John May: A Life of Service, Leadership and Making a Difference

From the classroom to international youth movements, from charity leadership to the ancient office of High Sheriff, John May CVO OBE DL has spent more than four decades working to strengthen communities, widen opportunities and help people make a difference. His career has crossed national boundaries and organisational sectors, but a consistent belief has remained at its heart: that people flourish when they are given the opportunity, encouragement and confidence to contribute.

A career that began in the classroom

John May’s career began with a simple conviction: education has the power to change lives, but the opportunities available to young people are not distributed equally.

After attending Beaudesert Park School and Wycliffe College, he studied Drama and English at the University of Bristol before training as a teacher. His early experiences took him into classrooms in England and refugee communities in Uganda, where he saw at first hand how circumstances could shape a young person’s opportunities, often through no fault of their own.

By the age of 28, he had become a headteacher, subsequently leading Manor Farm School in Buckinghamshire. There, he developed an approach that would become characteristic of his later career: schools should not operate in isolation from the communities around them, and businesses, volunteers and local organisations all had something valuable to contribute to children’s education.

His work in building relationships between the school and its wider community attracted recognition, and he became increasingly involved in initiatives connecting education with business and voluntary action.

In 1998, he moved from school leadership to Business in the Community, where he became Director of Education and Community Campaigns. His work included programmes bringing business leaders into schools as mentors for headteachers and encouraging employees to support children’s literacy through volunteering.

It was a significant transition, but not a departure from education. John was beginning to explore how the resources, talents and connections of wider society could be brought to bear on challenges that schools could not necessarily solve alone.

Helping to reshape educational opportunity

One of John’s most significant contributions during this period was his involvement in the establishment of Teach First.

The programme emerged from an ambitious proposition: could talented graduates be encouraged to begin their careers teaching in schools serving disadvantaged communities, developing their own leadership skills while making a difference to children’s lives?

Working alongside Bret Wigdortz, Rona Kiley and others, John helped turn the original proposal into an organisation capable of delivering it. His involvement is documented in independent research by Nesta and in subsequent academic studies examining the foundation of Teach First.

The idea challenged conventional assumptions about recruitment into teaching. It also reflected a belief that understanding educational disadvantage should not be confined to those who spent their whole careers in schools. People who experienced teaching before moving into business, public service or other professions could carry that understanding with them, potentially influencing decisions and institutions for many years afterwards.

Teach First went on to become an established part of the British educational landscape. For John, it was one example of what could happen when people were prepared to question traditional approaches, build partnerships and create something new.

In 2002, he became the founding Chief Executive of Career Academies UK, now known as Career Ready. Inspired by an educational model developed in the United States, the organisation brought employers, schools and colleges together to help young people develop the skills, confidence, experience and professional networks needed to succeed in employment.

The programme combined mentoring, workplace experiences, internships and practical business education. It placed particular emphasis on young people who might not otherwise have access to the personal connections and opportunities that others could take for granted.

During John’s leadership, Career Academies expanded from a small initial group of schools into a substantial national network. By 2008, The Guardian was reporting that the programme worked with more than 500 employers and 90 schools and colleges, and that nearly three-quarters of its participating students progressed to university.

The statistics were encouraging, but the more important achievement lay in changing expectations. Young people who might previously have struggled to imagine themselves in professional environments were meeting employers, gaining experience and discovering possibilities they had not previously considered.

In 2008, John received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in recognition of his contribution to developing enterprise and business engagement in education.

The following year, he became Chief Executive of Young Enterprise, one of Britain’s longest-established organisations supporting enterprise education. There, he led a major period of organisational change, bringing together previously separate regional charities into a stronger national structure and renewing relationships with the business community.

Through Career Ready, Teach First and Young Enterprise, John helped shape different but complementary approaches to a common challenge: ensuring that a young person’s future should not be determined simply by their background, circumstances or the opportunities available to their family.

A lifelong commitment to Scouting

Running alongside John’s professional career has been an equally substantial commitment to voluntary service, particularly through the Scout Movement.

Scouting has been part of his life since childhood, shaping his understanding of leadership, citizenship, friendship and international cooperation. What began as participation in a local Scout group developed into more than forty years of service in positions of responsibility at local, national and international levels.

He served as the United Kingdom’s International Commissioner, led the British contingent to the 1995 World Scout Jamboree in the Netherlands, and played an important role in the organisation of subsequent international Scouting events.

From 2008 to 2014, he served on the World Scout Committee, including three years as its Vice-Chair. His work embraced educational development, youth participation, international partnerships and governance, helping a worldwide movement remain relevant to the changing needs and expectations of young people.

Scouting also reinforced an idea that would influence much of John’s professional work: learning does not happen only in classrooms. Young people develop character, resilience, judgment and confidence through taking responsibility, working with others, overcoming difficulties and discovering what they can contribute.

His international Scouting commitments took him across the world, creating friendships and relationships that have lasted decades. They also gave him direct experience of the different ways in which communities support young people, often through the efforts of volunteers working with very limited resources.

In 2015, he received the Silver Wolf, the highest award of The Scout Association for services of an exceptional nature. He was subsequently awarded the Bronze Wolf, World Scouting’s highest distinction, recognising his outstanding contribution to the international movement.

These awards marked decades of voluntary service that continued alongside demanding professional responsibilities. For John, the two have never been separate worlds. His experience as a volunteer has informed his approach as a chief executive, while his professional knowledge has helped him contribute to the governance and development of voluntary organisations.

Taking the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award around the world

In 2011, John became Secretary General of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, beginning eleven years of international leadership.

