Christmas is almost upon us.

It’s always a hectic time for me as it will be for many others. It will be more hectic than ever this year as I go to events around the county. Of course, there will be a number of carol services. And I’m looking forward especially to a singalong with mince pies in Montgomery’s magnificent town hall, to Brecon Festival Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker and to the panto in Builth. I will be singing in my local community choir’s Christmas concert in the Farmers Arms in Cwmdu on December 17. And I’m hoping to raise money for my charities at a seasonal dinner and dance organised by my colleagues on the Mid-Wales magistrates’ bench.

Christmas is, of course, a Christian festival, and my December column is an opportunity to give a shout-out to the great work that chapels and churches do up and down Powys at Christmas and throughout the year. It has been a pleasure to visit different denominations and to meet the committed and kind people who act out their religious faith in practical help to others.

Of course, practical help to others is nothing necessarily to do with religious belief. So many people volunteer to help others in a myriad of ways, and it has been humbling to meet many of them as High Sheriff. At Christmas time, we ought to think about those who are lonely, those who are physically or mentally unwell, those who find difficulty in providing the necessities of life for themselves and their families, and those who are in abusive relationships. Christmas may not be merry for them. But it will be better than it could have been thanks to the efforts of volunteers, as well as the statutory services. We all owe these people an enormous debt of gratitude. Their work seems to me to be the true spirit of Christmas.

I would like to wish everyone in Powys a happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year. As always, I’d be delighted to hear from anyone who thinks I can help their organisation over the next four months before my period of office ends. You can email me [email protected]. You can also message me on my Facebook page High Sheriff of Powys, or on X (formerly Twitter) @USPowysHS.