It’s fair to say that the Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Sue Lousada, is perhaps not what many people would typically expect from His Majesty’s representative in our county – but then expectations (and outcomes) are something she’s determined to change.
She’s a seasoned businesswoman with a scientific background and a hands-on approach to getting things done. But at the same time, she values the ceremony and symbolism of the office – and the good work of those who have occupied it before her – enormously, as it ‘shines a light on the good that is in Bedfordshire’.
As CEO of Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, I was lucky enough to get some time in Sue’s busy schedule to ask her what the Lord-Lieutenant’s duties are, what her strategic plans for the role look like, and why the kinds of local businesses the Chamber represents are at the heart of her vision.
Justin Richardson: Good morning, Lord-Lieutenant! Could we perhaps start by asking you what the Lord-Lieutenant does, and why it’s important?
Sue Lousada: Good morning, but first of all, call me Sue! In answer to your question, the Lord-Lieutenant is the monarch’s representative in the county, so I’m responsible for things like organising royal visits and related events (including my Coronation Garden Party in July), and locally administering the State Honours system – as well as managing awards like the recently renamed King’s Award for Enterprise and King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
That perhaps makes me sound a lot less accessible than I am, but I’m also available to support local charitable causes and officiate at parties and openings, amongst many other ceremonial appearances.
On a more fundamental level, I’m here to serve the county, to thank people (often the unsung heroes) for the good they do here, and to build bridges and develop networks, including between local organisations and businesses, so they can operate more effectively.
JR: You mentioned business – is this now a focus for the Lieutenancy?
SL: It’s certainly a focus for me in this role because that’s my background. I worked in a major global consumer corporation, then my husband Simon and I started our own business, which grew to three depots and over 100 employees, so I know the challenges involved in making a small business work.
You have to do pretty much everything for yourself – I’ve pounded the streets door-to-door in Bedford to drum up business, but I’ve also managed people, led projects, and fixed processes that went wrong.
And because our business was local, enabling other businesses in Bedfordshire to overcome those challenges and grow means a lot to me.
JR: What are your strategic plans for the office of Lord-Lieutenant? What will you change, introduce, or improve?
SL: I’ve formulated much of the strategy since taking up the role a few months ago, and supporting individuals and organisations to grow is absolutely key to all of it.
For me, that means, amongst other things, driving opportunities for young people. Many of our local businesses are crying out for contact with the talent of tomorrow, and many of our young people need of skills acquisition, confidence development, and familiarisation with the adult world.
One idea is to organise visitor programmes between local companies and schools, so we can hopefully enable both of them to grow, in different ways.
The Lieutenancy is also launching a pilot business mentoring scheme towards the end of the year, in collaboration with The Growth Hub, to encourage the sharing of insights on growth and issues with other businesses, to achieve better, faster business outcomes.
We shouldn’t forget either that, in Cranfield University, we have a world-class higher education institution on our doorstep, and I’ll be working hard to build on previous good work by organisations like SEMLEP and the Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce to connect academic expertise to the business community.
JR: You mentioned the King’s Award for Enterprise. Where do the awards fit into your strategy going forward?
SL: My strategy will be to encourage more local businesses and organisations to enter the awards by making good use of my exceptionally experienced Deputy Lieutenants to help them with the applications process.
The awards are hugely important and our number of successes show that this small county punches way beyond its weight in innovation and achievement. And with four categories available – innovation, international trade, sustainable development, and social mobility – there’s potentially something there for everyone.
The awards are open to any business that is exceptional. It is the people that make businesses and recognition of a business similarly recognises the people.
Being born and schooled in Kempston, I feel so fortunate and honoured to have been appointed to act as His Majesty’s representative in the county I love.
Bedfordshire has so many lovely people, quietly doing wonderful things; we also have many successful businesses, small, medium and large. I look forward to helping them all receive the recognition and credit they thoroughly deserve.
For more information on how to join Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, visit the website, or call 01582 522448.
CEO
Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce
