Our trustees

Tiddesley Wood by Paul Lane

Tiddesley Wood by Paul Lane

Who we are

Our trustees

Our trustees

The Trust is governed by a Council, the members of which are elected by the general membership at the Annual General Meeting to serve as Trustees for a three-year term.

Our Trustees are the most senior of more than 400 volunteers regularly contributing time and expertise to the Trust's work. Without volunteer input the Trust could not continue to deliver conservation action across Worcestershire. Some of our trustees have specific Officer roles in addition to their usual trustee responsibilities.

Elections to Trust Council

Elections to the Trust's governing body will take place at the AGM each October. Nominations must be made on the nomination form, obtainable from the Secretary or Director at the Trust's office, and returned by June each year. Nominations require six proposers who are members of the Trust. Details of members standing for election or re-election will be circulated to all Trust members with the summer issue of Worcestershire Wildlife.

Our honorary officers

C. Tipping - Chair of Council

Key Responsibilities: Overall responsibility for the governance, organisation and financial strength of the Trust.

Christianne has broad experience across a range of disciplines acquired in both public and private sector organisations.  After spending several years working in training and organisational development, strategy and policy, and management research, she re-trained as a psychologist and also completed an MSc in Environmental Sustainability and Green Technology.  She is currently undertaking a full-time PhD in Environmental Psychology at the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations at Cardiff University where she is researching pro-environmental behaviours.  In 2017, she became a Board member of the UK River Restoration Centre, taking over as Chair in 2019.  She has a longstanding enthusiasm for the environment and a deep appreciation of the positive effects that spending time in nature can have on people’s mental health and wellbeing. 

D. J. Mortiboys - Vice Chair of Council

David Mortiboys

Key Responsibilities: Co-opting as necessary for the Chair with responsibility for the governance, organisation and financial strength of the Trust.

David recently retired from full-time employment after many years in senior management positions in the automotive industry including nine years spent working abroad. This has given him the time to become a trust volunteer and pursue his interest in wildlife and general conservation and he was delighted to become a member of the Trust's Council in 2013.

R. J. Gillmor - Honorary Secretary

Bob Gillmor

Bob Gillmor by Julia Letts

Key responsibilities: Ensuring that the Trust meets all relevant legal requirements, uses proper administrative procedures and makes proper use of its resources.

Originally from London, Bob moved to Pershore in 1986 and joined the Trust in about 1990. He claims no skills as a naturalist or the artistic talents of his famous namesake but is interested in the rich variety of wildlife and habitats. A regular practical conservation volunteer and member of the local group committee, he was elected to Council in 2001 and has previously acted as Hon. Secretary.

After twenty years in purchasing, international transport and cargo insurance with a manufacturing company and running his own shipping business for 10 years, Bob is Honorary Treasurer of the Friends of Avon Meadows and a Councillor on Pershore Town Council.

J. Blakiston - Honorary Treasurer

John Blakiston

Key Responsibilities: Acting as lead trustee in respect of the financial affairs of the Trust and providing advice and support to the Trustees and staff.

John worked as a finance director for a number of manufacturing companies in the West Midlands before deciding to work as a portfolio part-time finance director in 2016. He grew up by Surrey heathland, which is where he originally got his interest in wildlife. He now lives in Bewdley close to the Wyre Forest.

Our other trustees

R. Cory

Born locally, Richard has been a member of the Trust for nearly 40 years. In 2015 he stepped down from 22 years as Chairman of the Wyre Forest Local Group. Like many he was first introduced to wildlife through birdwatching as a child but he has developed a wider interest in the living world and is particularly interested in the natural history and management of woodland. Now retired, Richard likes to use his 42 years of experience in property management and administration for the benefit of the Trust.

A. Forecast

Having worked for the Trust on a regular basis as a reserve manager and work party leader for several years, initially with the roving volunteers, Andrew has a good understanding of their needs and is interested in contributing to identify ways to support both the volunteer leaders and volunteers.  He is a qualified teacher with a particular interest in using the outdoors to promote personal development and understanding of the natural world. As a Trustee he hopes to develop his own knowledge of the issues involved in running a large conservation organisation whilst making contributions in his own specialist areas. Andrew has many years' experience of working with younger people and would like to see wider engagement of what he sees as our most valuable resource.

P. Gildea

Pat Gildea is a retired executive in e-business development, digital marketing and social media for green enterprises, most recently in the green electricity field. She has had a life-long interest in the natural world, becoming an environmental activist as a teen and attending the first Earth Day in 1970. She has a Bsc in Botany and an MSc in Plant Ecology. She began her career as a Research Scientist developing global models of land use in the study of global warming. She is particularly interested in climate emergency and greening the Trust, and as part of the WWT Sustainability Action Group, contributed to the first assessment of WWT’s annual carbon emissions. She is also interested in membership development and diversity.

