Meet the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire who wants to improve the lives of vulnerable people in the county

Cambridgeshire’s High Sheriff wants to “highlight deficiencies” in the region and “raise the profile of lesser–known charities who do a sterling job in the community”.

Dr Bharatkumar Khetani took up the one–year role in April this year and says he will focus on supporting the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation and other organisations that support vulnerable people.

There are 55 High Sheriffs in England and Wales, appointed to support the Crown and the justice system as well as to lend their support to crime prevention agencies, emergency services and the voluntary sector.

It is the oldest non-religious office under Britain’s monarchy, dating back to the Saxon era, and once held responsibility for local law enforcement.

Nowadays, High Sheriffs largely perform a ceremonial role, which can include offering hospitality to High Court Judges and welcoming the Royal Family on their official visits.

Dr Khetani says that since taking up office he has “met the new Duke of Edinburgh, the King, and the Queen”.

“It was amazing to meet the King and have a few words with him and meet the Queen and have a few words with her,” he said.

Now retired, Dr Khetani was a practising GP in Parson Drove, near Wisbech, for nearly 40 years.

This helped him to become well-known within the community, he said, as did volunteering at a local food bank.

It was in Wisbech – at the Boathouse Business Centre – that he was sworn into office and also where he saw off Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) mayor Dr Nik Johnson as he began the Six District Challenge.

This was an attempt to navigate throughout Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s six districts in 24 hours by walking, cycling and using public transport.

He completed the challenge in ten-and-a-half hours, having spent £46.80.

Dr Khetani says he’s currently in the process of drawing up a list of charities he hopes to support over the year and is particularly passionate about the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, which cares for people in Cambridgeshire with long-term and serious illnesses.

"With my medical background, I’m quite keen on associations like Arthur Rank, which we have in Wisbech, and the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation,” he said.

"I’m also passionate about smaller charities because bigger charities have got a lot of funding to advertise themselves but smaller charities, local charities, don’t get as much recognition."

The role of High Sheriff is non-political and voluntary.

They receive no no remuneration and their expenses are not tax-payer funded.