About

Louise first approached the CIC seeking advice and support for her ambitious plan to create Richmond’s first community bike park. Her family-friendly vision for the town quickly won them over, as did her willingness to work collaboratively whilst inspiring those around her. Not only did they agree to support her scheme, but they also invited her to join as a director.

It was a wise move. As a Project Manager and Design Manager within the NHS, Louise has plenty of experience in navigating bureaucracy and organising teams; a talent for creating well-designed spaces that enhance wellbeing, and an infectious enthusiasm for making dreams happen and getting stuff done. Even before the bike ride’s final planning stage, 20 local families had joined the campaign, who in turn generated wider support across the community, eager for the go-ahead to start digging.

As a mother of three, Louise finds fulfilment in being able to put her skills to practical use for the benefit of others; something which also led her professionally to move away from private architectural practice and into the public sector. She has lived in Richmond for 13 years and says she couldn’t imagine living anywhere other than Yorkshire!

Very much a born and bred ‘local lad’ and former pupil of Richmond School, David has spearheaded some ambitious big budget property development projects in his time; many of them involving affordable housing schemes which, to this day, continue to develop and benefit under-represented communities in Yorkshire and the North-east.

A forward thinker with an acute social conscience, David is described by colleagues as a ‘friendly, can do guy’ who brings realism, compassion and clarity of purpose to the CIC.

He spent 35 years in the property world, where, as Chief Executive of a North-east Urban Regeneration Company, he ran up an impressive portfolio of private and public funded developments worth millions. He went on to set up his own consultancy, focusing on affordable housing, and although retired remains a non-executive board member of North Star Housing Group, now owning and operating 4,500 affordable homes. He also volunteers as Chair of Richmondshire Refugee Support Group helping Syrian, Iraqi, Afghan and Ukrainian families settle into the area.

Raised on his parents’ council tenant farm near Catterick Village, David never left farming entirely. He is the proud owner of a vintage tractor which he brings out at weekends for tractor runs and country shows!

Marcia is a one of life’s born communicators. Alongside her natural ease with people, she brings a wealth of experience in sales and marketing to the CIC, plus her unstoppable talent for inspiring and persuading others to get involved too!

In short, Marcia is someone who knows how to get things done. Tenacious but kind-hearted, she is never phased by any project, something that local business owners have seen first-hand during her previous 6-year tenure as Chair of Richmond’s Business and Tourism Association.

During her rich and varied career, she’s held key roles in media sales for local radio; opened her own successful guesthouse; worked as Marketing Manager for the hotel group that owns the Kings Head and acted as Marketing Manager at Kiplin Hall for 12 years, establishing it as the historic tourist attraction it is today.

She’s also gained a B.A and M.Litt from Newcastle University; made something of a name for herself as the owner and joint restorer of a beautiful garden, which she and her husband open to the public to raise funds for charity, and is also an accomplished pianist.

Marcia was recently awarded a British Empire Medal for services to the environment and to Richmond’s community.

Tim is something of a leading light when it comes to green energy and sustainability. He may not shout about it but having dedicated the last 30 years of his engineering career to the development and implementation of renewables, he is a familiar face as speaker and opening presenter at many major industry-related conferences.

Tim is now bringing his specialist expertise to the CIC, not least his idea to launch low Carbon projects locally, such as a large community wind turbine, or public EV charger installations for electric vehicles. Such initiatives could potentially extend into heating, eco-education and rural land use in the longer term.

Originally from Darlington, Tim works as a Partner at the Strategy Consultancy, Roland Berger. Before this, he was a renewables R&D engineer, then Managing Director of the Power Division of WS Atkins plc, and then ultimately as Atkins’ Strategy Director. He has also advised strategy and mergers and acquisitions for several green energy and construction players across the world.

The CIC will give Tim a chance to bring some of his experience to bear in Richmond. He has lived in the town for 20 years with his children and his wife, an engineer and poet, Eithne.

Judith is a keen local historian and educator who happens to be fully versed in CIC practice. She spent 7 years as a CIC director, CEO and Chair before returning to Yorkshire last year where, thankfully, she wasted no time re-directing her wisdom and positivity towards the good of her new hometown!

