New High Sheriff of Suffolk aims to help 'everyone who cares for the county'

A new High Sheriff of Suffolk will be sworn in tomorrow.

Edward Creasy will take up the role following a small socially distanced ceremony at Ipswich Crown Court on April 9.

Edward’s main priority will be to ‘support and help’ Suffolk, the courts, the institutions, the emergency services and 'everyone who plays a part' in looking after the county, as it recovers from the pandemic.

Mr Creasy grew up in Tostock in West Suffolk, but he has lived in Burgh, near Woodbridge, in East Suffolk, for the last 35 years.

He is the owner of a Suffolk brick tower windmill, built in 1842 and decommissioned in 1925.

He has worked in the Lloyd’s of London Insurance market for 43 years, and still has two part time jobs there.

As a long-term member of Pilotlight, a London based charity which brings together experienced managers and small charities to help them become more sustainable and effective organisations, Mr Creasy will also be working during his year in office to set up a Pilotlight programme in Suffolk.

He said: “2020 was a really difficult year, and the community of Suffolk has shown great resilience in responding and reacting to the Covid pandemic.

"It will take time and hard work for everything to return to normal.

I am here to help everyone who cares for this wonderful county look forward to the new situation in which we find ourselves.

"I’m particularly keen to encourage people and companies throughout Suffolk to support charities.

"Philanthropy is alive and well in Suffolk, but people can help charities survive and thrive not only with their generous donations but also through sharing the experiences gained in their own careers.”

Married to Penny, with three adult children, Mr Creasy stopped working full time in 2010 and focused mainly on charity and local work, and has held non-executive positions for local companies.

His leisure interests focus on the countryside, and he has lived in a rural environment for most of his life.

He is a keen walker and has walked and helped organise annual charity marathons in Sierra Leone over the last decade.

A keen birdwatcher, he and Mrs Creasy are also regular visitors to the races at Newmarket and he enjoys his sport – focused on rugby and cricket, and played as an amateur in Suffolk for some 15 years.

The High Sheriff of Suffolk is an independent non-political Royal appointment dating back to Saxon times when the ‘Shire Reeve’ was responsible to the king for the maintenance of law and order within the county, and for the collection and return of taxes due to the crown.

Whilst the role has evolved over time, supporting the Crown and the judiciary remain central elements of the role today.

High Sheriff’s receive no remuneration or expenses, and a new High Sheriff is appointed every year.

Read more: All the latest news from Suffolk