Our trustees

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Gail worked for many years in social housing, initially as a housing trainee in a London Borough, followed by a regional housing provider in various management posts. In 2009, she moved to the charitable sector, working across Kent and Sussex as CEO of a money advice charity, then a re-use and recycling charity and finally Director of a housing and support charity for single homeless adults. Outside the day job, she took a voluntary role with a social business as a director and president of Kent Savers - a start up credit union. Since retiring to Worcestershire in 2016, she has continued her commitment to the sector with trustee roles until recently with two other charities. She has a keen amateur interest in wildlife and a love of gardening, including wildlife gardening and growing many different plants, including the rare Whitty Pear from seed from her local arboretum where she also volunteers.

Hon. Officer for Resources

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.

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!

Sarah is an environmental campaigner and policy specialist, with broad knowledge of environmental issues across wildlife, climate change, conservation and zoonotic disease. She has led impactful campaigns focused on combating wildlife trade, mitigating climate change and protecting wildlife species. In her current role as Wildlife Policy Specialist with an international NGO, she is experienced in advocating for wildlife at policy level and public mobilisation.

She has spent much of her childhood and adulthood in Worcestershire, she continues to have family in Pershore and has grown very fond of Worcestershire’s wild species and wild spaces. Sarah is passionate about getting young people into wildlife and environmental protection. She is particularly interested in fostering a connection to nature in children from a young age and believes that only then, will we mobilise future generations to take action to protect it. 

Lyndon has always been keen on exploring the outdoors on foot and bike. Soon after moving to Worcester, he became a member and volunteer with the Trust including as a committee member for the Worcester Local Group. After a career in economic regeneration where he was responsible for delivering a wide range of business, employment and training support, he is now keen to use his skills and knowledge to support the Trust sustain and expand its important role in helping to ensure the county’s nature recovery.

Jayne is Worcestershire born and bred, apart from gaps living in other areas for jobs and education.  She is a research chemist by training but has spent much of her career in learning and development in and around the NHS and is currently working in learning and development at Jaguar Land Rover.

Jayne has significant experience working with charities, being a past Trustee of Endometriosis UK and past Chair of Endometriosis SHE Trust. She currently volunteers with the Forest of Arden Agricultural Society, chairing the Produce Tent committee and has taken on a number of roles within the Society in the 23 years she has been a member. Having spent 20 years running Inkberrow Brownies, Jayne has significant experience in the voluntary sector.

Jayne has a lifelong interest in the countryside and environment. She is hoping that her role with the Trust will give her the opportunity to marry this love for the countryside with her extensive experience in learning and development.