Inspired at a young age by an aunt who told her that education was the true route to freedom, Judith made it her life’s mission to advocate for equal learning opportunities for all, from taking on voluntary work training teachers overseas, to teaching English to women in her spare time, and fighting for the rights of children in care to a full-time education. She’s worked in schools, councils and the Department for Education and has a firm grasp on the policy and implementation of projects that benefit children, young people, and communities; her last job before retirement being Service Director of Education and Skills with Plymouth City Council.

Judith has immersed herself in local life – not just through her contribution to the CIC – but by participating in the town’s many social and cultural delights, and by studying the history of Swaledale in preparation for writing her first novel.

An experienced former CEO, James brings a distinct set of skills and accomplishments to the CIC, not least his collaborative way of working, backed up by an impressive head for numbers and a tenacious attention to detail.

A qualified accountant with a Masters in Business Administration, he has a proven track record in both the public and private sector, having held chief executive positions at three different district councils before starting his own management consultancy.

He came to Richmond to retire, but not being one to sit still for long, he took on the role of treasurer and organiser of Richmond Walking and Book Festival; now a major event on the town’s tourism calendar, and became a trustee, and later became Chair of Richmondshire Building Preservation Trust, the organisation responsible for the development of The Station project. Today, he acts as Chair of the Trust’s trading company RBPT Enterprises.

Originally from Coventry, and a graduate of Kings College London, James and his wife Barbara first came to Richmond for the outdoor life, so when he’s not donning one of his many voluntary community hats, he’ll be up hill or down dale, either on foot or on his bike!

With a family connection to Richmond spanning four generations, Amanda is one of the few CIC directors who can truly claim Richmond as home. Her great-grandmother lived and worked in the town as a school cook, and her grandmother after that, so that by the time her parents returned to Richmond in the 1970s, Amanda was destined to remain and what she doesn’t know about the history and character of the local community is probably not worth knowing!

Yet Amanda brings far more than local insight and a deep-rooted sense of place to the CIC table. Having worked at the heart of Local Government for many years, most notably running the Chief Executive’s office at NYCC, she has focus, grit, sound judgement and versatility, as well as an extensive working knowledge and interest in national Social Care. She claims that learning to withstand frequent changes in leadership, politicians, deadlines and legislation taught her the resilience needed to make anything possible!

A self-confessed culture-vulture, Amanda is a former Chair of North Country Theatre and Trustee at the Georgian Theatre. She and her husband are serious film buffs partial to block booking seats for the entire programme of the town’s acclaimed annual film festival!

Unafraid of hard work, Ian has always been willing to put himself out for the betterment of others. He previously led a team of 40 Street Angels helping to keep the streets of Northallerton safe at weekends, while during the pandemic he stepped up at the GP-led vaccination centre in Leyburn, organising 120 volunteers responsible for stewarding the site.

Always appreciated for his relentless enthusiasm, Ian brings a welcome energy to any community initiative, demonstrated most recently by his involvement with the town’s TIC, the result of which has led to demand for his popular local history walks where he adopts the persona (and uniform) of a Victorian street bobby!

A one-time senior manager within the metals industry and President of the UK Textile Recycling Association, Ian has a keen mind for business; one that he likes to switch off from with his wife Fiona by conquering the hills of Swaledale on their e-bikes!

Richmond has much to thank for Donald’s entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to get stuck into things, for alongside his own substantial business commitments over the years, he has helped launch and nurture some of the town’s most successful and high-profile social enterprises.

A well-known personality in the area, and one who has cleverly remained outside the arena of local politics, Donald brings inventiveness, unique vision and commercial acumen to every project; the creation of Richmond’s first Community Interest Company being no exception.

He came to Richmond almost 50 years ago to open the town’s first and only independent bookshop with his wife Nina, taking to fulfilling third party orders by mail worldwide when Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was still at primary school! Valued by many as a positive ‘hands on’ operator, and always ahead of the curve in his ideas and aspirations for the town, he is credited with championing the redevelopment of The Station building, now a flagship community resource and tourist destination.

More recently, the former radio producer has served as one of the volunteer coordinators for Richmond Information Centre in the Market Hall, the success of which got him thinking about forming a CIC that could make a real and positive difference to the residents of his beloved town.