Staff and Trustees

Starlings - Terry Whittaker/2020VISION

Starlings. Image by: Terry Whittaker/2020VISION.

ABOUT US

Staff and Trustees

Our governance

The governing body of Northumberland Wildlife Trust is an elected board of trustees. Trustees play a vital role in all aspects of our work.

Our Trustees are a group of volunteers who hold the financial and legal responsibility for everything the Trust does.They bring a wide range of knowledge, expertise and experience to the charity and are responsible for approving our strategic plans, annual budget and Annual Report & Accounts. 

Trustees are appointed from our membership base at the Trust's Annual General Meeting each September.

Our mission

Our Trustees

Nigel Porter - Chair

Nigel Porter

Nigel was a trained social worker, becoming Deputy Director of Social Services in County Durham and finally Chief Executive of Sedgefield Primary Care Trust (PCT). 

Retirement has included a PhD in Greek Archaeology from Newcastle University and he was a board member of Northumberland Healthwatch. Nigel has previously served as Secretary for NWT and has significant public sector organisational and management skills. Apart from a general interest in local wildlife, he enjoys more adventurous treks to the arctic. Nigel is nominated for the office of Chair. 

Graham Gill - Vice Chair

Graham Gill

Graham has a degree in Ecology from Edinburgh University and his entire career has been with the Forestry Commission. Prior to his retirement in 2015, he was responsible for the management of the Forestry Commission's forests across the North of England, including Kielder Forest, where he was much involved in combining productive forestry with public recreation and wildlife conservation on a landscape scale.

Graham has lived in Northumberland for over 20 years, and, in retirement, is involved in squirrel conservation, wildwood creation and tree planting. He is currently a Vice-chair of NWT.

Karen Statham - Vice Chair

Karen is a qualified and experienced business development leader, with a passion for wildlife conservation and a commitment to supporting the work of The Wildlife Trusts.

She has worked in the field of business development and marketing since graduating in 2004.  Since progressing to the role of business development / proposal lead at Ryder Architecture in 2015, and promoted to an associate in 2018, Karen has gained senior level experience of helping an organisation make strategic decisions whilst ensuring their marketing collateral stands out from the crowd.  A key focus of her role is identifying and responding to new business opportunities, to win new work and generate income.

For the past few years Karen has volunteered with The Wildlife Trusts, focussing on the promotion of their events, groups and projects and has contributed regular articles to their magazine and website.

Karen cares deeply about protecting wildlife and the environment we share and believes her professional skills combined with her enthusiasm for Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s work enables her to add value as a Trustee.

Derek Coates - Honorary Treasurer

Derek Coates

Derek is a qualified accountant and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (FCPFA) with over 30 years of experience working in the public sector.  At the time of his retirement in 2012, he was the Finance Director for Gateshead Council and Treasurer of the Northumbria Police Authority with a combined annual turnover of £1bn.

He has been a trustee and board member for several organisations including charities and private sector bodies.

For the last 5 years he has been an active volunteer for Northumberland Wildlife Trust working on projects such as Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre and with children and families in the west end of Newcastle.

Ailsa Hobson - Honorary Secretary

Ailsa Hobson

Ailsa is an Associate Solicitor in the Company Commercial department at a Newcastle law firm, specialising in employment. Ailsa undertakes a wide range of employment work for both public sector and private sector clients advising business and charities under the law firm’s Employment Protection Package.

Ailsa started out her legal career predominately acting for claimants in employment tribunal on various types of claims including discrimination, whistleblowing, and breach of contract. She now advises employers on procedural compliance and Human Resources issues, employment related disputes and litigation.

Mike Jeffries

Mike Jeffries

Mike was University Teaching Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Environmental Sciences at Northumbria University and is currently Associate Professor. He is a published writer and has 35 years of experience exploring the ecology of ponds. 

His strengths are knowledge of nature and conservation, with a specialism in ponds and invertebrates, and good networks in the local community.

Trai Anfield

Trai Anfield

A meteorologist and former BBC broadcaster, Trai is currently Creative Director, photographer and film maker for Enlightened Media and runs her own photography safari company, travelling the globe. 

She has served on the Boards of the National Lottery Heritage Fund North East and Groundwork, South Tyneside & Newcastle. Key skills are media and promotion, environmental science and fundraising. 

Patricia Cresswell

Patricia Cresswell

A Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh and Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Tricia retired from Public Health Medicine in 2015 after working at a senior level for over 20 years in the North East, including Director of Public Health and Executive Director of a number of statutory NHS Boards.

Currently she is Vice Chair of HealthWORKS and a Trustee of Newcastle Parks and Allotments Trust. Key skills lie in strategic business development and she will assist in developing wellbeing programmes. 

Eveline Brunton

Eveline Brunton

Ev started her career, working in HMP Holme House, Stockton on Tees in various corporate service and financial roles before moving to HMYOI Deerbolt as Head of Corporate Services. Ev then moved to take a role in Whitehall, London, working in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in an Executive Finance and Commercial role. In 2016,

Ev was appointed Business Operations Director for Public Health England where she had responsibility and leadership of all financial, commercial, HR and governance aspects as well as National Lead on Health Inequalities. Ev now works in NHS England as Operations Director.

