Former High Sheriff of West Sussex welcomed as New Vice Patron.
We are delighted to begin the New Year with the announcement of the appointment of Dr Tim Fooks, former High Sheriff of West Sussex, as a Vice Patron. Tim brings a wealth of experience to this voluntary role, and will join our nine other Vice Patrons who work alongside staff and volunteers to deliver free advice, support and specialist information to blind and sight impaired residents throughout West Sussex.
Tim has been a GP in West Sussex since 1992 and held the post of High Sheriff for the year 2021-22, the first medical doctor appointed to hold this Office in the county. Tim has served as a Board member of the West Sussex NHS Primary Care Trust and was clinical lead for Children and Young People’s commissioning for almost 10 years. He has been a GP trainer and educator and was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners in 2016. Tim sits on the Board of the Leathersellers’ Livery Company in the City of London and is a Trustee and Patron to several West Sussex charities.
During his year as High Sheriff, Tim was deeply impressed by the way our staff and volunteers stepped up the care they offered to those with visual impairment during those really difficult months, ensuring that members could gain access to the best possible support, equipment and advice.
A keen walker, Tim is also looking to support the charity’s Ramblers Group, which last year celebrated its tenth anniversary, and is currently undertaking sight awareness and guiding training in order to become as a sighted guide from time to time.
4Sight Vision Support’s recent receipt of the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is very well-deserved. However, there is still much to be done to make sure its great work can benefit as many people with visual impairment in West Sussex as possible and I am delighted and honoured to have been invited to support the charity as a Vice-Patron.
We are thrilled that Tim has been so impressed by our work that he has chosen to join us as Vice Patron. In particular, drawing upon his many years of experience, he will be specifically aiming to develop and strengthen our working relationship with local NHS providers to promote awareness of 4Sight Vision Support’s services and to together help provide more targeted and tailored services to its beneficiaries.
