Bentley Strafford-Stephenson Bentley Strafford-Stephenson - Trustee Expand Bentley joined the RAD board in January 2019, bringing with him commercial sector experience, and he currently works in marketing for a national LPG and off-grid energy supplier. Born and raised in Derbyshire, Bentley lives on the family farm on the outskirts of the Peak District National Park, and has a keen interest in rural issues and affairs. He is married with two small children and spends his free time helping out on the farm as well as volunteering with other local and regional charitable causes.
Emma Monkman Emma Monkman - Trustee Expand Emma joined the RAD Board in March 2017. She runs her own motorbike instruction company based in Derby and had heard about RAD through the work of our Wheels to Work project. She is also a mature student studying a Masters in Environmental Politics and Climate Change and is very much hoping to continue on to a PhD. Another significant part of her life is her 4 rescue Dalmatians, aged from 6 months to 13 years. As well as having a driving licence for a car and motorbike, Emma also has a licence for a mini-bus, bus and HGV. In the air she has a private pilots licence for fixed wing, rotary and sea-plane. She has been an active volunteer for a number of charities, most recently British Red Cross, for over 15 years.
Grahame Gilbert Grahame Gilbert - Trustee and Company Secretary Expand Grahame is a Chartered Accountant and is RAD's longest serving Trustee having first joined RAD (or DRCC as it was then) in the mid 1990's. He was involved in the transfer of the charity into a limited liability company and was one of the founding Directors of the company that became incorporated on 18th February 1997. Grahame is the Company Secretary and his expertise is hugely beneficial to RAD. He is a busy man, at work and at play. He has acted and continues to act for a significant number of clients that live and/or work in rural communities - hence the initial and continuing interest and empathy with the activities and aims of RAD. He is always very busy at year end and deadline time for tax returns - so we have to plan the dates of our Board meetings carefully. At play, Grahame has two retired racing greyhounds who ensure he remains active, but as they are sprinters they invariably get tired before Grahame! He has also been a very keen sportsman, although these days participation is generally confined to golf (when time and weather permit) and scuba diving, somewhere far flung and warm (the Maldives is his favourite).
John Haynes John Haynes - Trustee and Treasurer Expand John joined the RAD Board in July 2008 and has been Treasurer since December 2013. He worked as a senior manager in the NHS for over 30 years. John has been involved in the voluntary sector in Derbyshire for over 20 years. He is currently on the Board of South Derbyshire CVS and a member of the Grants Committee of Foundation Derbyshire. He is also active in a number of organisations in his village, Cromford. When not otherwise engaged, he plays bridge quite a lot! John is very generous with his time, attending meetings and working with our Finance Manager to help make sure RAD complies with relevant legislation and regulations relating to our accounts.
Julie Hirst - Vice Chair Julie Hirst - Trustee and Vice Chair Expand Julie is currently vice-chair of RAD Board having joined as a trustee in July 2008 having previously been a trustee of Bakewell and Eyam Community Transport and High Peak Citizens Advice Bureau. Julie has retired from her ‘day’ job is public health, working for the NHS for 24 years before transferring to Derbyshire County Council in 2013. Julie’s work focused on addressing the social factors that impact on people’s health, such as poverty, poor housing and access to services for rural residents. In this role Julie has worked with local GPs and Citizens Advice to place regular Citizens Advice sessions in 99 GP surgeries in Derbyshire. She is also involved in the Feeding Derbyshire programme which aims to direct surplus food to families struggling to make ends meet. Julie’s continues to work as a Tutor with the Open University, teaching Public Health to undergraduate students. In her spare time she keeps on running (more slowly these days) and is working with other volunteers to establish a Parkrun in Bakewell.
Richard Walsh Richard Walsh - Trustee Expand Richard has been a Trustee of RAD since December 2014 when he was elected on a very snowy day in Buxton at our AGM. Richard is a member of our Oil Buying Scheme and worked on the development of the scheme to its current 'online' status. He started his career as a chemist and bacteriologist in the water industry before moving into lecturing about 10 years ago. He is currently a lecturer at the University of Derby teaching Business. He as also taught Chemistry and Health Studies at the University - very adaptable. Richard is interested in railways, obviously still a kid at heart, and he is a Director of a company that hires out railway locomotives. He lives in Homesford near Whatstandwell and is a Parish Councillor on Crich Parish Council, along with our Chair Valerie Broom who lives in Crich.
Simon Taylor - Chair Simon Taylor - Trustee and Chair Expand Simon is currently Chair of the RAD Board having joined as a Trustee in June 2014. He has a varied background in manufacturing, mining and building materials in four different countries, but is now settled in north Derbyshire with his family. He confesses that becoming a Trustee of a rural charity he felt like a fish out of water, having had a suburban childhood and city-based working life until his mid-40s. This hasn't stopped him embracing the rurality of Derbyshire so that outside work Simon is most likely found clad in some man-made fibre cycling and running (up hill and down dale) and swimming in any pool, river, lake or sea he can find (not much sea in Derbyshire however). Simon brings a great deal of business experience to the RAD Board table. He was elected Vice-Chair in 2016 and has been involved in helping to shape the oil buying scheme and work with staff and other trustees with strategic and sustainable planning ideas. He says, "I am very pleased to have the chance to support the RAD team to tackle rural disadvantage throughout Derbyshire." Simon is also a trustee of the charity Home Start (High Peak).
Valerie Broom Valerie Broom - Trustee Expand Valerie became a Trustee in March 2008. She was Chair from October 2014 until 2019 when she stepped down due to her health. However, she continues as a Trustee. Valerie says, "Personally, being a trustee is very rewarding, largely because of the people involved with RAD. The staff are committed, enthusiastic and compassionate and do excellent work to support Derbyshire people from all walks of life." With most of her professional life spent working in trade unions, Valerie is committed to helping people and fighting for what she believes is right.She is keen to address rural disadvantage and do what she can to help make a difference. She is a Parish Councillor for Crich and also sits on the Board of the Derbyshire Health Trust. She lives in Crich with her husband and 2 cats and enjoys travelling (she's always on holiday!) and yoga.