Nicola Dawes, Chief Executive of Stripey Stork, appointed as Deputy Lieutenant for Surrey

Stripey Stork are delighted to announce that HM Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey, Michael More-Molyneux, has appointed Nicola Dawes as a Deputy Lieutenant for the county of Surrey with effect from today (2^nd June 2021).

Nicola is the Chief Executive of Stripey Stork, the Reigate-based baby bank. She founded the charity in 2013 as a practical way for families to help each other with kindness and purpose, and since then the organisation has responded to 12,000 requests for help and distributed items such as clothes, toys, cots, prams and highchairs with a value of over £3m. In 2019 Stripey Stork was recognised with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest honour a voluntary organisation can receive in the UK.

In taking on this commission, Nicola joins a highly distinguished team of Deputies who assist and support the Lord-Lieutenant in his public duties as Her Majesty The Queen’s representative in the county of Surrey. Deputy Lieutenants (DL) come from all walks of life and are recognised for their contribution to the county within which they reside.

On receiving her commission Nicola commented:

“I am honoured to be appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant and look forward to giving back to our fantastic region, particularly by highlighting the important role played by voluntary organisations. I would like to thank HM Lord-Lieutenant Mr Michael More-Molyneux for the appointment, and I look forward to supporting him and working with my fellow Deputy Lieutenants.”

Nicola is one of ten new Deputy Lieutenants of Surrey, appointed this year. Their role is to assist the Lord-Lieutenant and Vice Lord-Lieutenant in their work and their over-arching responsibility is to promote their county at local ceremonies and official events, and to help assess local organisations nominated for awards and honours.

Karen Lord, Chair of Stripey Stork, said:

“All of Team Stork are incredibly proud of Nicola’s appointment which highlights just how valued she is within the local voluntary sector. As Deputy Lieutenant, she can further strengthen our bond with the Surrey community and allow us to work towards our vision that every child in the county has access to the essential things they need to develop and meet their potential.”

For more information about the Surrey Lieutenancy, visit: https://www.surreylieutenancy.org