Pete Bell Receives High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire Award

SOSO founder Pete Bell was presented with a High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire Award in recognition of his services to the community.

The award was made by Paul Southby, the 458th High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, on 29th March 2023. The certificate recognises Pete for "great and valuable services to the community" and acknowledges the appreciation of the residents and people of Nottinghamshire for his contribution to enhancing the life of the community.

The High Sheriff Awards are given each year to individuals across the county who have made outstanding contributions to community life, whether through crime prevention, social cohesion, or voluntary work. Pete's decades of work through Step Out, Stay Out, from delivering football coaching programmes in prisons across the East Midlands to running weekly sessions for young people on the Clifton Estate, made him a fitting recipient.

Pete said:

"I feel very proud that I received the award. It recognises the work that goes into the community. It was a really nice thing to receive."

For Pete, the award is part of a longer journey. In the 1990s he was serving time in HMP Lincoln. Since then he has earned his UEFA B coaching licence, worked with the FA as a coach educator and mentor for over a decade, and built SOSO into a programme that operates across prisons, schools, and communities. His work has been recognised in Parliament by Lilian Greenwood MP, and he has received praise from former Justice Minister Edward Argar.

The High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire is the oldest secular office under the Crown in the county. The role is largely ceremonial today, but the annual awards carry real weight as a recognition of community service across Nottinghamshir