Thomas Sheppard appointed Somerset Deputy Lieutenant

Thomas Sheppard has spent decades combining his day job as a solicitor with a host of charitable and not-for-profit roles.

A former managing partner at Thrings who now acts in a consultancy role, Mr Sheppard has now been honoured with his new role in recognition of his long service to the county.

The appointment was made by the current Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, Annie Maw, and has the support of The Queen.

The roles of Lord-Lieutenant and Deputies are voluntary and are usually offered to people who have contributed significantly to their communities.

Mr Sheppard said: "I was the 960th High Sheriff of Somerset and I had an absolute hoot doing it.

“However, it’s by no means usual that a High Sheriff goes on to be a Deputy Lieutenant, so I was honoured to be invited – like being chosen as High Sheriff, it’s not a role you can apply for."

He said: “The greatest privilege is being able to be the voice of the civic society – often saying ‘thank you’ to the people of the county for what they do for others,” added Mr Sheppard, who has spent his working life in chairman, trustee and non-executive director roles with charitable and not-for-profit organisations.

“In a way, we are acting as a set of eyes and ears on behalf of the Lord-Lieutenant. As a group of Deputy Lieutenants we have people working across religion, academia, the professional services, the military and more. We have also become better at becoming more diverse by including people from a range of ages and background.

“Most of all it’s fun – it’s a completely unpaid role so it has to be."

Mr Sheppard, who has been married to Michelle for 42 years, is also chairman and trustee of newly-formed charity Somerset Supports Ukraine, which helps refugees from the war-torn country find their feet.

He said: "Life is here to be enjoyed to the full so there’s always more to do. It’s an immense pleasure to do things which help other people – and doing that is its own reward.”