A former president of a Watford counselling charity has been awarded an honorary doctor of letters by the University of Hertfordshire in recognition of her accomplishments.

Lady Joanna Staughton's charity work, including heading up Relate in Watford, and her service as high sheriff of Hertfordshire and deputy lieutenant for the county were acknowledged with the award.

Lady Joanna graduated with an Open University degree in english literature and social sciences at the age of 50.

She went on to save a failing school in Hitchin, and serve as governor and chairman of several state primary and secondary schools before becoming chairman of the Hertfordshire Family Practitioner Committee for eight years, where she oversaw both its transition to the Family Health Services Authority and the reorganisation of NHS services in Hertfordshire.

Lady Joanna moved on to serve as a council member of the NHS Confederation, the body for all organisations commissioning or providing NHS services, and then chairman of the Independent Review Panels for NHS Complaints as well as an independent assessor in the appointments process for the Department of Health.

Lady Joanna, who was also honoured with an OBE this year, then became a Justice of the Peace for the Inner London Commission for 30 years, sitting mostly in Youth Court.

She was appointed chairman of the Inner London Youth Panel in the early 1990s, and also served on the Committee of Magistrates for Inner London and the Police Complaints Board.

Lady Joanna was involved with charities including the British Heart Foundation, the National Children’s Bureau, and the Child Accident Prevention Trust during that time.

She was president of the Watford branch of the counselling service Relate for several years, and lent her support to organisations such as St Albans Cathedral Music Trust and the Royal Patriotic Fund. 

Today she is active with several local charities, including Hertfordshire Society for the Blind, the Hertfordshire Community Foundation, and Days Almshouse Charity in Sarratt.

Lady Joanna said: "I am deeply honoured to receive this award from the University of Hertfordshire.

"I greatly admire the university and all it achieves and I am proud to have been involved with it for so many years and for my involvement to continue."

The graduation ceremony took place on Thursday, November 20, and was held in the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Albans.

In reading the citation, Julie Newlan pro vice-chancellor for Enterprise at the University of Hertfordshire, said: "While there are many people who work for the greater good, few can have done so with the same purpose, energy and passion as Lady Joanna Staughton.

"We are delighted that Joanna is also continuing her long-standing relationship with our university and that we could recognise her in this way."