Deborah Bullivant, our CEO and Founding director, has been appointed as Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of South Yorkshire. She will be working under His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant, Prof. Dame Hilary Chapman, who was appointed to the role in November 2021.
Deborah started her career in community education, leading to headteacher positions, before going on to national educational leadership and policy advisory roles. Specialising in literacy, Deborah champions arts-based learning approaches to narrow the gap for marginalised children, young people, and adults. In 2022, Deborah achieved a Doctor of Education (University of Sheffield) and was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Jubilee Honours List, for her dedication to children and young people’s literacy in Rotherham.
Lord-Lieutenants are His Majesty’s representative in the county and in the role of a Deputy Lieutenant, Deborah will support and deputise for His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, Prof. Dame Hilary Chapman. Duties may include attending Royal visits to the county, representing the Lieutenancy at ceremonial events and ceremonies and any other duties that the HM Lord-Lieutenant may ask to be undertaken on her behalf. This is a voluntary role that Deborah will undertake in addition to her work at Grimm & Co, and was announced today (28th July 2023) in the Gazette.
Deborah said, “I’m so delighted to have joined the team of Deputy Lord-Lieutenants, as one of five newly appointed across South Yorkshire. I was overwhelmed to be asked to join this wonderful group of people, and I am so excited to have been given this opportunity to support HM Lord-Lieutenant Prof. Dame Hilary Chapman in celebrating and recognising the good work that takes place across our region.’
HM Lord-Lieutenant, Prof Dame Hilary Chapman said: “I am delighted to have been able to select such a diverse group of people to become Deputy Lieutenants. These people are already outstanding servants of South Yorkshire. In their different fields they have contributed to making life better for the rest of us and, as Deputy Lieutenants, will continue to do so.”
