Five new Deputy Lieutenants of Kent have been appointed today, each of them honoured for their positive contributions to the County and the Nation.
They are Mrs Blondel Cluff CBE (Dover); Major General (Retired) Adrian Foster CMG MBE (Canterbury); Miss Ann Millington OBE QFSM (Tonbridge and Malling); Mr Simon Philip (Maidstone) and Mrs Fidelity Weston (Sevenoaks).
Mrs Blondel Cluff CBE is a solicitor for over forty years standing, who founded the legal department of Lazard Brothers & Co., Ltd during her career in the City of London where she was seconded to the London Stock Exchange to develop the Stock Exchange Moneybroking market. She is Freeman of the City of London and liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths having spent over ten years on the Royal Mint Advisory Committee. Blondel held various chairmanships at the National Lottery for almost ten years that included responsibilities for the communities and heritage of Kent. She is the CEO of the West India Committee, having served as a diplomat for several years on behalf of the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla, her nation of origin. In 2018 she was awarded the CBE for services to the Caribbean community both in the UK and abroad and for her work in numismatics. She is a trustee of The Remembrance Trust, based in Dover, and together with her husband, Algy Cluff OBE, DL raised their three sons in Kent.
Major General (Retired) Adrian Foster CMG MBE served in the British Army for 39 years. He started off in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, ascending to command of 26 Field Regiment RA based in Germany. Subsequently he had a succession of home and overseas postings, including four years on peacekeeping duties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His final appointment before retirement from the Army was Deputy Military Adviser for all UN peacekeeping operations at the UN Headquarters in New York. He now assists various not-for-profit international organisations, and is involved with a number of social and recreational clubs in Kent.
Miss Ann Millington OBE QFSM started her career with Kent Fire and Rescue Service back in 2007 when she joined as HR Director. She occupied a variety of roles which culminated in her taking on the position of Chief Executive in 2011, a position she still currently holds. Ann champions equality, diversity and inclusion in relation to both their customers and internally and is held in high regard by her peers across Kent and Medway. Under her leadership, Kent Fire and Rescue Service has won numerous awards and has emerged as one of the top performing services in the country in the first HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Service’s Inspection. She has been Chair of the People Committee for the National Fire Chiefs Council and is currently the Chair of Trustees for the Heart of Kent Hospice.
Ann is an Occupational Psychologist with a background in change management, organisational development, training, HR and Consultancy.
Mr Simon Philip was brought up in East Kent. He is a former partner in Deloitte, the international professional services firm, where he specialised in wealth management and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. He is an author on personal finance matters.
Simon was both Treasurer and Chair of Kent County Cricket Club, roles which he held for 15 years. He is a former Chair of the Kent Trust for Youth Sport and was a Trustee of The Allergy Research Foundation. Simon is a Member of The Jockey Club, chairs The Epsom Training Grounds Management Board, which oversees the training of racehorses on Epsom Downs and sits on the committee of Epsom Downs Racecourse.
Mrs Fidelity Weston has lived in Kent all her life and runs the family farm south of Sevenoaks. Certified organic and Pasture for Life and providing educational visits for schools, Fidelity has long been active in promoting the importance of farming with nature. Past Governor of Sevenoaks School and Chair of Kent Wildlife Trust, Seal Parish Council and Pasture for Life, she continues her involvement in education, farming and wildlife, setting up and currently chairing CLEAR, a national Consortium on Labelling for the Environment, Animal welfare and Regenerative farming and locally, chairing a steering group overseeing the ongoing management of the Sevenoaks Greensand Commons.
His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Kent, The Lady Colgrain said: “I am absolutely delighted to be able to welcome these outstanding new Deputy Lieutenants to the Kent Lieutenancy. Their wide breadth of experience will further enhance an already strong team of Deputies who support me in my role as Lord-Lieutenant and act as the eyes and ears for the Lieutenancy throughout this incredibly diverse county.”