G. H. Green MBE

Hon. Officer without portfolio

Harry has been a member of the Trust since its creation in 1968 and actively involved in its affairs as a volunteer and amateur, being first elected to Council in 1970. His volunteer work in the Trust has ranged from practical conservation work in reserves, through fundraising to committee work and as past editor of Worcestershire Wildlife News; with others he produced two books for the Trust.

He completed a long term as Chairman of Council in 1993 and is currently an Hon. Vice-President of the Trust. He has been interested in natural history since boyhood and an active participant in the activities of the British Trust for Ornithology and many other wildlife societies for much of his life.

C. J. N. Greensmith

Hon. Officer for Conservation

After 20 years as a solicitor Chris decided to change direction. In 2018 he completed a degree in Ecology and Environmental Science at the University of Worcester, which was followed by a Research Masters Degree in River Science. Chris brings to the Trust a combination of his property and trust law background and knowledge obtained during these recent studies. Chris is a keen nature lover with a particular passion for otters and an enthusiasm for exploring the Scottish highlands and islands – two interests which, fortunately, can often be combined. When he can, he joins the Trust’s roving volunteers. He is the Volunteer Reserve Warden for the Trust’s recently acquired Hardwick Green Meadows, a rare floodplain nature reserve with new and exciting educational and public interaction opportunities.

Dr. P. R. Holmes

Peter moved to Malvern in 1992 when he became English Nature's Conservation Officer for Worcestershire. Over 13 years he was involved in many conservation projects in the county, including the notification of 45 SSSIs, mostly hay meadows. For several years he led a large partnership project to restore and re-create floodplain wetlands in the Severn and Avon Vales. He still works part-time for Natural England, building partnership projects at a landscape scale across the West Midlands, but remains actively involved in Worcestershire. Much of his spare time is involved with bird-ringing at sites throughout Worcestershire, especially Castlemorton Common, Oakley Pool and a number of farms with winter finch and bunting flocks. He is interested in moths and runs a moth trap daily in his garden.

T. Meikle

Tom is an arable and vegetable farmer at Wick near Pershore. He has a strong record of wildlife conservation achievements, based upon his involvement in both county and national farm-based conservation schemes. His farm has won awards for its conservation outcomes, including Natural England’s Farming and Wildlife Award in 2004.  Tom has wide interests in wildlife and has been a member of the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust for more than 30 years. He is an active member of the Worcestershire Fungi Group, Plantlife, LEAF and the RSPB and has served at committee level on the Worcestershire Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group. As an advocate for the therapeutic benefits of working alongside nature, Tom is a trustee, playing a supporting role in Wick Care Farm based on his farm.

C. Pawley

Carrie has a 20 year career in the public sector, the last 13 years spent in the Environment Agency managing intelligence, data and evidence teams to build tools and services to enable the organisation to make informed, evidence-based decisions across multiple sectors. She leads a disability network supporting staff across the Defra Group with long-term health conditions and takes an active role in the department’s EDI community. Carrie is also the co-founder of Women Who, Worcestershire, a networking group for female-fronted businesses in the county. She’s passionate about community and the value of nature in building and supporting community wellbeing and is keen to support the Trust to further its EDI ambitions.

P. Scriven

Peter has lived in Worcestershire since the mid 1990s and retired from the retail sector in 2013. His professional career included marketing and merchandising but he specialsied in supply chain and project management. He has always been interested in wildlife and conservation and has been a member and active practical volunteer with the Trust since his retirement. He became warden at Monkwood in 2014 and helped to establish an additional workparty at the reserve in 2015. He has coordinated the actions arising from the Trust's volunteer review in 2014 and continues to use his business and commercial experience for the benefit of the Trust, alongside his practical volunteering contribution.

S. D. Young

Hon. Officer for Resources

Born in Worcester and having lived in the County nearly all her life, Sandra grew up with a keen interest in nature and has never stopped wanting to discover and learn more about the natural world around her. Having worked in travel and education, Sandra’s main career was in the civil service during which she spent sixteen years working for Natural England, enabling her able to learn a great deal about ecology and habitat management. She first got involved with Worcestershire Wildlife Trust when she joined the committee of the Worcester Local Group, and she went on to be Chair for eight years. She enjoys helping out at Trust events and has served on the magazine editorial committee for a decade. She especially enjoys writing articles about the connection between nature and human culture, such as poetry and folklore. Nature has given her so much joy and fulfilment that she passionately believes in giving something back.

A. Muir

Andrew has recently retired after 36 years as a Chartered Town Planner during which time he gained experience in local authority, consultancy and client side.  His main area of expertise is Environmental Impact Assessment, which has allowed him to develop an understanding across a wide range of environmental disciplines.  He has worked across a range of infrastructure, including High Speed Rail and renewable energy, which present complex interactions between environment and community.  That experience has provided him with skills in commercial, quality and programme management.  During his career he undertook engagement with a broad spectrum of stakeholders where his role was to explain the environmental impacts of development clearly and accurately.  He has delivered STEM initiatives focused on the interaction between development and the environment.  Andrew has been volunteering with the Trust at a number of reserves and has recently become work party leader at Windmill Hill, so clearly likes a challenge!