FOLLOWING a career in the Armed Forces Andrew Tuggey, of Monmouthshire, embarked upon a second career in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. He talks to Kath Skellon about the honour of becoming the current High Sheriff of Gwent and his hopes for his year in office.

“I became High Sheriff of Gwent for 2015-2016 on April 2. Born in Reading, educated at Reading School and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, I was commissioned as an officer in the Corps of Royal Engineers. A pre-university posting took me to Malaysia and Hong Kong with the Gurkhas and after attaining a degree in civil engineering, a subsequent military career took me and my family on many fascinating postings, mostly overseas. On retiring from the Army, I, my wife Clare and our three sons returned to our home near Monmouth; our 28th move in 28 years of marriage. I now have a second career as Chief Executive & Secretary of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association at Westminster in the Houses of Parliament.

During my military service I was privileged to serve six years with the Gurkhas, in The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers (QGE). I learnt to speak Nepalese during several treks in Nepal where I visited Gurkha veterans and also assessed water supply projects. Coincidentally there is a Nepalese community in Gwent, in Torfaen, many of whom are ex-Gurkha soldiers, mostly from QGE. The Nepalese community in Torfaen has raised over £10,000 for the Nepalese Earthquake Appeals organised by the Disaster Emergency Committee and the Gurkha Welfare Trust – a remarkable achievement.

In 1990, when serving on the Canadian Prairies, in Alberta, I learnt I was to be posted to Monmouth to command the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) based at the Castle, birthplace of Henry V, victor of the Battle of Agincourt.It was then that we made the family home in Monmouth. After commanding my Regiment, I served in London at the MOD, then again inNorthern Ireland prior to my last posting with the FCO as a Defence Attaché in the Baltic States as those countries were joining NATO and the European Union.

On leaving the Army I was fortunate to be appointed to be the Chief Executive & Secretary of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in the Houses of Parliament at Westminster - CPA UK. The CPA is an association of some 60,000 Parliamentarians across the Commonwealth in over 175 branches in all Commonwealth legislatures; national, state, provincial and territorial. The purpose of the Association is to strengthen parliamentary democracy in the Commonwealth. Westminster is held in huge regard across the world. CPA UK uses the wealth of the human resources at Westminster, the parliamentarians, Clerks and officials to run parliamentary strengthening and capacity-building programmes with partner Parliaments, covering the committee system, the role of MPs, the role of the Speaker, Opposition and the Whips, oversight and holding the Executive to account. CPA UK also focuses on the several and many issues in which parliamentarians have an interest; climate change, gender issues, the representation and empowerment of women, violence against women and girls, forced marriage, FGM, human rights and equalities, tax matters and the new sustainable development goals.

I have chaired ABF The Soldiers’ Charity in Gwent for over 10 years and was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant in 2006. It was a great privilege and honour to be nominated to be High Sheriff of Gwent and at a meeting of the Privy Council on March 19 2015, my name was pricked by Her Majesty The Queen, along with 56 other High Sheriffs in England and Wales. Within the required 28 days I made make my declaration of office on April 2 at Monmouth Castle.

Along with my High Sheriff colleagues, I am finding that being High Sheriff is a hugely exciting, interesting and satisfying role which is giving me the privilege of an insight to Gwent that few others have. High Sheriff is a very ancient appointment and the oldest civic appointment in the land; over 1,000 years old. The role of the High Sheriff combines the tradition of looking after High Court judges, assisting the Lord Lieutenant in the prosecution of her / his duty, and supporting the police, with work in the community. In protocol terms the High Sheriff comes after the Lord Lieutenant, Her Majesty's representative in the county. There are no High Courts in Gwent, but the High Sheriff of Gwent may on occasions be invited to sit alongside the judges at the High Court in Cardiff. The High Sheriff does a lot of work with the communities in Gwent and may have opportunities to facilitate and assist community projects involving young people. On ceremonial occasions High Sheriffs normally wear a court dress uniform of a black velvet jacket and britches. However, if the High Sheriff has served in the armed forces No 1 Dress uniform may be worn and on suitable occasions I wear QGE uniform.

Gwent has a Gwent High Sheriffs’ Community Fund administered by the Community Foundation in Wales. Every March the GHSCF makes some 20 grants of up to £3,500 for small community projects focused largely on the needs of young people. In the previous September bids are invited for GHSCF grants. The bidding round produces a list of 60 or 70 applications which the High Sheriffs’ panel short-lists to about 30. Those 30 groups assemble in March and in the presence of the High Sheriff, Police & Crime Commissioner, Chief Constable and guests, each group makes a two minute presentations on the need for its particular application. The presentations are peer-assessed by the participants only, from which emerges a final list of some 20 successful applications.The grants given cover a broad spectrum to help young people and other disadvantaged groups; boxing clubs for young people, football clubs, dance clubs, drug and alcohol abuse projects, projects to assist the homeless, after-school clubs, holiday action projects, support for scouts, safety boats for Sea Cadets, women’s aid projects.

In Parliament I lead a team of 18 young motivated people. I believe there is a huge synergy between some of the international themes addressed by my team in Parliament and some of my High Sheriff’s responsibilities for supporting community work in Gwent. During my year as High Sheriff of Gwent I wish to focus more on projects to help young people, especially those which address the empowerment of young women and girls in Gwent, and violence against women and girls. Many projects are underway in Gwent to address the challenges young people face. In one authority, a remarkable group of challenged young women decided together that they wanted to go to Kenya to work in an orphanage. The security situation was such that they could not go, so they went to orphanage in Belarus. It was an eye-opener for them to see the sadness and the condition of the little children. The girls returned feeling empowered and determined to do more. I also plan to work with some of the Moslem communities in Newport. I was honoured when COMMON, the Council of Muslims and Mosques of Newport invited me to speak at a pre-Ramadhan reception held in the Civic Centre.

Last month I visited Tredegar Youth Café which has provided a safe haven and activity centre for youngsters. Sadly TYC has had to close because its volunteers who have run it for 20 years are now fairly senior citizens. There are no successor volunteers to set into their shoes. GHSCF has given TYC £9,500 over the past three years and as High Sheriff, I was delighted to present High Sheriff’s awards for community work to the out-going volunteers, and to use the opportunity to ask for new volunteers to resurrect TYC, because the need TYC addressed still exits.

To enable the Gwent High Sheriffs’ Community Fund to do more, I am keen to boost the amount of money in the Fund. I have commenced engagement with some of the big employers in Gwent to persuade them through corporate social responsibility to do more by donating to the Fund and to help match the generous donations the GHSCF already receives from the Police & Crime Commissioner.

Gwent is a remarkable and go-ahead county, and in several areas leads the way in Wales and in UK with the work being done in its communities. As High Sheriff, and with experience from my work in Parliament, I see similarities in many of the empowerment and safety challenges faced by deprived young people, and young women and girls in developing countries reflected in some of the challenges faced by deprived young people, and young women and girls in parts of Gwent. I am determined and committed to use my year of office as High Sheriff to support and add value to the work in those communities in Gwent."