Trustees

I spent my professional career in Human Resources ending up as HR Director in a number of blue chip companies. I live in South Wales on a smallholding with chickens, horses and a small collection of dogs. I’m a keen environmentalist, walker and gardener. I have three children, the eldest Daniel is in supported living with the Trust. My wife and I helped set up the charity Headlines which supports children and young adults with Craniofacial conditions.
I have been involved with the Trust since 2008.

I am Lydbrook born and bred and have pretty well lived in Lydbrook all my life. For 40 years I was MD of a successful electrical contracting company in the village before retiring.

My main passion and hobby is Lydbrook Band where I have been a member for over 65 years and secretary for 42 years. I am married to Barbara (also a member of Lydbrook Band) and have three children Neil, Ian and Sally, and have five grandchildren. I have been involved with the Trust since 2008.

I was awarded an M.B.E. in 2012 for services to brass band music.

I have enjoyed his time with Orchard Trust and hope to continue for a few years yet.

Previously I was a banker and Futures-Broker and ran one of the world’s largest Futures Brokerages for a while.

I mentored George Gordon-Smith, founder of The Orchard Trust for a number of years and when he retired I joined the board of the Trust in 2006 so that my knowledge would not go to waste. I have been a chairman of an extremely good board which hosts a very solid range of skills.

I was born in the Dilke Hospital and as a child lived in Lydbrook.
I was a teacher of children with special educational needs and have been a governor both of the British School in Tokyo and Lydbrook Primary School. I have worked for Samaritan based organisations in both France and Japan.
Over many years I have come to admire The Orchard Trust and I am honoured to be a Trustee. I hope the Trust continues flourishing and achieves more for our service users. I have been involved with the Trust since 2008.

I was born in the West Midlands, and trained as a metallurgist before moving into the chemical industry. I was M.D. of the UK operations of a larger German based company and eventually a Midland based business of which I had principle ownership.

I moved to the Forest of Dean in the early 90's and bred rare breed sheep. I have been involved with the Orchard Trust since then through our son's activity at the Learning Centre.

I live on a smallholding with my wife Anna and have two boys James and Matthew. Matthew lives in the FoD with his family, and James is at Kimberley Drive Supported Living centre.

I enjoy the countryside, music, arts and reading. I also enjoy playing guitar and drawing. I try to keep away from politics. We enjoy traveling and have seen many parts of the world. I like to keep active, physically and mentally, enjoying a regular swim and solving (attempting to) complex crosswords.

Born in Vulcan Canada at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains I started life as a classical guitar teacher before entering Local Government.

I first encountered the Orchard Trust when I moved to Lydbrook over 20 years ago and became head of social care commissioning for Gloucestershire County Council. The Orchard Trust has always stood out as a truly special place. Now, as Director of Group Procurement for Sanctuary Housing, I am so proud to be able to support this unique local charity and have been on the Board of the Orchard Trust since 2017.

I love animals, running, reading, music and travelling, and enjoy spending time in our wonderful Forest of Dean.

I was born in rural Cheshire. After school, I attended Liverpool University qualifying as Veterinary Surgeon in 1978. After working in Scotland, Cheshire and Lancashire/Yorkshire, I came to Ross-on-Wye becoming a partner at a local veterinary practice and subsequently retired from full time work in 2014. I now work part time as a locum vet, presently working mostly at Vale Wildlife Hospital near Tewkesbury. I started attending the animals as a vet at the Orchard Trust in 1989 after an invitation by George Gordon-Smith, founder of the Orchard Trust.

I enjoy the outdoors, gardening, walking and water sports. I cycled from John O’Groats to Lands’ End with my partner Sue in autumn 2016. We also walked Offa’s Dyke Path in autumn 2022.

I realised over the years that the Orchard Trust provides a very valuable service to the community and its service users. I joined the board in 2019 and I am now the Board Treasurer. I am also the Buddy trustee for the Day Services, Therapy Suite and the Smallholding. I am thoroughly enjoying my involvement with the Orchard Trust.

I first joined the Orchard Trust as a smallholding volunteer in order to spend more time working outdoors. I enjoyed it so much that in 2022 I became a Trustee!

My professional background is in media and communications. I began my career as a wildlife television development producer at the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, after completing a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Science Communication. I spent a year living in Australia, before returning to the UK in 2014 and setting up my own business as a freelance copywriter and editor, specialising in the public and non-profit sectors.

Since moving to the Forest of Dean in 2020, I have worked as a producer for various community arts organisations, as well as performing and publishing poetry and other writing on themes including neurodiversity, ageing and dementia. I have a keen interest in projects, ideas and organisations that connect people and communities through art and/or nature.