A born and bred Frome man has been appointed as British ambassador for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), one of the highest ranking roles a diplomat can take on.
Matthew Sudders, 34, has presented his credentials to the Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, on Tuesday and assumed his new role as British ambassador for the organisation, which is based in Paris.
Growing up in Frome, Matthew went to Trinity School before going on to Oakfield School, and then to Frome College. After studying mathematics at Southampton University, he was accepted on to a civil service fast stream scheme with the government’s Office for National Statistics, before working for the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for five years.
The role means Matthew will represent Britain in the United Nations agency, promoting the nation’s interests in education, science, and culture.
Matthew said, “I received an official letter from the government saying that it has appointed me to represent Britain and this is what I presented to the Director General at the ceremony.
“It is extremely unusual for an ambassador job to be advertised but this one was. There was a lot of competition but I was lucky enough to get the job so I’m really pleased.
“There is a fascinating range of things to deal with in the job, from world heritage sites to education in developing countries.”
Matthew’s parents Jack and Pauline, who live in Frome, told the Frome Times how proud they are of his achievements.
Jack, who runs Grape and Grain wine merchants in Badcox said, “He has worked extremely hard to get where he is and he’s chuffed to bits.
“34 is a young age for any ambassador, almost unprecedented. He now has the car with the flag on it, and he had a line of about 150 people to shake hands with when he was given the appointment. At the moment he is very busy attending many meetings every day.
“It just goes to show that anybody who is motivated enough can do exactly what Matthew has done. People tend to knock the education system but Matthew was educated in Frome and it did him proud, and now this is something to make us all proud.”
