Charity Trustees:

DEAN WATT, Chair of Trustees, is originally from Somerset. Her last job involved supporting people in the community with housing and budgeting issues. She moved to Whitby with her husband Malcolm in 2015 in seek of adventures new! She loves living here, and has made some very good friends. Shortly after moving Dean became a volunteer minibus driver for Whitby and District Community Transport. Since that organisation folded she has continued as a volunteer driver with Whitby DAG and recently became a volunteer hospital visitor at Whitby Hospital.

NIALL CARSON is Deputy Chairman. He worked as a countryside ranger at several UK charity and local authority country parks and nature reserves, specialising in environmental education. He moved to Whitby as a self-employed ranger and later co-founded a newsletter (still published locally) for UK countryside staff. Now retired, he is involved in sustainable tourism and manages a small oakwood near Whitby.

SUE BOYCE is the Trust’s long-serving Treasurer. Her previous experience ranged from small business to multi-national corporations, plus consultancy work in central government and the charity sector. A strategic planner, she has a keen eye for making the best use of all resources, whether people and property or information and finance.

JOHN MCEACHEN took early retirement from Head of Libraries, Arts and Museums for a large London Borough and brings to the board extensive experience of work at a strategic level in local government both as an officer and a councillor. He is on the board of The Hawk and Owl Trust (HOT), and manages a High Level Stewardship conservation contract on Fylingdales Moor. He is a qualified trainer for the British Trust for Ornithology.

FRED STRICKLAND-CONSTABLE owns a farming estate near Malton, where he now lives. He currently farms about 500 acres. He is a trustee of several charities in Yorkshire and was involved in the creation of the Whitby Abbey Visitor Centre. He owns Fylingdales Moor, currently managed by the Hawk and Owl Trust.

MALCOLM WATT has a background in landscape design and planning. After retiring his wife Dean and himself moved from Gloucestershire to Whitby. Quite a move, but they wanted to try pastures new. Both are so pleased they came here. The people are friendly and the scenery and coastline are stunning. Since moving, Malcolm has continued as a magistrate. Having considerable personal experience of disability, he followed Dean’s example and joined Whitby and District Community Transport as a Trustee. Sadly W&DCT is no more but he is now a Trustee of Whitby DAG.

CELIA IMOGEN is Chief Executive Officer and Company Secretary. She has worked in the charitable sector for over 30 years and has extensive experience in project management and business development in both the arts and adult social care. Celia joined Whitby Area Development Trust in 2022 and has responsibility for the Trust’s strategy, operations and culture.

Former Trustees who have made a significant contribution:

BILL BREAKELL lives on the edge of the North York Moors. His work in the public, private and voluntary sectors mainly concerned economic regeneration, tourism and transport and his last post was with the North York Moors National Park Authority. He served on a number of government taskforces and lectured and broadcast widely in the UK and Europe.

LANCE GARRARD has a distinguished scientific career being a former director of the TSUNAMI Initiative, former head of research and development at Sedgwick Re and MD of Metrisk. His work has enabled the Trust to better understand climate change and its potential impact on the area. He lives in the Esk Valley.

PAM REEVES is retired and lives in Castleton, the heart of the North York Moors. For many years she was involved in many volunteer roles. She was clerk to Danby Group Parish Council for nearly 20 years and subsequently became a parish councillor and chair of the parish council. She chairs Esk Moors Active (Heather Hopper) which is a very successful community transport scheme. She was an elected director of Yorkshire Coast homes and acted as vice-chair for 3 years and chair for 5 years.

JENNY HUNT was a magistrate and member of the North Yorkshire Education appeals panel. She was the Independent Financial Examiner for the Women’s Institute and a member of the North east Area Co-operative Committee for 12 years. Jenny was Chair of Abbeyfields Esk Moors Society and led a volunteer group of local residents to design and build the sheltered housing facility and community care centre for older people in the Upper Esk Valley. The 12 sheltered and self – contained flats were made available for rent by local people allowing them to remain in their community for the whole of their lives.

BRYAN BARKER is fondly remembered throughout Whitby for his time as Headmaster and, in many ways, the Coliseum is a lasting memorial to his contribution to his home town. In particular, the Penthouse Apartment might never have been completed without Bryan’s tireless efforts as Chair of Trustees. Perhaps the best testament to his vision and compassion is that some of the very first Penthouse residents are still living happily in the apartment as part of the Trust’s family and wider Whitby community.

Trustee Payment: No Trustee or person connected with a Trustee receives any payment.

Trustee Selection:
The board identifies specific skill or representation gaps in the current board, then attempts to fill them from the local community by word of mouth; by inviting Coliseum Centre users to register such an interest; and by advertising in the newsletter of the North Yorkshire Forum for Voluntary Organisations. After eligibility checks, potential Trustees attend as non-voters for several meetings before being invited to stand for election on a vote of the existing Trustees.

Trustee Training:
New Trustees are provided with an induction pack, including job descriptions of the various trustee roles and Charity Commission publications on the Duties of Trustees, etc. Trustees are expected to attend training courses and other training events offered locally by the North Yorkshire Forum for Voluntary Organisations and regionally by Locality (formerly bassac).