Khumi celebrated her 75th Birthday on the 21st September and has retired her Commission. The Lord-Lieutenant thanks her for her dedication in serving the communities of Greater Manchester and Cheshire, her charitable work and fundraising and serving for 20 years as a Deputy Lieutenant.
Khumi was born in Manipur, India, near the Burmese Frontier in 1948. After graduation, to avoid following her father’s footstep and join the Indian Civil Service, she joined instead Air India and had postings in Beirut, Hong Kong, Perth and London during her 5 year stint. In 1976 she married Sidney Burton a retired Major with the Cheshire Regiment.
Khumi has spent most of her married life working within the Community in Cheshire and Manchester. She was the Team Attaché for Turks and Caicos during the Commonwealth Games; organiser of the Portico Prize for Literature (a mini Booker Prize of the North); served as member of the Air Transport Users Council (CAA appointment) and sat on Manchester Airport consultative committee; a Board of Visitors for Styal Prison and then a Board member and subsequently Chairman of Greater Manchester Crimestoppers.
She co-ordinated the 750th Anniversary Events of the Parish of Wilmslow in 2000; initiated the Wilmslow Street Party in 2002 to celebrate the Queens Jubilee and is now a yearly Community Event; organised the VJ-Day celebration for Veterans in Wilmslow/Stockport in 2005 and organised visits to Arboretum in Litchfield for the surviving ATS/WRACS.
She raised funds to build much needed houses for earthquake victims and families in Gujarat. She enjoys raising funds and promoting good causes like the Genesis Centre, the Red Cross, Marie Curie, Henshaws for the Blind etc.
Her involvement with the Office for National Statistics as an Interviewer gave her the chance to be in touch with people from all walks of life and background and gave her better understanding and insight of the Society we live in.
Khumi’s enthusiasm for the Community does not diminish. She is currently a Royal Volunteer NHS Responder, a role she undertook during the Covid Pandemic, she also raises awareness of Combat Stress (an Army Charity), especially PTSD by organising fundraising lunches and talks.
She sat as a Magistrate on the Manchester Bench in the Adult Court from 1998 until 2011 and a General Commissioner of Income Tax for Manchester Central and South from 1994.
She is interested and enjoys meeting people from all walks of life and is at ease with them.
Khumi was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant in 2003.
Thank you from everyone at the Greater Manchester Lieutenancy.