The office of High Sheriff is the oldest secular office in the country outside the monarchy.

Today, the very extensive powers which the office once enjoyed have gone and the role involves a mix of ceremonial, charitable and community functions. The role is voluntary, unfunded and non-political.

The current High Sheriff of Oxfordshire is Tony Stratton.

His duties include pursuing themes and initiatives which bring communities together and benefit the social fabric of the county.

Oxfordshire is a county which enjoys great diversity in its geographic character, its economy, its social structures and its people.

While recognising that this diversity is something to be celebrated, the High Sheriff’s office has established the Community Integration Awards, to reward and promote new initiatives to foster community integration and to build greater common knowledge and greater understanding between communities in the county.

The award is intended to provide support for projects that foster or encourage integration between different groups in the community and to encourage understanding of differences where that is lacking. Projects may focus on any aspect of community life and may be new or already exist.

Previous winners of this award include Cowley Road Works, the Oxfordshire Nepalese Community, Green Square group and Slade and Headington Children’s Centre.

The award will provide financial support up to a maximum of £3,000 for any individual project or in smaller amounts depending on the requirements of the project.

Financial support provided under the award scheme could be used to pay for any or all of the costs of the project and could include staffing, travel, IT resources, hospitality, room hire, stationery and postage, phone calls and other similar incidental expenditure.

Applications for the awards may be made by individuals, groups or registered charities.

Application forms are available from ocva.org.uk/high-sheriff Application forms should be submitted by Monday, November 10, 2014 by email to Kanika Lang at kanika.lang@ocva.org.uk or by post to Kanika Lang, Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action, The Old Court House, Floyds Row, St Aldates, Oxford OX1 1SS