(Image: Supplied)
Two North East charity founders who help people in mental health crises have won High Sheriff’s awards for voluntary service.
Trevor Sherwood and Angela Arnold, founders of LilyAnne’s Wellbeing Cafe in Hartlepool, received the awards from Dr Arnab Basu, High Sheriff of the County Palatine of Durham.
LilyAnne’s opened in 2017 as a coffee shop offering people a welcoming place to feel connected and heard.
The pair soon realised Hartlepool needed a wider mental health hub.
Dr Basu said: "What Trevor and Angela have built over the past nine years is a wonderful example of responding to the needs of a community.
"They have created an organisation which is there for people at some of the most difficult points in their lives and have worked tirelessly to make sure help is available when it is needed.
"Their dedication has made a real difference to people across Hartlepool and I was delighted to recognise their contribution with these awards."
LilyAnne’s has since grown into a community mental health hub supporting around 2,500 people a year.
The charity combines professional support with lived experience, offering early help and community links to people in mental health crises and those with autism, ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions.
Mr Sherwood said: "When we started LilyAnne’s in 2017, the idea was simply to create a place where people could come in, have a coffee and feel that they weren’t alone.
"Over time, people began talking to us about what they were going through and it became clear there was a real need for more help in Hartlepool.
"LilyAnne’s has grown around that need and I’m incredibly proud of what it has become."
Ms Arnold said she was grateful for the recognition.
She said: "Receiving a High Sheriff’s award is a huge honour and it means a lot to have our work recognised in this way.
"We see every day how important it is for people to have somewhere they can go when they are struggling.
"Being able to make a difference to people’s lives is what matters most to us, and we couldn’t do it without everyone who is part of LilyAnne’s."
The High Sheriff’s awards honour people and organisations whose voluntary work benefits communities across the county.
The Office of High Sheriff is the Crown’s oldest secular role and dates back more than 1,000 years.
Sheriffs originally served as the monarch’s chief representatives in each shire, keeping order, collecting taxes and administering justice.
Today, the role is largely ceremonial but remains important in civic life, supporting the judiciary and championing voluntary and community organisations.
The High Sheriff’s office has special historical significance in County Durham because the county was once a Prince-Bishopric.
For centuries, the Bishop of Durham wielded powers usually reserved for the monarch, including appointing sheriffs and administering local justice.