Who is the High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight?

Mrs Gay Edwards has been appointed High Sheriff for the Isle of Wight for the year 2009-2010.

She made her declaration as High Sheriff on Monday 6th April 2009 in the Minster Church of Sts Thomas in Newport. It was the first time a High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight had made the Declaration in church.

The Declaration was made before Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant Major General Martin White, His Honour Judge Gareth Cowling and the Chairman of the Magistrates' Bench Mr Stephen Howe. The outgoing High Sheriff, Mr Alan Titchmarsh, presented Mrs Edwards with the Badge of Office. After making her Declaration she outlined her plans for her year in office. Mrs Edwards appointed Mr John Matthews, the Island Coroner, as her Under Sheriff and the Reverend Canon Dr Stephen Palmer as her Chaplain. The procession into the Minster included the Sword Bearer, Mrs Edwards' son Piers.

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Gay Edwards was born in Kent, raised in Buckinghamshire and has lived on the Isle of Wight since her marriage to David Edwards in 1968. They have two children, both living in London, four grandchildren and a young labarador.

While living in London as a young woman she worked in publishing and films. Since living on the Island she has worked for the family firm of Dabells, running one of the department stores until they were closed. She then trained to be a garden designer and still works as one.

As a young woman Gay got involved with a number of charities including Relate, then Marriage Guidance, and the NSPCC. Much later she sits on the committee for the Campaign Renewal of Sts Thomas, the Minster Church in Newport.

Her involvement with the Criminal Justice System began in the 1970s when she sat on the Local Review Committee at Camp Hill and Parkhurst prisons. In those days these committees were the first part of the parole system. She was also on the Board of Visitors (now the Independent Monitoring Board) at Parkhurst. In 1979 was appointed to the Parole Board which she was on for four year. She joined the Hampshire Probation Committee, which later became the Board, the body which is responsible for the governance of the service covering both Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. She went on to chair the Board. While on the Probation Board she chaired the Hampshire Care Trust, a grant giving body set up to help people for whom the Probation service had a responsibility, and their families. The Care Trust later became the Hampton Trust and Gay was a founder trustee of this organisation which runs innovative projects to keep vulnerable young people out of trouble. She was also on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Probation and Bail Hostels and was a trustee of Victim Support for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight until 2008 when it became part of the national organisation and no longer has a local board of trustees.

Gay's other activities have included sitting on the Management Committee of the Isle of Wight Housing Association, being a non-executive Director on the Portsmouth, South East Hampshire and Isle of Wight Health Authority, and serving on the Ofwat Customer Services Committee for South East England.

As far as general interests are concerned, Gay used to ride a lot and recently spent a week on a riding safari in the Masai Mara, she enjoys houses, gardens, driving and skis because David does and they both enjoy the cinema, opera, theatre, and good food.