Staff
Becci MurrayOperations DirectorBecci has full responsibility for running the Trust, her main focus being the ‘people’ based services and delivery. This includes existing projects such as Here for You, the Food Bank and the Young Carers Group, as well as investigating new project opportunities for the benefit of the community.
Julie KennedyProject ManagerJulie is responsible for supporting the Operational Director, and leads on a variety of regeneration and development projects.
Joanne DouglasFinance and Communications AdministratorJoanne is responsible for supporting the Operations Director by reporting and administering the Trust's financial position and records, Leading on Communications including Website and Social Media. Assisting the Operations Director with HR Operations and onboarding new staff. Joanne is also a member of the Here for You team delivering support and advice to customers with job searching activities, reporting stats and maintaining databases.
Sarah PontonFacilities & Administration OfficerSarah is responsible for organising bookings and setting up of our meeting and conference facilities. She is the lead on Berwick Food Bank Operations and performs reception duties and supports the wider team with a variety of administration tasks.Liberty HollowayTourism OfficerLiberty is responsible for promoting the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, working with festivals and businesses to engage visitors and work towards building on the Towns Tourism offer to enable it to be a go to destination. Overseeing and developing content for the VisitBerwick website and Social Media channels.
Zelda StawarzOffice & Facilities CleanerZelda is a fundamental part of the Trust. She ensures that all offices, meeting spaces and facilities are cleaned and ready for business to the highest of standards.
Becci Murray
Operations Director
Becci has full responsibility for running the Trust, her main focus being the ‘people’ based services and delivery. This includes existing projects such as Here for You, the Food Bank and the Young Carers Group, as well as investigating new project opportunities for the benefit of the community.
Julie Kennedy
Project Manager
Julie is responsible for supporting the Operational Director, and leads on a variety of regeneration and development projects.
Joanne Douglas
Finance and Communications Administrator
Joanne is responsible for supporting the Operations Director by reporting and administering the Trust's financial position and records, Leading on Communications including Website and Social Media. Assisting the Operations Director with HR Operations and onboarding new staff. Joanne is also a member of the Here for You team delivering support and advice to customers with job searching activities, reporting stats and maintaining databases.
Sarah Ponton
Facilities & Administration Officer
Sarah is responsible for organising bookings and setting up of our meeting and conference facilities. She is the lead on Berwick Food Bank Operations and performs reception duties and supports the wider team with a variety of administration tasks.
Liberty Holloway
Tourism Officer
Liberty is responsible for promoting the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, working with festivals and businesses to engage visitors and work towards building on the Towns Tourism offer to enable it to be a go to destination. Overseeing and developing content for the VisitBerwick website and Social Media channels.
Zelda Stawarz
Office & Facilities Cleaner
Zelda is a fundamental part of the Trust. She ensures that all offices, meeting spaces and facilities are cleaned and ready for business to the highest of standards.
Board of Trustees
Keith SisemanChairKeith has been a trustee since 2016. He previously had a 30 year career in advertising supporting a number of familiar household brands. He sat on the London board of a major international agency and was a member of the institute of marketing. Keith has long standing ties with Berwick and has always viewed it as his spiritual home. He recognised that the Community Trust was a driving force for change in the town and wanted to use his marketing skills to it's benefit.David HarperTrusteeDavid joined the Trust in 2018. He qualified as a Chartered Surveyor and Chartered Town Planner and has held senior positions in the Public, Private and Consultancy Sectors specialising in the extractive, waste management and energy industries before establishing his own Planning, Property and Environmental Consultancy in 2012. He has also worked with the voluntary sector, having been a Director of Waste Recycling Environmental (WREN) an organisation responsible for the management and distribution of Landfill Tax Credits for charitable purposes. David is also a Justice of the Peace for Lothian and Borders.Colette HarperTrusteeColette is currently the Company Secretary for a small private Consultancy. Prior to this she worked in the Mortgage and Financial Services sector for a considerable number of years before returning to education as a mature student, obtaining a degree and becoming a teacher.
