Mrs Julie Spence OBE QPM

In April 2017 Julie was appointed by the Monarch as Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, The King's representative in the county, a post that Julie will hold until 2030.

East Cambs Community Land Trust is delighted and privileged to have welcomed Julie as Patron of the Trust in December 2021.  Julie has a passion for the people of Cambridgeshire, for volunteers, and for organisations that work in the public interest.

Julie said : ‘I am pleased to support the work of East Cambs CLT and the volunteers that are working hard to provide affordable homes for local people in East Cambridgeshire.’

Julie has a strong public service background, with over 30 years service, most recently as Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire Constabulary.  Julie’s distinguished Police career is diverse, including roles in CID, community policing, communications, family and child protection and uniform operations, rising to Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire Constabulary in 2005.  

In the Queen’s 80th Birthday Honours, Julie was awarded an OBE for her management of complex and contentious organisational issues, leadership of Thames Valley’s contribution to the operations to protect Heathrow and the Queen Mother’s funeral, her work for the ACPO Terrorism and Allied Matters Committee on Royalty and VIP Protection and her strong leadership and determination in taking forward the Gender Agenda and the development of the British Association of Women in Policing (BAWP), which have both become major drivers for gender equality in British policing. She was President of BAWP for 10 years (2000-2010).

In 2008 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Anglia Ruskin University: then in the 2010 New Year’s Honours list she received the Queens Police Medal (QPM).

In September 2010, after a 32 year career, she retired from policing.

Julie is Chair of the Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, the Chair of Wellbeing of Women (Cambridge Branch) and a Trustee of Ormiston Families.