The Lord-Lieutenant is delighted to announce the appointment of 8 new Deputy Lieutenants which was posted in the The London Gazette today. The Lieutenancy congratulates and welcomes them all.
The new Deputy Lieutenants are:
Mrs Elisabeth Lilley DL – A Resident of Ramsbottom, Bury
In addition to her roles as Operations Manager for a global financial technology company and mother to 3 children, Lisa is active in every aspect of her local community. A Trustee of both Salford Diocese and Caritas Salford, she is also Trustee and Treasurer of Catholic Social Action Network (CSAN) and the homeless charity Stepping Stones Project.
Lisa has previously served as a school Governor, is a committee member and Honorary Treasurer of the Manchester Branch of the Council of Christians and Jews. Most recently she has been inspiring and motivating young people in the area by establishing a local Young Christian Worker’s (YCW) Impact group. For almost 20 years, under Lisa’s guidance her Impact group have provided a Christmas meal to the people in need in Bury and surrounding areas of the local authority. What started as a small meal in the church hall for the homeless and elderly developed over many years and especially over lockdown due to increased need. In recent years the group have delivered the meal to over 1000 people every Christmas Eve and Christmas Day throughout the Greater Manchester region, along with food parcels, gifts for children and boxes of biscuits for the elderly. The service has become so effective that it is now relied upon by local social services, schools, GP practices and care homes, all of whom make direct referrals. The delivery of the service goes from initial fund raising to raising awareness, sourcing of ingredients, preparation of the meal and delivery throughout the region all undertaken by a team of volunteers overseen by Lisa. The group also undertake other local projects supporting food banks, raising awareness of homelessness and keeping in regular contact with the elderly and vulnerable in the community.
A keen advocate for social justice, Lisa enjoys her role as Adult Companion Coordinator for YCW and she firmly believes in motivating young people to effect change in their communities.
Miss Fiona Spencer DL DM FCOptom Hon FRCOphth Hon– A Resident of Didsbury
Fiona is a recently retired ophthalmic surgeon with over 35 years’ experience in clinical practice. She became a consultant at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital in 1998 and has become nationally recognised for developing glaucoma services, postgraduate training and multidisciplinary models of care.
Fiona has extensive experience in medical leadership, governance, professional standards and national policy development both in Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, as Associate Medical Director in the Eye Hospital, and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.
Fiona was a Trustee and Council member at the Royal College and chaired the Curriculum and Training Committees for 9 years; developing expertise in curriculum and electronic portfolio design, recruitment and postgraduate medical education programmes and championing surgical simulation. She was invited to assist the College of Ophthalmology of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa to write a unified curriculum across the 12 member countries. She was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in 2022.
Creating and empowering the multidisciplinary team has been at the heart of Fiona’s practice which was recognised by the College of Optometrists who also awarded her an Honorary Fellowship.
For 35 years Fiona has been a member of Soroptimist International, an organisation that aims to transform the lives of women and girls by enabling opportunities, education and empowerment. She transferred to the Manchester club in 1998 and has been President on three occasions, most recently for the club’s centenary year. She is passionate about promoting and assisting charities or organisations that support women and girls in Greater Manchester.
Mr Patrick O’Dowd DL – A Resident of Middleton
Born and raised in Middleton, Greater Manchester, Patrick O’Dowd is Director of Caritas Diocese of Salford, the Catholic diocese’s social action charity, supporting people experiencing poverty, homelessness and disadvantage across Greater Manchester and Lancashire.
Before joining the charity sector, Patrick spent a number of years working in the private sector, specialising in commercial and leisure properties.
Through his role at Caritas, Patrick works closely with charities, public services, faith groups and community organisations across Greater Manchester. He is particularly passionate about tackling poverty and homelessness, strengthening communities and recognising the vital contribution of volunteers and local organisations.
Patrick has previously served as a governor of a special school in Trafford and is currently a trustee of a charity specialising in outpatient mental health services, tailored education and wellness programmes.
As a Deputy Lieutenant Patrick looks forward to supporting the Lord-Lieutenant in recognising and celebrating the contributions of individuals, volunteers and organisations across Greater Manchester.”
Mr Andrew Barlow DL – A Resident of Salford
Having been interested in aviation from an early age, a career in the industry seemed a natural choice. After graduation from University, Andy secured employment at Manchester Airport, later specialising in the air charter sector, in which he has over 25 years of experience. Andy has worked with elite sports teams, corporate, Government and military customers and a host of other clients and is currently with the leading UK airline Jet2.com.
Born and raised in Manchester, Andy was educated at Bolton School, studying Russian at the University of Manchester. This included a period of study in the former Soviet Union.
Andy has been involved as a volunteer within the Community Rail movement for over 15 years, serving as Chair of Friends of Walkden Station for much of this time. The group were honoured to be awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2015 in recognition of their work in their local community. Andy also serves as a Vice Chair of the South East Lancashire Community Rail Partnership based in Bolton, developing close links between the railway and the communities that it serves in the Bolton, Salford and Wigan areas.
