By Carole Dennett
Nigel Hartley has been formally sworn in as the new High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight, succeeding Jacqueline (Jacque) Gazzard after her year in office. The Island’s Lord Lieutenant, Suzie Sheldon, and Resident Judge Bowes KC officiated at the service, which was held on Monday at Newport Minster.
Mr Hartley, who received the MBE in 2010 for services to hospice care, brings decades of experience from the end‑of‑life and bereavement sector, including his tenure as Chief Executive of Mountbatten Hospice, which he retired from in October.
In his speech to invited guests, which included many of the Island’s former High Sheriffs, Mr Hartley paid tribute to Jacque Gazzard’s work and set out his own ambitious campaign for the year ahead: ‘My Life, My Death, My Plan’. He joked: “People’s hearts sink when they see me approach, due to my seemingly indefatigable focus on all things death, dying and bereavement. Well, I’m not going to let you down.”
Drawing on more than 40 years of experience of the hospice movement, he urged Islanders to take responsibility for planning ahead, saying that preparing early “gives us the best opportunity to make our wishes known and reduce chaos and distress for loved ones”.
He highlighted some of the “small things” that people can sort out in advance: “Who will be able to access my email, my mobile phone?
Who will feed my cat? Who will water my plants and who will clear out my home?”
The campaign encourages residents to sign up, access practical tools, and begin difficult conversations about end‑of‑life planning while they are still healthy and able to make decisions for themselves.
The new High Sheriff also paid tribute to the Island’s “brilliant, kind and creative community”, pledging to serve with energy and humility.
April Newton was sworn in as Under Sheriff for a seventh term.
More information about the High Sheriff’s campaign is available via iw.observer/mylife-mydeath-myplan.
Mal Butler