President & Patrons
President of Sefton CVS:
The President acts an ambassador and figurehead for Sefton CVS within the region and nationally. The role of President helps to inform people about the purpose and work of CVS within the local community and promotes the role of the voluntary community and faith (VCF) sector.
The role involves supporting and attending engagements and activities organised by Sefton CVS and generally spreads the word about all that is undertaken by the charity.
Purpose of a Patron:
The role of a CVS Patron is to act as an ambassador and engage inactivity to promote, support and advocate the work of Sefton Council for Voluntary Service (CVS). It is also to be a supportive and encouraging presence to Trustees, staff and volunteers in the work and activities undertaken on behalf of the charity.
Sefton CVS appoint Patrons from within the Liverpool City Region.
Civic Patron:
The office of the Mayor of Sefton has had a historic link to the CVS from 1974 when the charity became a borough wide CVS at the same time as the formation of the Metropolitan borough of Sefton. The office of Mayor acts as a civic Patron to the CVS supporting the volunteer certificate scheme, Citizens4Good and events recognising the contribution to the borough of the VCF sector and its volunteers.
The Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside - Mr. Mark Blundell
Mark Blundell was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside in 2017.
Educated at Downside School and Balliol College, Oxford, he was articled as a solicitor with Weightmans in Liverpool, later becoming a partner at Boodle Hatfield in Mayfair, London.
He is the present incumbent of the Crosby Hall Estate, Little Crosby, which has been in the possession of the Blundell family for many centuries. He founded and continues to chair Crosby Hall Educational Trust, a residential centre for children, created out of redundant 17th Century stables on the estate.
Amongst other appointments, he has held the posts of President of the Council and Pro-Chancellor of Liverpool University. He has been a governor of Royal Northern College of Music and chair of Liverpool University Pension Fund.
He became President of Sefton CVS in 2019.
Colonel Martin G C Amlôt OBE OStJ DL
Martin Amlôt was born in the Wirral in 1947. He was educated at the King’s School Chester and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He served with the King’s Regiment and in Army staff appointments in Great Britain, the Caribbean, Germany, Canada, Norway, Hong Kong, the Falklands, Kenya, Ulster and the United States. He was Second in Command of 1st Battalion the King’s Regiment in the late 1980s and he commanded the Territorial Army Battalion of his Regiment during the post Cold War ‘Options for Change’ reorganisation of the TA. He was appointed OBE at the end of this tour.
His last regular army posting was as Secretary to the Commanders in Chiefs’ Committee (Germany). He left the Army in 1994 and became a Civil Servant in the Ministry of Defence, running the home headquarters of the King’s Regiment. He held this post for 12 years. In 2006 a new, much larger Regiment was formed, the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. Remaining in the Civil Service, Martin Amlôt was appointed to run the home headquarters of the new Regiment.
On his appointment as Patron of Sefton CVS, Martin issued the following statement:
“I am very honoured to be asked to engage with Sefton Council for Voluntary Service as a Patron. During 2012-13 as the High Sheriff of Merseyside I had the privilege of seeing the work of the CVS and learning how important it is to the whole community in Sefton, young and old. I very much look forward to being involved and I will do whatever I can to help the staff and volunteers of Sefton Council for Voluntary Service in their vital work. “
Click here to read more about Colonel Martin G C Amlôt OBE OStJ DL on Merseyside Lieutenancy website
The Mayor of Sefton - Councillor Clare Louise Carragher
I started life as a professional dancer and had a colourful but short-lived career working in musical theatre as chorus line, performing in much loved musicals such as Grease, Godspell, Chicago and the Rocky Horror show to name but a few, travelling around the country to various theatres. However, after an accident in my early 20s my dancing days were tragically cut short.
After having my two eldest boys in early succession, in my early 20s I had to consider my future options and studied Law whilst my children were growing up. My first Job being with Witness Service at South Sefton Magistrates Court as a volunteer and then after qualifying, working in a criminal legal practice for many years.
During the pandemic, like so many other people, I took redundancy from my employer and now work as a full-time councillor for Sefton Council and a mum to my nine-year-old son.
I have served as Sefton Councillor for 7 years, representing Manor War. I am also a Maghull Town Councillor, and I was Deputy Mayor of Maghull 2017/2018 and then Mayor of Maghull 2018/2019.
Whilst serving as a Sefton Councillor I have been a Committee member on Regeneration and Skills, Licensing, Planning and vice chair of Children’s Safeguarding . I have also been on one outside body committee, Liverpool Law Society Access to Justice .