After living for 14 years in the Scottish Borders she moved to Berwick upon Tweed in 2018 when she joined the Board of Trustees. She brings a variety of experience particularly of dealing with people of all ages from all walks of life and believes that this and other transferable life skills are useful to the Trust in helping it to achieve its objectives.David PurvisTrusteeDavid is a craftsman who has ran a stained glass design and manufacture business for 27 years, the last 20 in Spittal. He has taught classes in this field both privately and for the mental health charity Mind, has worked part-time as an adult education organiser and ran various projects for local organisations including Surestart. He joined the Board of Trustees in 2019, with particular interest in the food bank (as he had volunteered there for the previous few years, and worked in a soup kitchen in Bradford in the 90's).John FisherTrustee2017 John has worked for 30 years in Financial Services in the North of England, with a brief sojourn to London to work for the FSA following the financial crisis of 2008. He moved with his family to Berwick five years ago when he took the role as Commercial and Credit Risk Director for Tesco Bank, based in Edinburgh. The Community Trust is his first venture into the voluntary and charitable sector, except for previously acting as advisor to a credit union in Merseyside. Outside of work and a couple of children at school means his free time now tends to focus around U18 rugby, university open days and various transport duties, but when possible, he does have an abiding interest in history and antiques.Mike CrawfordTrusteeMike grew up in Berwick and returned to live here in 2017. He works remotely for a research project at the University of Bristol. He has broad IT, data management and information security skills as well as accounting experience from his previous career. He has worked in the charitable and private sectors, as well as being a volunteer and trustee with charitable organisations in the past. Most recently he worked with the 'A Better Hospital for Berwick' campaign. He's a passionate believer in the town and its amazing spirit and feels it's important that everyone is included in any improvements.Catherine HandleyTrusteeOn arriving in Berwick eight years ago Catherine was very grateful for the support given by the Trust, and specifically by ‘Here for You’, as she looked for employment. She was lucky enough to spend her first summer working for the Tourist Information Centre, which gave her an invaluable insight into this fascinating town and its people. She now works in a senior school teaching ICT and supporting pupils with special educational needs, and is also a school governor at a local first school. In her spare time she manages and maintains a local charity’s website but also enjoys dragging her husband out for walks along the beautiful coastline and up and down mountains!Joan MontgomeryTrusteeJoan retired in 2019 from 40 years as a Primary Teacher and returned home to Berwick upon Tweed. Being married to an Army Officer (also now retired) their lives have been fairly nomadic. Evan having lived and worked in many beautiful places - Salisbury, Cambridge, Edinburgh and rural Perthshire, Berwick upon Tweed is where we decided to eventually settle as we both love the town. Joan is passionate about everything that Berwick upon Tweed has to offer and hopes her enthusiasm for the town will add a little something to the great mixture of Trustees. My other interests are walking our two dogs and I am also Steward of the Books by the Sea Little Free Library!Lucy HodgsonTrusteeLucy returned to Berwick in 2017 to be closer to family after spending many years living and working abroad. She has been responsible for recruitment and Human Resources for large international companies, hotels, cruise ships and yachts as well as special events including Monaco Grand Prix, Ascot Races and Six Nations Rugby and has worked all over the world including China, Philippines, United Arab Emirates and French Polynesia. She is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and is currently employed as a Talent Acquisition Lead within a division of Scottish Government. She is keen to use her business acumen and skills to give back to Berwick, as no matter where she was, this has always been home. Lucy is also a volunteer for the Spittal Beach Wheelchairs, and is a micro volunteer for Diabetes UK.
Lucy can generally be found walking her spoilt Westie ‘Bubble’ on the beach, attempting DIY or with her head in a good book.
Keith Siseman
Chair
Keith has been a trustee since 2016. He previously had a 30 year career in advertising supporting a number of familiar household brands. He sat on the London board of a major international agency and was a member of the institute of marketing. Keith has long standing ties with Berwick and has always viewed it as his spiritual home. He recognised that the Community Trust was a driving force for change in the town and wanted to use his marketing skills to it's benefit.
David Harper
Trustee
David joined the Trust in 2018. He qualified as a Chartered Surveyor and Chartered Town Planner and has held senior positions in the Public, Private and Consultancy Sectors specialising in the extractive, waste management and energy industries before establishing his own Planning, Property and Environmental Consultancy in 2012. He has also worked with the voluntary sector, having been a Director of Waste Recycling Environmental (WREN) an organisation responsible for the management and distribution of Landfill Tax Credits for charitable purposes. David is also a Justice of the Peace for Lothian and Borders.