The appointment brought together many of the experiences that had shaped his career. He had completed his own Gold Award as a young man and understood its capacity to encourage personal development through service, physical recreation, skills and adventurous activity. He also brought professional experience of education, organisational development and international volunteering.

Working with the Award’s International Trustee Board, staff, national operators and volunteers, he helped lead a movement operating in more than 130 countries and territories.

His work involved supporting the Award’s growth, strengthening its international structure, developing relationships with governments and supporters, and promoting the recognition of non-formal education as a vital part of preparing young people for adult life.

Across different cultures and educational systems, the underlying proposition remained remarkably consistent: young people should have opportunities to discover their abilities, develop independence, serve others and take responsibility for their own development.

John represented the Award internationally, working with political, educational, business and civil-society leaders. His engagements ranged from international conferences and meetings with governments to visits with young participants and volunteer leaders.

In China, India, Ghana, Guyana and many other countries, he helped make the case for investing in young people’s development beyond academic qualifications alone.

He also worked closely with the Award’s International Trustee Board under the chairmanship of Prince Edward, now the Duke of Edinburgh, and contributed to sustaining the legacy of Prince Philip, who founded the Award in 1956.

Following Prince Philip’s death in April 2021, John was interviewed by CNN about the Duke’s contribution to generations of young people. The interview was one of many occasions on which he acted as an international advocate for experiential education, voluntary service and youth development.

When he stepped down as Secretary General in October 2022, he reflected on the importance of helping young people find their purpose, passion and place in the world. It was a fitting summary of work that had touched communities across continents.

Leadership beyond the youth sector

In November 2022, John became Chief Executive of Cats Protection, the United Kingdom’s leading feline welfare charity.

At first glance, moving from international youth development to animal welfare might appear an unexpected change of direction. Yet the underlying challenges were familiar: leading a complex national organisation, working with a large volunteer community, strengthening relationships with supporters and ensuring that charitable resources make the greatest possible difference.

Cats Protection’s work encompasses rescuing and rehoming cats, supporting owners, neutering, education, research and advocacy. The charity operates through an extensive network of centres, branches, volunteers, employees and partners.

John has placed particular emphasis on the importance of seeing the organisation as one charity, bringing together the contributions of people working in very different roles across the country. He has championed the development of volunteering, the importance of local communities and the need for the charity to adapt as the needs of cats, owners and society change.

His approach recognises that animal welfare is also a human concern. The relationship between people and their cats can be a profound source of companionship, comfort and emotional wellbeing, while financial hardship, domestic abuse, housing insecurity and changes in personal circumstances can place those relationships under considerable strain.

Under his leadership, Cats Protection has continued to pursue a broad approach to feline welfare: not simply caring for cats once they enter the charity’s facilities, but working to prevent problems, support responsible ownership and help more cats live healthy and secure lives.

John has also contributed to the wider public discussion about volunteering and charity leadership. His interviews, articles and speaking engagements have explored how established charities can evolve without losing the values, relationships and commitment that made them successful.

For him, the challenge of leadership is not simply to preserve institutions, but to ensure that they continue to serve their purpose.

Service to Oxfordshire

Although much of John’s professional and voluntary work has been national or international, his commitment to local communities has remained central to his life.

Based in Oxfordshire, he has contributed to numerous county organisations and initiatives, particularly those concerned with young people, education and voluntary action.

He has served as Chair of Oxfordshire Youth since 2023, supporting an organisation that works with youth groups, community organisations and practitioners to strengthen opportunities and improve the lives of young people across the county.

As a Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, a role to which he was appointed in 2018, he supports the Lord-Lieutenant in representing the Crown and recognising the contributions of people and organisations throughout the county, with a particular interest in young people.

In April 2025, John became High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, taking on one of the country’s oldest civic offices.

He chose Hearing the Young Unheard as the theme of his year, drawing attention to young people whose experiences, difficulties and aspirations were too often overlooked by the systems and institutions intended to support them.

Throughout 2025 and early 2026, he brought together young people, charities, schools, businesses, the police, local authorities and other public services in a series of conversations and activities designed to promote listening, early intervention and stronger community relationships.

The emphasis was not on speaking for young people, but on creating opportunities for their voices to be heard directly by those in positions of responsibility.

His year also involved recognising the work of charities, volunteers, emergency services, the judiciary and many of the people whose contributions to community life frequently go unnoticed.

The office of High Sheriff carries considerable history and ceremony, but John approached it as an opportunity to connect people who might not otherwise meet, encourage cooperation and shine a light on work already making a difference.

That same commitment to local service continues through his charitable and civic responsibilities.

Governance, voluntary leadership and public service

Across his career, John has combined executive leadership with extensive service as a trustee, chair and adviser to charitable and educational organisations.

His appointments have included roles with UNICEF, the Marine Society and Sea Cadets, Wycliffe College and a range of organisations concerned with education, youth development and civil society.

He is a National Vice President of the Marine Society and Sea Cadets, Honorary President of British Scouting Overseas, and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Educators.

His board and trustee work reflects an interest in the health of civil society itself: how charities are governed, how volunteers and professionals work together, how institutions remain accountable, and how their missions can be sustained through periods of social and economic change.

John has frequently argued that volunteering should not be viewed simply as a source of unpaid labour. At its best, it gives people a sense of belonging, purpose and agency while strengthening the communities in which they live.

That view can be traced back to his early professional work. In a 2002 Guardian interview, he was already making the case that the value of corporate volunteering should be judged by the difference it makes, rather than merely by the number of hours contributed.

More than two decades later, the same question continues to underpin much of his thinking about charitable impact.