09 Apr 2025
The last few weeks of the tenure of High Sheriff Annie Brewster saw the presentation of various awards to community groups and organisations she felt deserved recognition.
These included a visit to the St Albans Museum + Gallery to present a High Sheriff Award in recognition of great and valuable services to the community to Maxine Ellis, the founder of the Hertfordshire ME/CFS Support Group, and museums community engagement officer Elanor Cowland.
The group, which is based in St Albans, is run by volunteers providing self-help, support and social sessions for people with ME, CFS, fibromyalgia, post viral fatigue syndrome, long Covid and similar conditions.
St Albans Museums runs an annual Community in Residence scheme which focuses on a particular group for a whole year, with the support group chosen for 2024/2025.
Maxine said: “I am so proud of our team of trustees and volunteers who helped to make this project possible.
Partnering with St Albans Museums had such a positive impact for our group and its members. It gave opportunities for our members to connect to each other and their community, learning new skills, a space to be creative and most of all a space to be visible and heard in our community.
“We ensured that some of our members who are unable to leave their home, or even their bed could take part. They were able to participate by exhibiting their creative work or contributing to a group artwork during the year.
“We raised awareness of how these conditions affect people and of our group, knowing that there are millions of people affected by this group of illnesses and hoping that in our group they find a place to connect and feel supported, understood and cared for. St Albans Museum + Gallery welcomed us with open arms, and adapted to suit our members’ needs. Elanor guided us through the year with such compassion and care, and it’s a pleasure to continue our partnership in various ways.”
Elanor said it had been an incredible year working with the Hertfordshire ME/CFS Support Group: “The group is very special. They are warm and welcoming, providing essential support to their members, but they also campaign for greater public understanding of chronic conditions.
“They do this even though many of the trustees live with a chronic condition themselves, or care for someone that does. The group understands the importance of creative and community activity, especially for people who might have limited energy, and they also understand the barriers to taking part.
“Group members are now part of our museum community; some have become museum volunteers and facilitators, others are on our advisory panels and some will be submitting artwork for an upcoming ‘pop- up’ exhibition in our learning studio on Wednesday May 14.”
Annie said: “The collaboration between the museum and the support group via various exhibitions, an awareness day and ongoing community in residence activities have not only benefitted those suffering from ME/CFS and long Covid who have taken part in activities, but it has highlighted just how many of our residents are affected.
“It is estimated over two million are suffering from this condition in the UK which means tens of thousands in Hertfordshire. Congratulations on such a successful partnership and for the awareness you are radiating.”
Meanwhile, the 30th anniversary of the Hertfordshire High Sheriff’s Awards saw St Albans’ Oaklands College receive a personal accolade for its inspirational work in the community.
The event took place in the Weston Auditorium at the University of Hertfordshire, and although many of the guests had won ‘Sport for Good’ Awards during Annie’s year, the night was dedicated to eight Hertfordshire organisations, selected from over 50 entries, who are making a difference to the county via sport and physical activity.
At the end of the evening, Annie presented some personal awards for initiatives that had particularly stood out during her year. These included two St Albans based organisations, HACRO and Oaklands College.
The Hertfordshire Association for the Care and Rehabilitation of Offenders (HACRO) has been working for over 50 years, helping people in Hertfordshire who have been on the wrong side of the law to turn their lives around. Their mission is to offer support for ex-offenders, potential offenders and their families to make positive changes in their lives and thereby reduce the number of victims of crime. Sport and health and wellbeing activities play a key part in their Turnaround programme, providing a unique and holistic approach to rehabilitation.
Boxing, fishing and tennis are integral and hugely popular. One participant has already qualified as a LTA tennis coach, and another has set up his own fishing business.
Annie said: “The inspired Turnaround initiative makes up part of the C2 programme, originated by St Albans Crown Court Judge Michael Baker and currently overseen by Judge Lana Wood, where repeat offenders are given an opportunity to tackle their addictions, avoid returning to prison and using regular activity to turn their lives around.”
The other personal award went to Oaklands College, and Annie said: “I was honoured to open the new High Performance Centre last week, that has a gym to rival Loughborough University. You are already one of the leading sports colleges in the UK, producing many elite athletes in over a dozen sports. You are creating future role models that inspire everyone to have a go.
“Without the future role models you are creating, participation and therapeutic sport would have no one to aspire to. But more importantly, Andrew Slade and the passionate team at Oaklands believe there is a sport for everyone and encourage all students, and those beyond, to engage with physical activity to the extent of establishing the county’s newest parkrun, which is free and open to everyone.”
She said afterwards: “I wanted to highlight people I have met throughout my tenure, and Oaklands is now one of the leading sports colleges in the whole country. The fact that they are bringing on our future elite athletes means they are creating role models for other levels of sports.”
