Helen Newlove, Baroness Newlove

Helen Margaret Newlove, Baroness Newlove (born 28 December 1961) is a Warrington-based community reform campaigner who was appointed as the Victims' Commissioner by the UK government in 2012. Helen Newlove came to prominence after her husband, Garry Newlove was murdered by three youths in 2007. After his death she set up a number of foundations that aimed to tackle the UK drinking culture as well as providing support to young people. Newlove was given a peerage in the 2010 Dissolution Honours list and sits in the House of Lords as a Conservative.

Campaigns

Newlove’s 47-year-old husband Garry Newlove was murdered in August 2007 in Warrington, Cheshire, after confronting a gang of drunken youths who were vandalising her car. They kicked him repeatedly in the head and are now serving time for murder.

Since Garry’s death, his widow has campaigned against the UK’s binge-drink culture and calling for better training for landlords and bar staff. Mrs Newlove set up Newlove Warrington on 8 November 2008, which aims to make the town a safer and better place for people to live and to improve facilities and opportunities for the children through education and life skills for the better of communities. The three goals for the campaign were to inspire people to lead a more purposeful life; motivating people to enrich their lives; providing opportunities for positive interaction with communities.

Newlove has extended her campaign nationally by joining forces with the local and national media, in particular The Sun newspaper, to campaign for a clampdown on gangs like the one who claimed her husband's life.

Peerage

In May 2010 Newlove was given a peerage in the 2010 Dissolution Honours list. After the announcement was made Newlove commented that "I am just an ordinary woman, propelled into high profile by a set of horrifying circumstances which I wish with all my heart had never occurred." Created on 14 July 2010, Newlove took up her seat in the House of Lords as a Conservative on 15 July 2010 when she was introduced as Baroness Newlove, of Warrington in the County of Cheshire.

Victims' Commissioner

On 21 December 2012 it was announced that Helen Newlove had been appointed as the new Victims' Commissioner, a role requiring her to liaise with ministers to offer advice on aspects of the Criminal Justice System that affect victims and witnesses. The three-year post had previously been held by Louise Casey, but had been vacant since Casey stepped down in October 2011.

Personal life

She is the daughter of Joseph Terence Marston (1931–2014) and his wife Rose (born 1931).. Lady Newlove has three daughters by Garry: Zoe, Danielle and Amy. She married her second husband, Paul Shacklady, in July 2012.