New Trustees

We are excited to announce that we have appointed three new trustees. We are made up of a board of trustees working to address rural disadvantage throughout Derbyshire and we believe that no-one should be unfairly disadvantaged because they live in a rural area.

The new trustees, Amy Wheelton, Angela Montacute and Philip Coates bring a range of crucial skills and experience to help the charity continue its important work, particularly now during this coronavirus crisis.

Amy is a full-time farmer and District Councillor for South Derbyshire. Speaking about his new role, Amy says, “I'm looking forward to joining a team of like-minded people focused on encouraging rural enterprise and supporting initiatives that ensure the continuing welfare of rural communities.”

Recently returned from a few years working in Paris, Angela settled in South Derbyshire. She says, “RAD stood out for me as being a very practical and pragmatic organisation bringing tangible support and solutions to help the communities of rural Derbyshire, with a clear vision and a fantastic team. I am really looking forward to getting out and about, learning more about all the great projects, meeting the people involved and those they support.”

Philip lives in Ashover and as well as his experience in the agricultural industry and insurance he is also a keen dry stone waller. He feels that the cost of housing and transport means many young people have to move out of rural areas where they grew up. He is also keen to support our suicide prevention work, “if you can improve the awareness of suicide and help remove the stigma then more people will understand and be able to offer appropriate help and advice.”

Beverley Parker, CEO and RAD Chair, Simon Taylor led the recruitment process for new trustees. Bev says "We were delighted with the response to our appeal for new trustees and were humbled by the calibre of people who wanted to volunteer in this role. We were clear about the skills and experience we were looking for and I'm thrilled to be welcoming three new trustees with strong rural and business credentials to add to the existing team of experienced trustees."

RAD Chair Simon Taylor adds, “It is a difficult time for all charities, and now more than ever we need a range of skills on our Board to support the staff team in meeting the challenges ahead. I look forward to welcoming Amy, Angela and Philip to their first Board meeting later this month (via Zoom).”

17th April 2020