Written by Maureen Dixon
Cheryl Thornley joined the Army in May 1994 and was in the Royal Logistic Corps training centre based at Perbright, after which she served with NATO Stabilisation Force in Bosnia (the former Yugoslavia) while there, she came under fire while discovering that she had misrouted over live IEDs. At the end of her tour, Cheryl received a NATO Medal for her services in Bosnia.
While in the Army, she competed in the National Army Athletics Competition in the 800m, 1500m and 4x400m.
After marrying in the Army, she left the Armed Forces and joined the Police Force. While there, she studied to become a Barrister through the inner Temple and was the first black female to be called to the bar by the former Director of Public Prosecution Service, Sir Ken MacDonald.
She successfully passed her exams but, like others before her (including WWII Navigator Cy Grant) faced an uphill struggle to secure tutelage and the opportunity to practise her newly acquired skills. It took more than twenty years of determination and perseverance. During that time, she became a lecturer in the public sector; sharing her valuable experience with future military and police personnel, all while running her own coaching mentoring and personal development business.
On Friday 26th of June, Cheryl was called to the High Court to take on her first international case as a Barrister. This is an extraordinary milestone and I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to her.
Cheryl is an exceptional woman and a powerful role model for young women; particularly black women in the Armed Forces. At a young age she served her country, married, raised three children, ran her own businesses, built three professions, and has now become a Barrister. Her resilience and achievements speak for themselves.
I am both delighted and immensely proud to say that Cheryl Thornley is my niece.