Andy is married with one adult daughter, is resident in the city of Salford and is an overseas citizen of India.
Dr Antony Edkins DL – A Resident of Salford
Dr Antony Edkins has spent his adult life volunteering alongside his professional career, particularly supporting vulnerable people and communities who can too easily be overlooked. Having grown up in the care system, Antony knows that good people shaped his life by opening their homes to him. In doing so, they invested in his future. So, giving something back matters. It has been a thread throughout both his paid and unpaid work.
He is the founding Chair and fundraiser of the Salford Families in Need charity, which supports more than 4,000 families each year. His voluntary work ranges from supporting families experiencing poverty and people leaving prison to fundraising for injured soldiers and veterans through the Grenadier Guards Association (Manchester). He has also led community work around cancer screening, self-harm and suicide prevention, gender-based violence and creating safe spaces for vulnerable people and groups.
He is an established voice for inclusion, EDI and celebrating difference, making sure that minority groups are heard. Antony’s work reflects his conviction that lasting change comes through building relationships, persuasion and working together in partnership. Now retired from teaching after 37 years in education and public service, Antony continues to work part-time alongside his voluntary and charitable commitments.
Major Wayne Harrison DL – A Resident of Audenshaw
Wayne Harrison has devoted much of his life to supporting young people through the Army Cadet Force. Having first joined Greater Manchester Army Cadet Force as a cadet in 1999, he later returned as an adult volunteer and has now given more than 20 years of service to the organisation.
He is currently a Major and Officer Commanding 3 (Somme) Company, with responsibility for seven detachments across Greater Manchester. During his time with the Army Cadet Force, Wayne has held a variety of roles supporting the development of both cadets and adult volunteers. He is particularly passionate about the opportunities the organisation provides for young people to develop confidence, leadership, resilience and practical skills.
Wayne also has a longstanding commitment to volunteering and community service, including supporting humanitarian initiatives assisting refugees in the UK and Europe.
Professionally, Wayne has worked within the pensions industry for more than 20 years, with experience spanning pensions administration, technology, systems implementation, service delivery and client relationship management. He currently works for Equiniti Retirement Solutions as a Contract & Relationship Manager.
Wayne lives in Tameside and has strong ties to Greater Manchester through his professional, voluntary and community activities. In his spare time, he enjoys travelling, live music and spending time with family and friends.
Mr Paul Welsh JP DL – A Resident of Hyde
Paul’s career has been in IT, spending the last 25 years as a Partner in a small management
consultancy practice specialising in IT Strategy, Technology Selection, and Programme and Project recovery/delivery. He has advised boards across various nationally recognised private sector businesses, managing major technological initiatives and critical turnarounds in high-pressure environments.
Alongside his business career, Paul is deeply committed to the local justice system. He has served as a Magistrate in Greater Manchester since 1998, sitting in both the Adult and Youth Courts, and is a Deputy Bench Chair. Through his decades on the bench, he has gained a clear understanding of many of the challenges facing the region’s diverse communities.
Extending his service beyond the courtroom, Paul volunteered for many years as an instructor and administrator for a small Manchester-based charity focused on helping young people develop life skills and confidence. Having also been a long-term carer for a close relative, Paul is particularly keen to improve recognition and support for unpaid family carers, whose efforts and sacrifices often go unnoticed. He is also an active member of his local Patient Participation Group.
Paul was born in Ashton-under-Lyne and raised in Hattersley. He now lives in Hyde with his family and dogs. In his spare time, Paul enjoys Tai Chi and walking in the beautiful countryside surrounding Hyde—the latter being part of his continuing battle to fit into his suit.
Mrs Naomi Timperley DL – A Resident of Sale
Naomi Timperley is an entrepreneur, innovation and growth consultant, mentor and community advocate who has spent much of her career creating opportunities for people, businesses and communities across Greater Manchester and the North.
She is Co-Founder of End Game and Tech North Advocates, UK Regions Lead for Global Tech Advocates, and Innovation Director at Merseyway Innovation Centre in Stockport. Over more than 15 years, Naomi has supported and mentored hundreds of founders and business leaders and helped design and deliver programmes focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, skills and inclusive economic growth.
A consistent thread throughout Naomi’s career has been widening access to opportunity, particularly for women and people who can be underrepresented in entrepreneurship and technology. She has championed women in tech, supported female founders and entrepreneurs, and worked on programmes designed to help people build skills, confidence, networks and routes into employment and enterprise.
Alongside her commercial work, Naomi has a longstanding commitment to charities and social enterprises. She has served as a trustee and board member for organisations including Digital Inc, Social Enterprise PIE, supporting digital inclusion, accessibility and community enterprise. She is also a Director of Anchor and Rise, a Stockport-based social enterprise helping women rebuild confidence, connection and opportunity.
In 2025, Naomi was named Computer Weekly’s Most Influential Woman in UK Technology and joined its Hall of Fame in 2026.
A proud adopted Mancunian, Naomi is passionate about championing Greater Manchester, connecting people and using her networks and experience to create opportunities for others.