SHROPSHIRE deputy lieutenant and former high sheriff Mandy Thorn has joined the Shropshire Community Foundation as a trustee.

She will be joining the team which is developing the foundation as a long-term and sustainable source of independent funding for the county’s community organisations and charities.

She initially joined the foundation last year as an honorary trustee while she was High Sheriff of Shropshire but has now accepted a seat on the board in her own right.

Ms Thorn brings a wealth of business expertise and experience to the team after working for large multinational companies before joining her family care business.

She was a founder member of Shropshire Partners in Care, and a previous vice chair of the National Care Association as well as a former chair of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership Board.

She is currently a school governor, a member of the Shrewsbury Drapers Company, an active Rotarian and a member of her village’s parochial church council.

“I was very impressed by the work of the Shropshire Community Foundation during my year as an honorary trustee. I am very much looking forward to helping it build new partnerships to benefit all the community organisations and charities that work so hard to support Shropshire people.

“The foundation has launched the Shropshire Investors in Community scheme to encourage businesses and individuals to donate into a collective charity fund. I’m very keen to help build this into a valuable source of funding for Shropshire’s community groups and charities,” she said.

Chair of the trustees, Selina Graham, said she was delighted to welcome Mandy to the team.

“Mandy has done a wonderful job of supporting charities and community groups through her year as high sheriff. Her extensive business expertise will be invaluable to the foundation in its work in generating funding through partnerships and making sure it goes to those most in need of support,” she said.