The High Sheriff of Shropshire

The High Sheriff

 

The Office of High Sheriff is an independent, non-political Royal appointment for a single year. The duties associated with the role have evolved over time with the focus of the appointment remaining on supporting the Crown and the judiciary. In modern times, this often involves playing an active role in strengthening local communities and promoting the interests of the criminal justice agencies and local organisations which are working to support the county.

The Community Foundation has worked closely with the office of the High Sheriff for many years and have received invaluable support from the current and previous High Sheriffs of Shropshire.

The Current High Sheriff of Shropshire

The office of High Sheriff is the oldest in the Country, apart from that of the Crown, having existed for over 1,000 years. In that context I am very conscious that my one year in office represents barely the blinking of an eye, but I am excited by the challenge which, I feel, is “to make a difference”. The role is incredibly varied and far reaching and I am looking forward to exploring the County and getting under it’s skin, to connecting people and connecting with people, and to championing volunteering in all its guises and two charities in particular.

I am proud to be following in the footsteps of several ancestors (John in 1642, Francis in 1652, George in 1746 and Francis Henry Cecil in 1936) who have all served as High Sheriffs of Shropshire, but more notably, I follow in the footsteps of my mother who was the first female High Sheriff of Shropshire in 1997. The Shrievalty has come a long way in 25 years, since this year 2022 will be the first year in history that there are the same number of female as there are male High Sheriffs! However, the challenge in the twenty first century is not to be swept away by the extraordinary history of the role, but to do justice to it in a way that is relevant to today, inclusive and public facing.

I feel passionately about volunteering. I would like to make the most of this great privilege and opportunity for myself in seeking out and celebrating all that is great about our County and all those who contribute to making it so, but I want to share this opportunity. I want to share it as widely as possible by using social and other media platforms to show people how they too can make a difference in their county and the benefits of doing so to them as well as the charities and communities who they serve.

I am looking forward to working with  The Community Foundation for Shropshire. There are 48 counties in England and 47 Community Foundations – we do not have our own but are in a once in a lifetime position to build one for the benefit of Shropshire.