Lieutenancy Focus Groups

Our mission

Our mission is to serve The Sovereign and connect the communities of Surrey.

We uphold the dignity and position of the Crown by assisting and representing it in all aspects of life in Surrey. We support the values the Crown represents by celebrating, inspiring and promoting the vibrancy of county life.

Our strategy

Our strategy is representing His Majesty’s presence in the county and promoting the interest of the Royal Family in Surrey by:

  • Communicating and celebrating the value of exemplary service and endeavour in Surrey;
  • Using our convening capability to strengthen the links between communities, encouraging teamwork, cooperation and mutual respect;
  • Helping build community cohesion and common purpose;
  • Promote understanding of the relevancy of the Lieutenancy by addressing some of our community’s most pressing issues.

The Surrey Lieutenancy has 5 Focus Groups who are working to deliver our strategy. The Focus Groups are a forum for discussions on issues facing the life of the people of the county. Our Deputy Lieutenants work closely with the community to provide opportunities to share experiences, voice hopes and concerns, and to connect people together.

Business Group

The business group is formed of around a dozen DLs with a strong business background.

A main activity of the Group has historically been, and continues to be, to encourage and inspire businesses in the County to apply for Queens Awards for Enterprise (QAE) in one the four categories – Innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.  The Queens awards are amongst the most prestigious awards for business in the UK. They create great pride for the businesses and their employees and are widely recognised and valued by customers in the UK and overseas.  There have been many Surrey companies who have won these awards over the years and the Business Group is active in promoting the awards, working with the QAE office and local partners.


‘In the last couple of years, the Group has sought to involve Members of the Royal Family in some important issues of concern to the Surrey business community.  As an example, the Group is working to stimulate ideas and initiatives around the issue of young enterprise and employment initiatives.  Building on two successful Zoom seminars with Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex the goal is to convene an in-person meeting at Nescot College.  An event is being planned that will seek to celebrate the work of students, inspire employment outcomes and accelerate employer interest in more hires, apprenticeships and career opportunities for young people.

Linked to this, an outcome from one of the Zoom seminars with the Countess of Wessex was the formation of working Group comprised of some DLs and a wider cross section of business people. This group has made good progress bringing schools and businesses together.

In summary, the Group benefits the businesses of Surrey by supporting the prestigious Queens Awards with their proven positive impact.  Alongside this, the Group utilises the convening power of the Lieutenancy to link businesses to the interests of the Royal Family, which creates great conversations and powerful networking.


The Communications Group

The Arts & Culture Focus Group

The Charities & Communities Focus Group

The Domestic  Abuse Focus Group

The Climate Change Focus Group