New High Sheriff Committed To Helping Young People

Published on: 1 May, 2016
Updated on: 3 May, 2016

Richard Whittington, the new High Sheriff of Surrey 2016 to 2017.

Richard Whittington has been installed as the High Sheriff of Surrey 2016-17, with a commitment to helping young people into work.

Making his declaration of allegiance to the Queen to a congregation of civic dignitaries at the close of choral evensong at Guildford Cathedral on Friday (April 29), Mr Whittington of Chobham assumed an office that is at least 1,000 years old with its roots in Saxon England.

It is the oldest continuous secular office under the crown.

He takes over from the 2015-16 high sheriff, Elizabeth Kennedy. High sheriffs are appointed by the Queen, and she pricked his name with a brass bodkin from a shortlist of three candidates.

His role is the Queen’s representative of the judiciary, and the office is unpaid, with each sheriff covering his own expenses. Mr Whittington will support organisations that uphold law and order, including the courts, police, prisons, emergency services and voluntary bodies.

The new High Sheriff of Surrey outside Guildford Cathedral after the installation. The outgoing High Sheriff of Surrey, Elizabeth Kennedy, was in attendance.

He is keenly interested in youth opportunities and will be working to promote openings to bring them into work through apprenticeships, internships and work experience, with particular focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Mr Whittington previously worked for KPMG, where he was partner-in-charge of the infrastructure, government and healthcare group and simultaneously global head of building and construction, based in London.

He has lived in Surrey for over 30 years and is involved with the community in a number of areas including being a governor of Gordon’s School, a non-executive director of The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and honorary treasurer of the Community Foundation for Surrey.

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