Shropshire's High Sheriff partners with Aico to support good causes
An Oswestry business is pledging to support a variety of causes across the region thanks to its partnership with the current High Sheriff of Shropshire.
Aico, which specialises in high performance smoke, heat, fire, and carbon monoxide alarms and accessories, is working with Dean Harris who was inaugurated as the High Sheriff of Shropshire in April.
Mrs Harris said she is committed to making a real difference to "everything Shropshire" during her tenure, a mission that Aico has chosen to support as part of its 30th anniversary in business this year. In particular, she will focus her time on three core areas of society including domestic abuse, addiction, and child poverty and deprivation.
Neal Hooper, managing director of Aico, said: “Dean is a personal friend of mine and she is keen to make a huge impact during her time as High Sheriff of Shropshire, as well as promote the role itself as being so much more than a ceremonial duty.
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“She originally introduced us to the fantastic Willowdene Rehabilitation addiction and training facility, who we’ve developed a hugely positive relationship with and pledged our financial, as well as volunteering support, over a 15-month term.
“We’re delighted to pledge our support to Dean and her subsequent causes as part of our 30th year and know that she’ll make a huge difference to individuals and communities across the county. Not only supporting organisations that deal with these issues, but with her focus on prevention over cure and understanding of the root causes.”
Some of the organisations Mrs Harris has already worked with during her first two months in post include the Shrewsbury Food Hub which works to tackle food poverty in Shropshire by rescuing and redistributing surplus food to local groups and charities. The charity is working to secure funding so that the initiative can be rolled out in other areas of the county.
The Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service and West Mercia Women’s Aid also provide an invaluable service to individuals across the county, offering support, training and programmes for survivors, families and young people.
Mrs Harris added: “I cannot thank the team at Aico enough for supporting me in helping to make a difference in Shropshire. It’s been a challenging few months having come into the role during a pandemic, but I’ve made the most of virtual tools and have already connected with many organisations and individuals who are doing the most incredible work to keep our region functioning pre and during Covid-19.
“Sharing my contacts and introducing people to each other so they can make a bigger difference has been extremely rewarding, and I hope that I can meet many in person over the coming months. Aico’s support is helping me to shine a light on a range of subjects that aren’t easy, but which are all sadly very real in Shropshire, and I want to say a personal thank you to Neal and the entire team.”
