New deputy lieutenants of Bucks announced

Deborah Brock, Professor Ruth Farwell CBE, Sir Stuart Hampson, Marion Hill, Fola Komolafe and Allan Westray are the six new faces joining the team of 34 deputy lieutenants who undertake community duties throughout the county.

The aims of the lieutenancy are to provide a focus for county identity, unity and pride, give a sense of stability, recognise achievements, success and excellence, and promote service to others.

Debbie Brock was the mayor of Milton Keynes in 2010/11 and raised more than £38,000 for her selected charities, Bletchley Park and Willen Hospice.

Mrs Brock, who has now retired from local politics, has one school age daughter and is married to Peter who is a farmer.

She is a stalwart supporter of many organisations in Milton Keynes including the Milton Keynes Community Foundation.

Mrs Brock, who lives in Olney, is also chairman of the Cenotaph Trust which has recently, in collaboration with the Parks Trust, built the MK Rose in Campbell Park as a place for celebration, commemoration and contemplation for all residents in Milton Keynes.

She became the first chairman of the Milton Keynes Health and Wellbeing board in 2012.

Professor Ruth Farwell has recently retired as vice-chancellor and chief executive of Buckinghamshire New University in High Wycombe and was awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours 2015.

As well as her role at Bucks New University, Professor Farwell who lives in High Wycombe, has been a member of the board of the Higher Education Funding Council for England since 2009 and is former chair of GuildHE.

During her career, she has been a pro vice-chancellor at London South Bank University, the head of the University of Brighton’s strategic planning unit and a research fellow at Imperial College London and she gained her PhD from the University of Kent.

Sir Stuart Hampson is the current chairman of The Crown Estate and was formerly chairman of the John Lewis Partnership.

He was the High Sheriff of Bucks in 2013/14 and is the patron of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, the Kop Hill Climb and of HFT, a national charity providing long term support for people with learning disabilities and their families.

He lives near Princes Risborough with his wife Angela, and they have one son and one daughter.

Marion Hill has lived and worked in the Milton Keynes area since 1972.

After 23 years as a teacher – including ten at Stantonbury Campus where both her sons were educated – Mrs Hill has started writing the first of 19 books based on the lives of ordinary people and their extraordinary experiences, inspired by the vast archive of memorabilia, diaries, letters and photographs at Living Archive Milton Keynes.

Mrs Hill has been very involved in the World War One commemorative activities in Milton Keynes and is a supporter of the arts more generally.

Fola Komolafe, who lives in Milton Keynes, is managing director with Indisys Business Solutions, an international consultancy firm that assists clients with developing and implementing their business, marketing and IT strategies.

Mrs Komolafe started Fresh Inspiration, a charity that focuses on empowering people through education and enterprise in developing countries.

She is chair of Milton Keynes Community Foundation and Milton Keynes College and a director of Milton Keynes Christian Centre.

She is also chair of the charity, Into The Community, that leads the Food Bank in Milton Keynes.

Allan Westray spent his career in the wine trade eventually setting up his own company, International Wine Services Ltd in 1990, which he sold successfully to Scottish & Newcastle plc in 1999.

Mr Westray, who lives near Aylesbury, was high sheriff in 2009/10.

He is a governor of Aylesbury College and is involved with a number of charities in the county including The PACE Centre, Bletchley Park, School Aid, Rennie Grove Hospice Care and the Epilepsy Society.