Tameside resident appointed as High Sheriff of Greater Manchester

A Tameside resident has been appointed as the next High Sheriff of Greater Manchester following a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Mark Llewellin DL was chosen for the historic role by His Majesty the King. The Office of High Sheriff is the oldest secular Royal appointment in British history, dating back more than 1,300 years and referenced in the Magna Carta.

The position is an independent, non-political Royal appointment lasting for one year. Its origins lie in Saxon times when the ‘Shire Reeve’ acted on behalf of the monarch to maintain law and order across a county and oversee the collection of taxes owed to the Crown.

Today, the role focuses on representing the King’s interests in matters of law and order within the county. High Sheriffs support the judiciary, crime prevention organisations, emergency services and the voluntary sector. The position is entirely voluntary and self-funded.

Mr Llewellin, who has lived in Tameside for more than 30 years, will be formally installed as High Sheriff at Dukinfield Town Hall in early April.

He has long been involved in community life across the borough. Mr Llewellin has supported Willow Wood Hospice for many years, serving in a number of voluntary roles, and is also a supporter of Guide Bridge Theatre. In 2024 he was commissioned as a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester.

As part of his year in office, Mr Llewellin has appointed the Rev. Eddy Inglis of Tameside as his Chaplain.

Speaking about the appointment, Mr Llewellin said: “It’s a huge honour and very humbling to be chosen as the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester and to be only the third Tameside resident to hold the role in the history of the county.

“I am particularly looking forward to highlighting the thousands of volunteers and voluntary organisations in the county who do such brilliant – and often unsung – work in so many fields and to meeting as many of them as possible to say thank you.”

During his Shrieval year, Mr Llewellin will also raise funds for three charities: Willow Wood Hospice, Alzheimer’s Society and the George House Trust.

Born and raised in the West Country, Mr Llewellin originally trained as an actor and worked in broadcasting before moving to Tameside with his partner, the late actor Roy Barraclough MBE, who died in 2017.

He later became a director of Oldham’s Coliseum Theatre and was also a co-owner of Daisy Nook Garden Centre. Mr Llewellin now works as a freelance broadcaster and public speaker.