Latest news with #BBCRadioOxford.
BBC News
03-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Oxfordshire's new High Sheriff will 'give young people a voice'
A county's new High Sheriff has said his focus for the next 12 months will be "giving a voice" to young May is the chief executive of charity Cats Protection and will be sworn in as Oxfordshire's High Sheriff at a ceremony on role is the oldest secular office in the UK outside the Royal family and dates back more than 1,000 May, who is a former director of UNICEF, said the role was "extraordinary" and "such a strange thing". "If anybody's ever seen the High Sheriff, it's the person who looks a bit like the pirate king in a pantomime," he told BBC Radio Oxford."But behind that pomp and the pageantry and the parchment is actually something really special."He said he was "outrageously jealous" of female High Sheriff's who "get to wear the most amazing hat". The position was originally responsible for law enforcement and tax collection, but has evolved into a voluntary role that supports the judiciary, police, emergency services, and voluntary High Sheriff defines an individual focus for their year in the role."What I'm choosing to do over the next 12 months is to really focus on trying to give a voice to Oxfordshire's young people, who sometimes aren't heard as loudly as they should be," Mr May said."I don't think we can expect young people to find their way if all they hear from society is silence."We've got to be brave enough to listen to them, we've got to brave enough to show up, and we've got to be brave enough to lead and really hear our young people." Mr May will be supported in his role by his "really long suffering" husband Mark Johnson, who is taking up the role of Chamberlain to the High Sheriff."When you think that I not only could not have been High Sheriff in the 1960s, but I would've been locked up for being who I am, and now we're in a position where I am representing the King in this county when it comes to promoting law, order and justice," Mr May said."There is something really, really quite moving about that actually." You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
BBC News
31-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Brannagan 'hopefully' back for Saturday
Oxford United boss Gary Rowett is hopeful midfielder Cameron Brannagan will be available to face Sheffield United on 28-year-old missed Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough because of a knee injury."He's had a problem with a ligament in his knee where it's been a little bit sore and he felt it again on Thursday so we felt we couldn't take the risk with him with seven games to go, two at home in particular," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford."He's seen a specialist so hopefully it's not bad news and he should be available for the next game."Oxford have managed just one win from their past 11 Championship matches and are four points above the relegation zone with Rowett bemoaning injuries."We've found in this last 10 games we've had to patch up late in the week and even during games when we find a formation, someone goes down and that formation is difficult to play so we have to try to grind our way through it," he said.
BBC News
24-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Hopkins 'over the moon' with long jump gold
Long jump athlete Alice Hopkins said she was "over the moon" after winning a gold medal at the British Athletics Championships at the weekend. The 26-year-old from the Oxford City Athletic Club jumped a personal best of 6.59m in Birmingham to claim her first ever indoor gold."It feels amazing to be British indoor champion," Hopkins told BBC Radio Oxford."It was one of my goals this season to get this as last year I picked up the silver. I wanted to step it up again and I'm over the moon to get it."It puts me 11th in the all-time indoor list so that was another nice bonus."Thame-based athlete Hopkins, who has also previously competed in the heptathlon events, said she is hoping for further success in the upcoming outdoor season. "I'm looking forward to it and I want to get the gold there. I'm aiming for the world outdoor championships in Tokyo this September," she said. "To get the PB really boosts my confidence going into the outdoor season and makes my targets look really achievable." There was also a podium finish on Saturday for Oxfordshire's Jade O'Dowda, 24, who won a silver medal in the long jump.
