High Sheriff of the West Midlands

A super evening in Coventry for a service of thanksgiving for the City of Coventry and the Lord Mayor Mal Mutton. Lord Mayor spoke with great pride about the City of Coventry and how much she has enjoyed the opportunity to act as the Lord Mayor for the past 12 months.

For those celebrating, may I wish you a very Happy Easter. I had the pleasure of joining my Chaplain Rev Claire Reid at St John's Walmley for an uplifting service led by Rev Ade Evans, together with the Rt Revd Canon Esther Jones, Bishop of Aston.

As we approach the 80th anniversary of VE Day, I was very pleased to have the opportunity to attend a Concert for Peace at @Dudley_College last night. The event was organised by Rose Cook Monk and was a combination of music and dance, interspersed with poignant speeches and films related to the events of the two World Wars. There was a focus on the contributions and sacrifices made by citizens of the Commonwealth, particularly those linked to communities living in Dudley.

Mark Smith is delighted and honoured to have been appointed as the High Sheriff of the County of West Midlands, following his Declaration Ceremony at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday. Mark succeeds Mr Douglas Wright MBE DL and Mark would like to thank Doug for everything he has done during his Shrieval year. Recognising the demographic of the County, Mark will have a particular focus on young people during his year in office and consistent with this, he is really looking forward to working with his Cadets from West Midlands Police, West Midlands Fire Service and St John Ambulance.

During my year as High Sheriff, I have witnessed the resilience, spirit, and generosity of our community. It is vital that we channel our energy into creating a better, safer and more cohesive place to live and work. By coming together we can create real impact across the West Midlands. I have greatly enjoyed the role and have tried to balance my time equally across the seven boroughs of our County. Thank you for your backing and support of my role and work particularly with the recruitment of Magistrates. Across the year I have strived to ensure that people better understand the role of the High Sheriff. I have created communication channels that can be used and enhanced in future years by High Sheriffs and worked hard to be visible in our community. I feel very privileged to have been given the opportunity through my community outreach to meet so many great people making real impact in so many different ways. Today, I hand over the baton to Mark Smith who becomes our new High Sheriff. It has been an honour to serve as your High Sheriff and certainly been the best year of my life. Thank you again for all of your support. I must end by saying a huge thank you to Kayleigh who has been remarkable throughout my term and helped deliver so much change particularly in our back of house processes and has made us far more customer centric in all we have delivered. Very best wishes Doug Leave your well wishes for Doug here to go into his year book: forms.office.com/r/KJdECbYchm?o…

I had the honour of attending the opening of The People’s Gallery, at Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, as High Sheriff of the West Midlands. This is one of two wonderful new community spaces created by Your City & Metropolitan Hospitals Charity.  First to be opened, and earlier in the day, was The Commons, co-designed with Spectra, which is a beautiful space promoting well-being through creative installations and sensory-enriching surroundings.  I was then privileged to officially open The People’s Gallery, which showcases the incredible talents of patients, staff, and local artists, reflecting our community’s diverse voices. This gallery embodies our vision of making the Midland Met more than just a hospital! A huge thank you to everyone involved in these inspiring projects, making a positive impact on health and well-being in the West Midlands!

I had a really inspiring visit to Queen Alexandra College in Birmingham. This incredible college is dedicated to supporting young people with disabilities, helping them achieve their full potential and lead independent lives.   During my visit, I was greeted by Cathryn Worth and two very enthusiastic Student Ambassadors who gave me on a tour of their state-of-the-art facilities. One of the highlights was visiting the fabulous library where we all discussed what our favourite books are.  It was great to stop at Independence Street which is an outside training space which allows students to learn about road safety and how to use traffic signals.   I also had the pleasure of meeting with Bev Jessop, the CEO of the College. Bev shared some very exciting ten year development plans which will help them deliver even more curriculum in the future. Thank you to everyone at QAC for the warm welcome and for the impactful work you do in our community.   #HighSheriff #QueenAlexandraCharity #EmpoweringLives

As the High Sheriff of the West Midlands, I had the honour of attending the King's Award for Voluntary Service, where we celebrated the incredible contributions of volunteers in the West Midlands.   The address from the Lord Lieutenant recognised the incredible contributions of our volunteers, celebrating those who dedicate their time and effort to make a difference in our communities. Hearing the heartfelt stories of selfless individuals was truly inspiring. Their commitment not only enriches the lives of those they help but also strengthens our communities as a whole.   Thank you to everyone involved in this wonderful event. @WMLieutenancy .

At our big celebration yesterday the Lord-Lieutenant was delighted to present our Young Active Citizen Awards to four outstanding young people. Congratulations Darci-Bleu Stewart, Elizabeth Downes, Jeevan Jhutti and Syed Ahmed.

Wow, what a day we had yesterday with our fabulous @KingsAwardVS volunteers from across the region. Your work and dedication deserves the recognition that you have received. Congratulations to all our winners - You are amazing!

Lord-Lieutenant Derrick Anderson CBE is delighted to announce the appointment of 6 Deputy Lieutenants for the West Midlands, Mr Mark Heywood, Mr Clive Reeves, Mrs Abbie Vlahakis Mrs Sandra Samuels OBE, Mrs Lisa Webb GM and Mr Ed James

Tremendous atmosphere at the #WestMids @KingsAwardVS ceremony in Birmingham. Celebrating our fabulous volunteers. @WMLieutenancy #KAVS

I had the privilege of visiting @RMHC Ronald McDonald House Charities in Birmingham in my capacity as High Sheriff of the West Midlands. It was wonderful to see the recent refurbishment of various rooms that will provide a welcoming and comfortable environment for families during challenging times. The house opened back in November 2009 and has helped over 16,500 families in that time which is truly remarkable. As someone who previously chaired this remarkable charity adjacent to the Birmingham Children’s Hospital , RMHC holds a special place in my heart. The work they do to support families with critically ill children is invaluable and I truly admire the dedication of everyone involved. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting such an impactful organisation. None of us ever know when we will need the help of a charity such as this special home away from home. I would recommend a visit to this much needed facility and please do consider volunteering or supporting in any way you can. #HighSheriff #RMHC #CommunitySupport #FamilyFirst

As High Sheriff of the West Midlands, I attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Birmingham Temple in Sutton Coldfield.   The event began with a service in the chapel followed by a symbolic soil-turning ceremony. This new temple will serve as a sacred space for many and represents a bright future for the faith in the UK. It will take two years to build, projected to open in 2027, and will only be the third such facility in the UK. Thank you for inviting me along to this special day.

I had the pleasure of meeting Angela Gonzalez from Wellbeing Empowered Solutions CIC in Walsall. This amazing organisation is making waves by supporting individuals of African heritage with vital services like interpretation, advocacy, and integration assistance for new arrivals.   Angela and her team are champions of social inclusion, helping people navigate resources and foster connections within our diverse community.   Thank you, Angela, for your impactful work!   #WellbeingEmpowered #CommunityChampions #SocialInclusion #HighSheriffOfWestMidlands #Walsall