Devon’s High Sheriff, entrepreneur Mark Ansell, is using his year in office to build the Devon High Sheriff Fund, creating a lasting legacy that will support local charities supporting their communities for years to come.
Alongside this, he is championing Restorative Justice, a proven approach that supports victims of crime, rehabilitates offenders and has the potential to reduce reoffending.
Here he explains why both have become central to his year in office.
Tradition runs deep in my family, which has a long history of military service. I’m the third generation to serve as High Sheriff of Devon, after my grandfather Colonel Sir Mike Ansell took on the role in 1967, followed by my father, Major General Nick Ansell, in 2002. I grew up watching and respecting their dedication to Devon and serving their community.
Up until now I have chosen a different path having trained as an engineer and pursued a career in manufacturing. I love the challenge of listening, learning and trying to make something work better, and that’s what I hope to bring to this chapter in public service.
The Office of High Sheriff is an independent, non-political Royal appointment for a single year dating back over 1,000 years to when the Shires were formed. The ‘Shire Reeve’ was responsible to the king for maintaining law and order within the county, and for collecting and returning taxes, sometimes a little over-zealously! Today, there are 55 High Sheriffs serving the counties of England and Wales.
Fortunately, we no longer collect taxes. A significant part of the role is ceremonial, with a hectic calendar of appointments. Since April for me these have included a walk around Exeter City Centre with Inspector Nathan Johnson to see neighbourhood policing in action, the Passing Out Parade at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth, a visit to HMP Channings Wood, being presented to HRH the Duchess of Edinburgh at the Devon County Show, and leading the procession at Torrington May Fair. The people-person in me has enjoyed every moment, but the business leader also likes getting his teeth stuck into making a tangible impact.
One of those goals is building the Devon High Sheriff Fund. The fund was the idea of Jake Moores (Devon High Sheriff 2024–2025) and was created in early 2025 following meetings between Jake, my immediate predecessor Caroline Harlow, myself and the Devon Community Foundation. Rather than each High Sheriff having a chosen charity for their year in office, we recognised we could create more value by establishing a fund supporting multiple local charities over many years. Housing it within the Devon Community Foundation also made perfect sense, since our purpose fits neatly within DCF’s mission.
Following fundraising by Jake, Caroline and myself, together with the transfer of existing funds held within DCF at the discretion of the Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, the fund now holds well over £100,000 and has started making grants.
Decisions are made by the Devon High Sheriff Fund Steering Group, comprising the current High Sheriff, the previous High Sheriff, the successor, a DCF representative and a representative from Devon and Cornwall Police.
Our first grants were £5000 to Home-Start South & West Devon, enabling it to reach isolated female survivors of domestic abuse across Devon, and £3500 to Torbay Ladies Lounge, supporting women who have experienced homelessness, sex work, domestic abuse, substance misuse and mental health issues.
Building the Fund and seeing its impact is hugely exciting for me. The other element of my role I am keen to drive forward is my theme for the year. Each High Sheriff chooses a theme linked to the criminal justice system. Mine is Restorative Justice (RJ), the structured process by which people harmed by crime engage with those who committed the offence.
The idea came from listening to Amol Rajan’s brilliant interview with Jacob Dunne on a BBC podcast. I was transfixed by this powerful story. Jacob had a difficult childhood and, aged 19, killed James Hodgkinson with a single punch. After serving a prison sentence for manslaughter and meeting James’ parents through RJ, he turned his life around. James’ mother, Joan Scourfield, found peace in believing his actions had been a “stupid mistake”, and together they have become powerful advocates for RJ.
Further reading and conversations showed this is far from an isolated success. Government research shows 85% of victims say RJ helps them, while a University of Sheffield evaluation of seven Cambridge University-led experiments found it can reduce reoffending by up to 27%. Since almost 80% of crime is committed by repeat offenders, Government research suggests every £1 invested in RJ saves £14. From a business perspective, that’s an investment worth making.
Yet despite the evidence, take-up remains low. In Devon and Cornwall RJ is used in fewer than four out of every 1,000 reported crimes, despite good infrastructure and committed practitioners. Why? That’s what I’ve set out to discover this year. By working alongside the excellent RJ teams here in Devon, I hope we can identify the barriers, overcome them and make positive changes.
One of my first engagements was attending a performance of Punch at Plymouth Theatre Royal, James Graham’s award-winning play based on Jacob Dunne’s story. I invited 30 people involved in RJ across Devon and Cornwall, including the Chief Constable and Police & Crime Commissioner, to a reception beforehand. Julie Marks, whose son Seth was left quadriplegic after a crash caused by his friend, also joined us. The play was breathtaking, and Julie and Seth hosted a powerful Q&A afterwards.
Since then, I’ve met the team at Make Amends, the charity commissioned to provide RJ in Devon, attended the Restorative Justice Council’s Leaders’ Summit in London and spent time observing Barnstaple Magistrates’ Court. Each experience has reinforced my belief that we must find ways to raise awareness and understanding of RJ to enable more victims of crime to pursue it. To that end I am hosting a Restorative Justice Summit with Theatre Royal Plymouth at TRP2 on Tuesday 8th September.
There’s so much important work to do, and I’m honoured to be in a position to lead on this. It’s just a brief year, but by March 2027 I hope to see tangible results. Watch this space!
Read more about the Devon High Sheriff Fund or make a donation.
To find out more about our work, contact us at info@devoncf.com
