People / Lord-Lieutenant
Peaches Golding becomes Queen’s personal representative in Bristol
Peaches Golding has come a long way since being born in South Carolina.
The former teacher has come so far in fact, to Bristol via spells in the USA and Nigeria, that she will soon become the Queen’s personal representative in Bristol.
As the new Lord-Lieutenant of the City and County of Bristol, Golding assumes a largely ceremonial position that once upon a time used to be responsible for organising a county’s militia.
is needed now More than ever
No longer a military role, Golding will be the first to greet members of the Royal Family on official visits to Bristol.
“The role is very wide-ranging and covers social, civic and ceremonial aspects,” says Golding at her home in Leigh Woods. “It’s just the most amazing activity you can imagine.”
Golding – taking over the role from Mary Prior who has held the title for nine years – hopes to inspire change through encouragement: “Bristol is a wonderful city. It has its two universities. It has loads of incubators for business and some of the most amazing advanced technology being developed here.
“I want to recognise all of those wonderful things and make sure that we’ve got a really good pipeline.”
Golding also acknowledges the “pockets of deprivation” in Bristol, and is keen to work to help improve them. “It concerns me greatly and I think there are great opportunities to help develop communities in Bristol.”
She is particularly passionate about encouraging young students: “If it is true that 85 per cent of people who live in Clifton, for example, aspire to go to university, and only eight per cent of people in Hartcliffe aspire to go to university, I want to understand how we can increase that potential.”
In her wide-ranging career, Golding has successfully created links between the voluntary, public and private sectors.
In 2009 she was awarded an OBE for her service to ethic minority people, the following year she became the High Sheriff of Bristol, and she has also served on a number of public bodies and private sector organisations.
One of her main roles as Lord-Lieutenant will be recommending people to be recognised on the Honours lists. She will also chair the committee which recommends the appointment of magistrates.
“The Queen likes her Lord-Lieutenants to serve up to 15 years because she thinks it takes a little while to get into the role and to make an impact,” Golding explains.
“It’s an enormous privilege to do that work and you really want to do it because you know it will come to an end. I’ve worked here for 35 years. I’ve taken Bristol to my heart and I think Bristolians have taken me to theirs as well.
“I’m really looking forward to trying to help make a difference.”
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