John Entwistle OBE Chairman Expand Professional background: Solicitor and retired tribunal judge, president of the British Chambers of Commerce. Additional skills: Fundraising, trustee of arts organisations, former member of the N.W. National Trust Regional committee and former chairman of the Romney Society based in Kendal. I am a retired lawyer so now have more time to enjoy the ever changing landscape in all weathers with my dog George. I consider it a privilege to have lived here for the last 26 years and now to help Friends of the Lake District continue to keep it really special.
John Campbell Vice Chair Expand Professional background: Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) with specialism in commercial properties, portfolio advice management to a number of investment and pension funds. Business management including staff and finances. Director of medium sized family businessAdditional skills: non-Exec Director health authority, consultant/advisor to small-medium business, regeneration and development.
Judith Cooke Vice Chair Expand Professional background - civil servant - mainly criminal justice, negotiator and market researcher in private and public sectors, project manager for range of change projects including improving budget management and delivering diversity. Local background - living in Lake District for last 11 years, working in health and criminal justice, parish councillor and member of Lake District National Park Authority for 8 years (chaired planning committee for 4 years). Interests include walking, boating , swimming as well as range of involvement with local groups. Trustee of Wordsworth Trust (Grasmere) and member of heritage and garden societies.
Daniel Benjamin Trustee Expand Professional background: Executive level in the public and private sectors with responsibility for finance, human resources, corporate governance, information governance, risk management, information technology, sales management, marketing and programme management, including major plcs and public sector. My personal interests include art, heritage, history, football, travelling and walking.
Martin Brimmer Trustee Expand Professional background: academic, senior civil servant – Cabinet Office and Department of Education, ministerial support labour and employment, industrial relations and pay policy. Additional skills: Charity law, governance and Trustee responsibilities.
Jeremy Rowan Robinson Trustee Expand I am Emeritus Professor of Law at Aberdeen University and a solicitor with experience in both the public and private sectors, including for a while Solicitor to the Lake District Special Planning Board. I specialised in public law with particular reference to planning and environmental law, compulsory purchase and compensation and countryside law. Additional skills: I was a board member of Scottish Natural Heritage and chair of its East Areas Board, chairman of the Scottish Access Forum, chairman of the Paths for All Partnership and a member of the Lake District National Park Authority. My recreational interests include writing: I am the author of several academic and professional texts and of two novels; I am a volunteer with the Lake District National Park Authority; and I enjoy fell walking."
Philip Cropper Trustee Expand Professional background: Retired stockbroker/ investment fund manager and previously fellow of the Institute of Securities.Additional skills: Fundraising for a number of charities often through film making and current chairman of Art Fund Cumbria.
Gareth McKeever Hon Treasurer Expand Professional: Director of small business located in Lake District National Park. Formerly London-based stockbroker. Formerly both trustee of Honeypot children's charity and treasurer of local church. Personal: Husband and father to two young children, moved to be close to family in 2016 and now live in Far Sawrey. Interests: Bridge, Pilates/Yoga , Skiing
Sarah Hodgson Trustee Expand Professional background - Founder of a Windermere based international tour operator specialising in guided mountain adventure holidays. BSc Hons Geography from University of London. MTUK Mountain Leader. Professional specialisms in marketing, branding and social media. Local background - Living in Ambleside, with my husband who is an author of Cicerone Lake District guidebooks, a child who goes to school locally, and Maximus my Bernese Mountain Dog. Interests - Fell walking, mountaineering, ice climbing, adventure travel, trail and fell running.
Catherine Grezo Co-opted Trustee Expand Professional background – landscape architect in the public sector for 30 years. Responsible for landscape, ecology and tree officer teams. Project management of a wide range of landscape projects, advising planning authorities on landscape matters including the designation of protected landscapes and input into structure and local plans. Advised a number of environmental charity boards on landscape issues. Special interest in historic parklands, worked with English Heritage on reassessing all the listed parklands within the county. Local background – born and brought up in west Cumbria. Moved back to Cumbria six years ago and now live in a village near Cockermouth. Interests include historic parks and gardens, natural history, walking, Natural Trust volunteer, art, work part time at a museum and art gallery. Member of several garden/natural history/arts organisations.