• Cheshire Landscape Trust •

Meet the Staff

Katie Lowe - Chief Executive

A graduate ecologist with experience in the fields of ecological surveying, practical expertise in tree/orchard/hedgerow planning and management and working with volunteers. Katie has led on the development of a number of biodiversity plans and action programmes.

Rachel Fitzpatrick - Administrative Officer

A graduate of the University of Chester. She has experience in general office management and bookkeeping. She has considerable expertise in information technology.

John Gittins - Associate

Has expertise in the fields of community development, planning, countryside management, and education gained at local, regional, national and international levels.

Board of Trustees

President

His Grace the Duke of Westminster KG CB OBE TD DL

Vice Presidents

Lord Harrison of Chester

A former Cheshire County Councillor, Member of the European Parliament and Lecturer in Further Education.

Bob Price

A founder Trustee. He was for many years, the County Forestry Officer, ending his career in local government as Chief Conservation Officer for Cheshire. Bob has an unrivalled knowledge of Cheshire and has acted as an advisor nationally on matters relating to forestry, landscape and nature conservation.

Trustees

Helen Carey OBE DL (Chairman)

Past Chairman of National Federation of Women's Institutes (1999-2003); Vice Chairman and Director, Cheshire Community Action; Vice Chairman and Trustee, Keep Britain Tidy; Trustee, The Waterways Trust; Trustee, Cheshire Rural Trust; Trustee, Cheshire Groundwork Trust. Helen has wide experience in the fields of community action and sustainable development.

Hilary Blumer

Retired NHS Director, who worked in London and Scotland before coming to Cheshire in 1993. Past Chairman of Sustainable Cheshire Forum and Cheshire's County wide Strategic Partnership, Trustee of Crossroads (Cheshire East), she has wide experience of working at the interface with other organisations, most notably local government, the criminal justice system and NGOs.

Frank Godfrey

A retired industrial chemist. He holds an MSc in Ecology from the University of Wales. Frank brings an extensive knowledge of ecology and he has over the years been very active with the Cheshire Wildlife Trust.

Murray Graham

Has extensive experience in planning, environmental and regeneration projects. Murray has worked for Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council, East Devon District Council and Cheshire County Council where he was until recently the Planning and Regeneration Manager. He is currently the Director of Urban Roots Planning, Honorary Secretary of the Royal Town Planning Institute North West and a member of the Town and Country Planning Association Regional and Rural Task Teams.

Molly Hale

A former Cheshire County Councillor and Chester City Councillor. She has a wide knowledge of local government, at the local, county and national level and a strong informed interest in all aspects of the environment

Stuart Hulse

A retired Police officer having served in Warrington Borough, Lancashire and Cheshire police forces. He was mainly on Traffic/Motorway Patrol. He served for a while as an advance car instructor at the Crewe Training School. He is a Parish Councillor on Helsby Parish Council and a member of the Helsby Village Action Group. This group was instrumental in producing the Parish Plan. Stuart is also Chairman of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils and a trustee of Cheshire Community Action.

Chris Shaw

A farmer and currently a partner in a 400 dairy cow business. Chris has over 40 years experience with youth organisations, parish and parochial councils. Was NFU County Chairman in 2002. Currently Trustee of Cheshire FWAG, and CPRE Cheshire. Chair of Cheshire Rural Enterprise Grant Approvals Sub-Committee, Director of Cheshire Community Council and Chair of Christian Farmers Together Management Group.

Jean Stainthorpe

Comes from a North Yorkshire farming background. Her working life has been spent as a business manager in the rail industry, specialising in the delivery of I/T and change management. She lives on a small holding where she breeds Rare Breed Beef cattle. She is a keen rambler and fell walker. Sometime chair of the Cheshire Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, she is also a Business Mentor for the Prince's Trust.