Six new Deputy Lieutenants have been appointed with the Queen’s agreement by the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Lord Crathorne.
North Yorkshire is the largest Lieutenancy area in the country and the Deputy Lieutenants act as the eyes and ears of the Lieutenancy and help the Lord-Lieutenant in his role as the Queen’s official representative. The posts are honorary, and unremunerated.
The Deputy Lieutenants are well spread geographically and are drawn from different disciplines and backgrounds. What they all have in common is an involvement in voluntary work of all kinds in the county.
Lord Best OBE of Tadcaster became a cross bench Peer appointed by the House of Lords Appointment Commission in 2001. He was Chief Executive of the York based Joseph Rowntree Foundation/Housing Trust from 1966 to 2006 and then Chairman of Hanover Housing Association. He is involved with Housing and Care projects throughout North Yorkshire. He is a Trustee of The Tree Council, Treasurer of the RSA (Royal Society for Arts). He is President of the Local Government Association and involved with many charities in North Yorkshire.
Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE of Eaglescliffe became a cross bench Peer appointed by the House of Lords Appointments Commission in 2010. She is Britain’s most successful paralympian having won many gold medals and holds numerous world records. She is a Director and Trustee of many sporting bodies and has been involved with the National Disability Council and UK Lottery Awards Panel. She is currently a non-executive director of UK Athletics. She is involved in other charitable activities in North Yorkshire including Zoe’s Place Hospice in Normanby and New Marske Harriers club.
Professor Graham Henderson CBE of Guisborough has had a distinguished academic career and is currently Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of Teesside University. He has taken Teesside University to the level of becoming the first ‘modern’ University to be recognised as The Times Higher Education ‘University of the Year’ (in 2009). He is a Trustee of The Captain Cook Birthplace Museum, and Leadership Board Member of Tees Valley Unlimited and is much involved with schools and rugby locally.
Mrs Alexandra Holford of Crayke near York is currently High Sheriff of North Yorkshire and a committee member for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire “Live Music Now”. She has been a volunteer at St Monica’s Hospital for 12 years and prior to that a prison visitor, school governor and a committee member of “York Area Appeals for Mental Health”. She started the Great Ouseburn Spring Festival which has raised £100,000 for the village.
Dr Richard Shephard of York is currently Chamberlain and Director of Development at York Minster and has been instrumental in raising over £20m since 2004. He has written some acclaimed ecclesiastical music. Prior to this he expanded the Minster School in York where he was Headmaster from 1985 to 2004. He was appointed Junior Warden, York Merchant Adventurers in 2012.
Mr Simon Theakston of Harrogate is Executive Director of the Brewery T&R Theakston Ltd in Masham founded in 1827. In 2009 he was appointed Chairman of the ‘Pub is the Hub’ of which The Prince of Wales is Founder and Patron. He was appointed Chairman of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society in 2008 and is currently Chairman of the Yorkshire & NE British Beer and Pub Association and an elected member of Harrogate Borough Council. He is involved with local activities including The Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate and is Patron of the Harrogate Male Voice Choir.
For further information about the Lieutenancy and a list of Deputy Lieutenants visit the Lord Lieutenant’s website www.nyll.org.uk or North Yorkshire County Council website www.northyorks.gov.uk
