About the Lieutenancy
High Sheriff of West Sussex
History
The office of High Sheriff, the oldest secular office under the Crown, has its origins in
Saxon times before the Norman conquest and originally held many of the responsibilities
that now rest with the Lord-Lieutenant, the judiciary, local authorities, coroners and
HM Revenue and Customs.
The office of High Sheriff remained first in precedence in every county until the reign
of Edward VII. In 1904 an Order in Council established the Lord-Lieutenant as the
Sovereign’s personal representative. The High Sheriff now takes precedence
immediately after the Lord-Lieutenant.
Please click here for a full list of High Sheriffs of West Sussex since 1086.
Appointment
High Sheriffs serve for one year. A local advisory committee recommends individuals through the
Presiding Judge of the Circuit to the Privy Council. The formal selection of High Sheriffs is made annually at
a meeting of the Privy Council at which the Sovereign ‘pricks’ the list of forthcoming High Sheriffs with a bodkin.
Role
The High Sheriff’s principal responsibilities are as follows:
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To uphold and enhance the ancient office of High Sheriff and to make a meaningful contribution to the county during the year of office.
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To support the Lord-Lieutenant on royal visits and other occasions as appropriate.
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To ensure the well-being and protection of His Majesty’s High Court judges when on circuit in the county and attending them in court during the legal terms.
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To lend active support to the principal organs of the Constitution within the county – the Royal Family, the Judiciary, the police and other law enforcement agencies, the emergency services, local authorities, the church and faith groups.
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To take an active part in supporting and promoting the voluntary sector and giving all possible encouragement to voluntary organisations within the county.
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Acting as Returning Officer for Parliamentary Elections.
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Responsibility for the Proclamation of the Accession of a new Sovereign.
The current High Sheriff
The High Sheriff of West Sussex for 2024-25 is Mrs Philippa Gogarty.
Philippa Gogarty is the co-founder of Micro Scooters Ltd., which she
launched with her business partner in London in 2004. With six young
children between them they were fortunate enough to establish a new
and fun way for families to travel short distances which captured children’s
imaginations and became one of the top selling and sustainable children’s
brands of all time.
Before launching Micro Scooters, Philippa worked in fundraising as
Campaign Director with Lord Winston to raise money to build a research
centre for Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Imperial College London at
Hammersmith Hospital and as The Appeal Director for St Mary’s Hospital in
Paddington to raise money for a Paediatric A & E Unit. She also worked as
Head of Fundraising at The Royal Society of Arts Manufactures and
Commerce in London and before that at The Children’s Hospice for the
Eastern Region, which was one of the first of its kind in the UK.
Philippa has lived in Bosham, West Sussex since 2006, with her husband
Rory and their dog Winnie. She has three children: Georgia, Thomas and
Dominic.
More recently, Philippa has been volunteering with migrants in Northern
France, pioneering the work of the Women’s Centre in Dunkirk and the
Marie Skobstova Safe House in Calais. She and her family gave refuge to
a young Eritrean in 2018 following her visits to see him in Gatwick Detention Centre. She was appointed a trustee of Sanctuary in Chichester in 2021 and has worked as Lead Befriender to
organise the charity’s response to Afghans, Ukrainians and Asylum seekers
in the area. She has been involved locally in fundraising for Dementia
Support and The Brilliant Breakfast for The Princes Trust. Her voluntary work
is informed by her Christian values and faith. She enjoys walking and cycling,
rowing (including completing the Great River Race in the Thames and the Vogalonga in Venice).
She loves skiing and spending time at the family’s home in Cape Town.
During her year as High Sheriff of West Sussex, Philippa intends to focus her efforts on highlighting the hardship caused by poverty and gaps in service provision, wishing to recognise the selfless acts of staff and volunteers alike who are working in law order and the emergency services. She will be at pains to promote inclusion diversity and
inter faith and looks forward to serving the varied and ever-evolving communities in West Sussex.
The High Sheriff can be contacted through her PA, Julia Mansergh.
Email: westsussex@highsheriffs.com
The High Sheriff is also supported by the Under Sheriff, Mr Kevin Smyth.
Telephone: 01273 841042 or 07711 031524
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