She has led multiple, large change programmes, successfully negotiated with HM Treasury on financial settlements through spending review processes, led complex HR initiatives, such as a recent reform of Public Health England and was passionate in her role as National Lead on Health Inequalities. Ev enjoys her voluntary commitments and hopes to support the Trust in all aspects of business. 

John Baker Cresswell

John Baker Cresswell

John has farmed in Northumberland between Belford and Chatton for 33 years.  This is a mixed family partnership (suckler cows, sheep and combinable crops), much of which has been managed under organic protocols for almost 20 years.  Prior to that he received a degree in Agricultural Business Management from London University and worked as a farm manager in East Anglia and in the South Monadlaighs. 

He has been a director of College Valley Estates (which owns and manages 12500 acres running to the summit of Cheviot) for over 10 years and a director of the grain cooperative Coastal Grains for 25 years.  He has worked as a consultant for large agriholdings in eastern Europe (mainly in Ukraine).

Suren Kanagasundaram

Suren Kanagasundaram

Suren is a Consultant Nephrologist at Newcastle Hospitals and led its haemodialysis service between 2007 and 2022. He has authored a number of textbook chapters and original articles in the fields of haemodialysis and acute kidney injury (AKI), and is lead author for the latest UK Kidney Association (UKKA) clinical practice guideline for AKI.

He founded Nature Connect – Newcastle Hospitals, which seeks to support our staff Green Gym and green social prescribing, and help fund nature restoration in our region through its Long View project.

In partnership with the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition, he is undertaking life-cycle analyses of kidney care and carbon calculator development. Other commitments to environmentally sustainable healthcare include roles as clinical representative on Newcastle Hospitals’ Executive Oversight Group for the Climate Emergency, clinical co-chair of the UKKA Sustainable Kidney Care programme, and member of the steering group of the global GREEN-K initiative, developing climate resilient kidney care systems. He is a member of NHS England’s Net Zero Clinical Advisory Board.

Rosie Tapsfield

Rosie Tapsfield

Rosie has worked for local government and the voluntary sector for over 15 years delivering frontline support as well as developing and managing projects. Through this work Rosie has worked with some of the most marginalised communities in the Northeast tackling a range of issues including isolation, welfare, housing, mental health and community cohesion.

Rosie currently works for the local authority coordinating City of Sanctuary across Newcastle, supporting places and spaces to be more welcoming to people seeking asylum and refugees. Her interest in social and environmental justice, with refugee and forced displacement issues in particular, has involved her in a range of projects both internationally and within the UK.

Rosie is committed to supporting the work of The Wildlife Trusts and enjoys spending time outdoors in nature whenever she can.  

President and Vice Presidents

Conrad Dickinson - President

Conrad Dickinson

Conrad is a born and bred Northumbrian who has a lifelong love of nature and wildlife in the county.

During the last 25 years Conrad has been involved with over 70 Polar expeditions and became an International Polar Guide after completing the worlds hardest expeditions including, North Pole, South Pole, and crossing Greenland, all unsupported. Conrad had the privilege of guiding Prince Harry to the South Pole.

Retirement has seen Conrad return to his love of wildlife photography.

Angus Lunn - Vice President

Angus Lunn

Angus Lunn has been involved with the Trust from its origin.  He is a trustee and vice-president. He was awarded the 2009 Cadbury Medal by The Wildlife Trusts for services to nature conservation. He is the author of ‘Northumberland’ in the New Naturalist series.

Angus was Chairman of the Council for National Parks for 10 years. In addition, he was Head of Adult Education at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and he has served on the Northumberland National Park Committee. He currently serves on the North Pennines AONB Partnership, is a trustee of the Natural History Society of Northumbria and manages a small farm in the North Pennines under a Stewardship Scheme.

Ian Armstrong - Vice President

Ian Armstrong

Ian has been active in wildlife conservation, particularly birds, for over 50 years.

He was a Secretary of State, a member of the Northumberland National Park committee for 9 years and was a founder member of the Northumberland Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group.

He contributed to, and presented, BBC and ITV wildlife programmes for many years as well as being a regular on BBC radio programmes on wildlife.

He organised and led wildlife tours to the USA and Europe for over 20 years.

First joining the Trust in 1968 when it was the Northumberland and Durham Naturalists Trust, he is a long-serving Trustee of NWT, a former Honorary Secretary and has been Vice Chairman in recent years.

Senior Management

Chief Executive:
Mike Pratt - mike.pratt@northwt.org.uk

Director of Finance and Central Services:
Daniel Venner - daniel.venner@northwt.org.uk

Director of Conservation:
Duncan Hutt - duncan.hutt@northwt.org.uk

Director of Engagement & Fundraising:
Sheila Sharp - sheila.sharp@northwt.org.uk

 

Patrons

Bill Oddie & Chris Packham

Living wage logo web

Northumberland Wildlife Trust recognises the benefits of being a socially responsible employer and supports the National Living Wage, which is higher than the National Minimum Wage. We believe paying a real living wage boosts staff morale, productivity and wellbeing. It’s the right thing to do.

 

Better Health logo web

This award helps employers to promote healthy lifestyles and consider the health and wellbeing of both their employees and volunteers.

Northumberland Wildlife Trust are currently working towards their Bronze Award.

For more information about the Better Health at Work Awards visit: www.betterhealthatworkne.org