Connecting people to nature

Father of two, living in High Wycombe for the last 24 years. Worked for the BBC for a long time, latterly for a local authority and in more recent times the NHS. In his spare time, Simon supports a number of charitable organisations – including the National Trust, Chiltern Society and the Ridgeway National Trail Partnership delivering impact and supporting the framework of good governance in the areas of strategy and finance.

Katy is a management professional and bid writer, specialising in the natural and cultural environment. She is currently the strategic lead for protected landscapes in Norfolk, and was instrumental in uniting an AONB, a Marine Protected Area Network and a National Trail, bringing them together for the first time to deliver greater impact for nature and communities. Katy firmly believes everyone should be able to explore and feel connected to the world around them, and was instrumental in developing the multi-sensory Norfolk Way Art Trail, which takes an inclusive and welcoming approach to enjoying the nature and culture on your doorstep.

Craig has been a wheelchair user for over 25 years and is the Founder and Managing Director of Experience Community, a not-for-profit organisation that helps physically disabled people access the outdoors through walking, cycling, arts and conservation activities. Part of his role is to provide training and consultancy advice to improve access to the outdoors for disabled people and he has worked on projects with various National Trails, the King Charles the Third Coast Path and the Wales Coast Path. Craig lives in the South Pennines and has been a member of the Pennine National Trails Partnership since 2018.

Paddy has a decade’s experience working in strategy development and implementation for governments, charities and other non-profit organisations, with prior roles in global management consultancy and as strategy lead for a global health NGO working across the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa. He brings particular passion for working with cultural heritage organisations, and translating strategies into effective governance and plans and scaling impactful initiatives. A keen trail walker and slightly less keen runner, Paddy can often be found out with his rescue dog, Scruffy, and has previously co-founded and served as trustee of a grassroots homeless charity in London.

Karen is a finance professional specialising in operational finance. She has over 25 years’ experience working in financial leadership roles in the science and technology sectors in the UK and Europe. She believes that delivery of quality financial information, understood well by stakeholders underpins effective decision making. She has worked in complex organisations with growth ambitions involving multiple stakeholders. She is a qualified accountant and member of the ICAEW. She now brings her finance and governance experience from the for-profit sector to a portfolio of charity and adviser roles. She enjoys walking and trekking, both in the UK and further afield, and is a strong believer in the benefits that access to wild spaces bring. In addition to supporting National Trails UK, she is also a Trustee on the board of The Myton Hospices.

Andrew is a data scientist, activist and avid fell-runner based in the Scottish Borders. Andrew is passionate about access to the outdoors for all. He joins the NTUK Board in campaigning for equity of access to nature for underrepresented people as a driver for tackling environmental and social crises, and brings learnings from lived experiences as founder of grassroots community ESEA Outdoors UK. Andrew also brings data and technological expertise to the Board in making data-driven decisions. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys running in the Scottish hills with his terrier and exploring his local Trail, the Southern Upland Way.

Jeremy has been providing external communications counsel to global and UK pharmaceutical and biotech brands for the last 29 years. Following leadership positions in London and New York, he set up his own specialist healthcare communications consultancy, managing it from start-up to an established, award-winning business. From this experience Jeremy provides input and perspectives on strategy, communications, stakeholder engagement, reputation, as well as high level operational and financial experience. He also loves exploring and enjoying the great outdoors. He has completed the Ridgeway National Trail and, along with his wife and dog, is now exploring sections of many others.

Shane’s passion for the outdoors and freedom to roam stems from an Ulster childhood constrained by limited rural access with the backdrop of the Troubles. Realising the green spaces, he managed as a forester were a place of common ground where ‘trees and landscapes take no sides’, he spent his formative career working on cross community forestry led initiatives bringing communities together in Northern Ireland. A sojourn in community waste management led him back into the National Trust in a variety of roles across Wales. Currently Shane manages Powis Castle and Garden where he leads on the legacy of colonialism.

Julian was the founding Chair of National Trails UK, Vice-Chair of the World Trails Network and member of Natural England’s Landscape Advisory Panel. As Director of the South West Coast Path Association, he champions England’s longest National Trail. Previously Julian was CEO of Rainforest Rescue protecting threatened and reforesting damaged rainforest internationally. He set up the Smart WaterMark, a global water conservation and certification programme. Julian worked across Europe to developed tools to help manage and brand protected landscapes. He was in the management team of the first National Landscape Conservation Board and was involved in establishing UK’s first Community Forest.