Meet our Board of Trustees

After graduating from Liverpool University, I trained and qualified as an accountant in 1982.

I had a varied career in finance and consultancy in private and public sector organisations before becoming independent in 2004.

My first experience in the third sector followed an introduction to Yorkshire Cancer Research in 2010, where I was appointed as a Trustee and subsequently Deputy Chair.

I was introduced to Horticap in 2017 and joined the Trustee Board, mainly looking after financial matters.

From my first visit I could see this was a positive, safe place for our students to grow with a group of individuals totally committed to improving the lives of adults with learning disabilities.

I was voted Chair by the Trustee Board in 2023 but our policy of continually refreshing the talents of our Board for the benefit of the charity means that I will step down in 2026.

In all the years I have been involved with Horticap I’ve been struck by how positive everyone involved has been and it doesn’t matter whether you’re a member of staff or a volunteer or a trustee, everyone has a single focus – our amazing students.

I have spent all my career in commercial construction, working on major projects like hospitals, stadiums, schools, and shopping centres. My role for the last 25 years has been that of Commercial Director, taking responsibility for legal and financial matters associated with construction.

Prior to my retirement at the end of 2024, I most recently worked as Commercial Director for Morrison Water Services with Scottish Water as the main client, which involved extensive travel and high-level project management.

I was introduced to Horticap and the Trustees through my mother-in-law Pauline, a long-serving volunteer. Having gone through the Trustee recruitment process I joined the Board without reservation six years ago to assist with the development of the new café building.

I quickly became actively involved after meeting with the team, bringing professional expertise to support the charity’s infrastructure growth.

Being a Trustee at Horticap is without doubt one of the best decisions of my life. I continue to be moved by the warmth and dedication of the staff, students, and volunteers. 6 years on I consider being involved with Horticap a real privilege.

I have had a varied career background, mainly in schools, offering a supportive, student-centred approach to learning. Horticap staff and volunteers are to be commended on the support they give, they provide kindness, understanding and consistency and the skills to support students develop skills which enhance all areas of their lives. I am proud to be a part of this organisation.

I was inspired by my parents who worked in education. My Father was a head teacher and my Mother taught students with learning difficulties. I believe in their ethos to give everyone the best chance to succeed. This has passed down to me and I thoroughly enjoy working with the students.

I first encountered Horticap in the early 2000s and was drawn to its welcoming atmosphere and how engaged the students were. My elderly mum and I regularly visited the café where we met and talked with the students and staff.

I serve as a Trustee with responsibility for Risk Assessment, working closely with the General Manager and Health and Safety Representative’s to ensure a safe environment for all.

I regularly conduct site inspections to maintain high safety standards across the Horticap site.

I deeply value Horticap’s work and I am proud to contribute to its positive, life-enhancing work for students.

Although I was raised in the Harrogate area, I have to confess I wasn’t familiar with Horticap until I was approached about becoming a Trustee through my professional capacity as a solicitor.

The Board at Horticap is continually mindful to ensure that they have a breadth of knowledge and experience professionally and practically on the Board to ensure the smooth running of Horticap

Getting to know the students, volunteers, staff, and instructors has been a real joy and has shown me just how special Horticap truly is.

It’s difficult to put into words the atmosphere and spirit of Horticap—there’s a real sense of warmth, purpose, and community.

Now I know Horticap, I can definitely say that I am a Trustee because I am passionate about the incredible work Horticap do. It is amazing to see how adults with learning disabilities are supported and how they are helped to develop their practical skills and confidence through horticulture.

I am very proud to be part of an organisation which makes a difference and has such a positive impact on people’s lives.

A busy 45-year career in the food industry—first as a chef, then as a sales manager in the food wholesale and distribution industry left me little time to engage in voluntary work.

Retirement led me to seek new purpose, and I became aware that Horticap needed volunteers. Their mission in promoting learning through horticulture and related craft skills, aligned perfectly with my own interests, so I applied and became a Horticap volunteer.

In Horticap I found our amazing students who are a joy to be with, a team of staff and volunteers who welcomed me, and when after a year of volunteering I was invited to become a trustee, I gladly accepted.

I continue to relish that hands on volunteering role, but today as a trustee I can support Horticap in attaining some of their higher ambitions, and get fulfilment from seeing how the work we do enhances the lives of the students, staff and wider Horticap community that we support.

I jumped at the opportunity to become a Trustee at Horticap, It is an honour and a privilege for me.

As the former MD of CNG Ltd and Non-Executive Director, I am an experienced leader, bringing a people-first perspective to the Board and valuing culture as the engine of change.

I believe leadership should focus on the long-term wellbeing of both the organisation and the people it serves; in doing what is right, not just what is easy; and in ensuring Board decisions reflect both strong governance and deep ethical integrity and human insight.

I champion the use of kindness as a leadership tool; people first transformation, a strong moral compass; mentoring and coaching; and culture driven thinking.

I trained as an accountant at Deloitte and worked as a Corporate Finance Director until 2012 and since then. I have held Finance Director roles in healthcare, Medtech, and at Saint Michael’s Hospice in Harrogate.

I currently support several early-stage companies on a part-time basis.

I was inspired to become a Trustee after seeing the positive impact of sound financial leadership during my time at Saint Michael’s Hospice and was drawn to Horticap as, like St Michael’s Hospice, Horticap is well-loved by the local community and provides meaningful support that has a long-term impact on students’ lives.

I always enjoy my visits to Horticap and Hopkins and hope to contribute to its continued success and sustainability in the future.