News & Views

At the end of September I will complete my year as Sheriff of the City of London, and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the time that Elspeth and I have spent at the Old Bailey, with everything that it entailed.

At the end of September I will complete my year as Sheriff of the City of London, and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the time that Elspeth and I have spent at the Old Bailey, with everything that it entailed. It's been the experience of a lifetime and a whirlwind that has gone by in a flash.

Personal reflections

I've said on numerous occasions that this has been one of the best years of our lives. A year where Elspeth and I have been working on a joint project together rather than going off to our separate workplaces each day. It has therefore been as much a personal experience as a professional one.

We are both used to being busy, but this year has been intense and full in a way we have not previously experienced. In truth, it's probably been busier and more tiring than I had anticipated. Both Elspeth and I, along with Sheriff and Deputy Keith Bottomley and his consort Kevin Bradford, went into our respective roles with the intention of saying 'yes' to as much as possible and that's what we have done. I don't think I had quite appreciated how much that would involve - I don't think I have experienced anything like it since my time at Sandhurst - a time I also thoroughly enjoyed. However, the year has been enormously fulfilling - having a sense of purpose and delivering on it is exceptionally satisfying.

I have also greatly appreciated the generosity and warmth with which we have been received by the Livery Companies - that has been far greater than I expected. When you get to your late fifties, you don't expect to make lots of new friends, but we have had the pleasure of meeting so many remarkable groups of people doing interesting things, who we envisage continuing to develop friendships with for years ahead - something we look forward to very much.

Importantly, Elspeth has far and away been the star of the show. She has thrown herself into the role of Consort with enthusiasm and grace, has been popular with everyone and has hosted her lunches with care and generosity. Whenever we've shared a stage she's always outshone me, which has been a joy to see. To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, I am the man who accompanied Elspeth Hughes-Penney to the City of London, and I have enjoyed it.

Reviewing our efforts

It is extremely interesting that the role of Sheriff is one that you only occupy for a year - it's a deep incentive to do as much as you possibly can with that time, and that's certainly what we have tried to do.

There have been so many endeavours and events that we have had the privilege to be involved with, as well as those that have been front and centre of our own agenda. Our activities have perhaps been most prominent in the form of the Justice for All series and the Livery Lenten Sponsored Prison Walks which we hosted before Easter.

Elspeth and I, as well as all those involved, consider both of these endeavours to have been the launchpad for things that we aim to continue to develop, with the intent of working towards long-term and meaningful outcomes.

Livery Lenten Sponsored Prison Walks

Whilst I may have dreamed up the Livery Lenten Sponsored Prison Walks concept the hard organisational yards were all Elspeth. Their purpose was to raise money for the Sheriffs’ & Recorder’s Fund, to highlight the vital work of prison staff and associated charities, and to provide an opportunity for those joining to meet and engage with the people who live and work within our prisons.

Using the power of leverage that we are familiar with in City finance; 10 Masters per walk, each getting 100 donations of £10, across six walks meant we had hoped to raise £60,000 for the charity, but were overwhelmed by the level of support we received, culminating in more than £100,000 in fundraising efforts. This was in part due to that other City spirit; competition which emerged when someone on the second walk responded to Elspeth’s “congratulations on reaching your £10,000 target” with “does that make us the biggest?”. To which the response was “no, that was last week!” - and so it began.

The walks took us to HMP Pentonville, HMP Wandsworth, HMP Wormwood Scrubs, HMP Brixton, HMP Isis and HMP Downview, joined by so many wonderful people. That included Masters from the City's Livery Companies, HM Judges, Prison staff, charity representatives, and those with lived experience who made each event a really joyful and enlightening experience.

Elspeth jokingly said at the outset that one of her objectives was to “get as many people into prison as possible”, and I was tempted to put a Livery blog out saying “do you know your Master’s going to prison!”. Discretion prevailed and the initiative proved to be hugely instructive, popular and successful. The Sheriffs’ & Recorder’s Fund does superb work supporting the rehabilitation of prison leavers and their families, and we hope the walks are something that can be repeated.

The Justice for All series

Over the course of the last year the Justice for All series brought together voices from across the legal profession, business, finance, public policy, philanthropy and the criminal justice system to explore the pressures in the justice system and seek to answer the question “why justice for all makes economic sense”.

From discussions around prison reform and the economic case for rehabilitation, to the experiences of survivors of violence and exploitation, the series has sought to show that justice is not an abstract principle removed from daily work and life, but one of the foundations upon which confidence, prosperity and social cohesion depend.

Again, I have been unerringly grateful to all those who took part, attended, and worked so hard to bring such insightful and informative discussions to fruition. What's apparent is that justice is everyone’s responsibility, and all of us benefit when it works well. Of course, it is not enough to simply talk about it - the real work begins now.

Therefore, I was delighted, following the final event in June, to be able to share that the Ministry of Justice, the Impact Economy Collective, and the Office for the Impact Economy have agreed to form a policy lab to scope how philanthropy, impact investment and business can help reduce reoffending, with a particular focus on earlier, upstream intervention. It's a structured process that brings government and the impact economy together to design practical models. With particular thanks to Heather Davenport, who directs the Office for the Impact Economy, and Dom Llewellyn from the Impact Economy Collective, for their work so far, and going forward.

Consequently, the Lady Mayor, Alderwoman Dame Susan Langley, my fellow Sheriff Keith Bottomley, and myself will be the first civic team to have implemented a joint civic plan to work towards those goals.

New traditions

While these two initiatives were perhaps the most dominant in our calendars, there were many others that were similarly important and which we hope form the start of new traditions.

One I would like to draw attention to was the community's efforts last year on London Poppy Day, when the Livery Masters, as well as Keith and I, joined members of armed forces to collect for The Royal British Legion. The City has long been proud of its associations with the armed forces, and is passionate about supporting the UK's military personnel, as well as honouring those who have protected us in the past.

The Sheriff's responsibilities were historically tied to protecting the City, and this is one essential way we can continue that tradition. I hope that collaborative action is something we can see continue going forward.

Reverence for the City of London and those who serve it

While it will take me a little while to properly reflect on this year, and the immense privilege that has been afforded to me in having the chance to serve as Sheriff, one final thought on the matter (for now) is one of thanks to all those who serve the City of London in their various roles.

For one, it has been extremely interesting to observe the London mayoralty at close quarters over the last 12 months, especially what's required and expected of that civic team. I have learned a lot about myself and working with other people, and I am greatly humbled, impressed and appreciative of the efforts of all those within that team. As a community, the City of London is very fortunate to have them.

While I look forward to gathering my thoughts, this year has allowed me to test, affirm, and perhaps prove my belief that the City of London is a unique community with an essential role when it comes to serving the nation. I am lucky to have been part of that community throughout my career, and look forward to continuing to be a card carrying member for many years to come.