary, and was
fascinated to learn it is one of the
oldest rifle and pistol clubs in Great
Britain. It was set up at the time of the
Boer War to teach young men how to
use pistols. I presented trophies, and
was also allowed to have a trial shoot,
and was told I didn't do too badly!
W
hen I attended the
annual meeting of
the CPRE, Council
for the Preservation of Rural
England, I didn't know what
to expect but learned so much.
Besides monitoring all planning
applications that are submitted
on the Island, and ensuring the
countryside is protected, they also
organise litter-picking groups to
help keep our countryside looking
e
beautiful. They are keen to get mor
just
have
young people involved and
started an initiative with Spectrum
Housing to help out. There was al so
a talk on light pollution and how
s
insensitive lighting causes problem
p,
slee
for such things as children’s
y
and natural habitat of animals. The
e
mor
t
are not against light, but wan
subtle, downward facing light.