High praise from High Sheriff for Northamptonshire groups

Edeltraud Freund, Mike Parnell, Victoria Miles, Ann Reynolds, Katrina Cook with High Sheriff Dr Ahmed Mukhtar, Godric Bader and Cynthia Bailey

Dr Ahmed Mukhtar has been carrying out the duties of the High Sheriff, a largely ceremonial role, since last April.

And with his year in office nearing completion, he has been honouring some of Northamptonshire’s better and lesser-known names.

High Sheriff’s Awards have been given to the Victoria Centre, Park Road, Wellingborough, timber manufacturers Scotts of Thrapston, the Wicksteed Charitable Trust and the Shirley Nesbitt School of Dance, Wellingborough.

Dr Ahmed Mukhtar presents Wicksteed Park chairman Oliver Wicksteed and managing director Alasdair McNee with the award for the park's work in children's play

Oliver Wicksteed, chairman of the Wicksteed Charitable Trust, said: “It is a tremendous honour to receive this award.

“It is fantastic that the hard work and dedication which staff and trust members put in to making the park such a wonderful place is being recognised in this way.”