On 24 March Richard and Gloria, as the Mayor and Mayoress of Sutton, helped judge a competition at Wilson’s school in Sutton to determine which of eight local charities would receive an injection of financial support.

Eight teams of boys had prepared presentations on chosen local charities. The most compelling presentation would win a donation of £1 000 to their charity, with two other prizes of £250, under a programme prepared by the charity fundraisers “First Give.”

The winning presentation was on behalf of Bromley and Croydon Women’s Aid, which runs a support service for victims of domestic abuse. The other winners were the Garwood Foundation, which helps people with disabilities, and PSDS, a local charity to help those with Down Syndrome.

Richard said, when presenting the awards, that the quality of the presentations was outstanding, particularly the case studies, the mix of media used to present the case, and the extensive research that clearly underpinned all that was said.