Colette Harper
Trustee
Colette is currently the Company Secretary for a small private Consultancy. Prior to this she worked in the Mortgage and Financial Services sector for a considerable number of years before returning to education as a mature student, obtaining a degree and becoming a teacher.
After living for 14 years in the Scottish Borders she moved to Berwick upon Tweed in 2018 when she joined the Board of Trustees. She brings a variety of experience particularly of dealing with people of all ages from all walks of life and believes that this and other transferable life skills are useful to the Trust in helping it to achieve its objectives.
David Purvis
Trustee
David is a craftsman who has ran a stained glass design and manufacture business for 27 years, the last 20 in Spittal. He has taught classes in this field both privately and for the mental health charity Mind, has worked part-time as an adult education organiser and ran various projects for local organisations including Surestart. He joined the Board of Trustees in 2019, with particular interest in the food bank (as he had volunteered there for the previous few years, and worked in a soup kitchen in Bradford in the 90's).
John Fisher
Trustee
2017 John has worked for 30 years in Financial Services in the North of England, with a brief sojourn to London to work for the FSA following the financial crisis of 2008. He moved with his family to Berwick five years ago when he took the role as Commercial and Credit Risk Director for Tesco Bank, based in Edinburgh. The Community Trust is his first venture into the voluntary and charitable sector, except for previously acting as advisor to a credit union in Merseyside. Outside of work and a couple of children at school means his free time now tends to focus around U18 rugby, university open days and various transport duties, but when possible, he does have an abiding interest in history and antiques.
Mike Crawford
Trustee
Mike grew up in Berwick and returned to live here in 2017. He works remotely for a research project at the University of Bristol. He has broad IT, data management and information security skills as well as accounting experience from his previous career. He has worked in the charitable and private sectors, as well as being a volunteer and trustee with charitable organisations in the past. Most recently he worked with the 'A Better Hospital for Berwick' campaign. He's a passionate believer in the town and its amazing spirit and feels it's important that everyone is included in any improvements.
Catherine Handley
Trustee
On arriving in Berwick eight years ago Catherine was very grateful for the support given by the Trust, and specifically by ‘Here for You’, as she looked for employment. She was lucky enough to spend her first summer working for the Tourist Information Centre, which gave her an invaluable insight into this fascinating town and its people. She now works in a senior school teaching ICT and supporting pupils with special educational needs, and is also a school governor at a local first school. In her spare time she manages and maintains a local charity’s website but also enjoys dragging her husband out for walks along the beautiful coastline and up and down mountains!
Joan Montgomery
Trustee
Joan retired in 2019 from 40 years as a Primary Teacher and returned home to Berwick upon Tweed. Being married to an Army Officer (also now retired) their lives have been fairly nomadic. Evan having lived and worked in many beautiful places - Salisbury, Cambridge, Edinburgh and rural Perthshire, Berwick upon Tweed is where we decided to eventually settle as we both love the town. Joan is passionate about everything that Berwick upon Tweed has to offer and hopes her enthusiasm for the town will add a little something to the great mixture of Trustees. My other interests are walking our two dogs and I am also Steward of the Books by the Sea Little Free Library!
Lucy Hodgson
Trustee
Lucy returned to Berwick in 2017 to be closer to family after spending many years living and working abroad. She has been responsible for recruitment and Human Resources for large international companies, hotels, cruise ships and yachts as well as special events including Monaco Grand Prix, Ascot Races and Six Nations Rugby and has worked all over the world including China, Philippines, United Arab Emirates and French Polynesia. She is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and is currently employed as a Talent Acquisition Lead within a division of Scottish Government. She is keen to use her business acumen and skills to give back to Berwick, as no matter where she was, this has always been home. Lucy is also a volunteer for the Spittal Beach Wheelchairs, and is a micro volunteer for Diabetes UK.
Lucy can generally be found walking her spoilt Westie ‘Bubble’ on the beach, attempting DIY or with her head in a good book.
Becoming a Board Member
Do you have a few spare hours a month to attend regular board meetings? Would like to have your input on services that we provide? or even have an idea for a new project that you think the trust may be interested in? Then we would love to hear from you,
New board members are always welcome so if this is something that you are interested in please get in touch with Becci Murray on 01289 303366 or email bmurray@nullberwicktrust.org.uk and they can have a chat about what’s involved.