Staff
Becci MurrayOperations DirectorBecci has full responsibility for running the Trust, with particular responsibility for 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.
Ann TurnerProject ManagerAnn is responsible for researching viable options within Berwick upon Tweed that could be used for possible future commercial projects.
Julie KennedyProject ManagerJulie is responsible for supporting the Operational Directors in the operational management of the Trust and leads on a variety of regeneration and development projects.
Ian GuthrieFinance OfficerIan is responsible for the overseeing of all financial operations of the Trust and has additional responsibilities for the management of the William Elder Building.
Joanne DouglasSenior AdministratorJoanne is a member of the Here for You team delivering support and advice to customers with job searching activities. Joanne is also responsible for our IT support and website and also assists Ann in the delivery of our social media and marketing activity.
Claire CraigFacilities & Administration AssistantClaire is responsible for organising bookings of rooms, setting up of rooms and general admin tasks for the wider team. She also leads on the running and co-ordinating of the CoRE Legacy Fund.
Jenna ShieldsTourism OfficerJenna is responsible for the Promotion, Implementation and Co-ordination of Tourism activities within the Berwick upon Tweed area . This includes writing content for the Visit Berwick website, promoting through social media and encourage participation through the Berwick upon Tweed Ambassadors scheme.
Ann is responsible for researching viable options within Berwick upon Tweed that could be used for possible future commercial projects.
Julie is responsible for supporting the Operational Directors in the operational management of the Trust and leads on a variety of regeneration and development projects.
Ian is responsible for the overseeing of all financial operations of the Trust and has additional responsibilities for the management of the William Elder Building.
Joanne is a member of the Here for You team delivering support and advice to customers with job searching activities. Joanne is also responsible for our IT support and website and also assists Ann in the delivery of our social media and marketing activity.
Claire is responsible for organising bookings of rooms, setting up of rooms and general admin tasks for the wider team. She also leads on the running and co-ordinating of the CoRE Legacy Fund.
Jenna is responsible for the Promotion, Implementation and Co-ordination of Tourism activities within the Berwick upon Tweed area . This includes writing content for the Visit Berwick website, promoting through social media and encourage participation through the Berwick upon Tweed Ambassadors scheme.
Board of Trustees
Alan BowlasTrusteeAlan is our longest standing Trustee and his career history involves some 30 years in management roles in sales, marketing and retail operations in the oil industry with ESSO -Cleveland and British Petroleum, now retired from full time employment is actively involved in the Town and is a former Town Councillor and currently the Mayor of Berwick-upon-Tweed and in 2008/9 was Sheriff with the old Berwick Borough Council. Currently Alan was a Board Member at Borders College and chair of the Audit committee having served for the maximum of two full terms. He continues in an advisory capacity to BC consultants the business arm of the College, is currently a Governor at the Community High School a position he has held for many years. Main outside interests time permitting are, collecting art, fly fishing, shooting, gardening and bowling as a member of Berwick Bowling Club.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.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.Sally HolbornTrusteeSally retired in 2019 after spending 18 years working as the Finance & Facilities Manager at Sure Start Children's Centres North for Northumberland County Council. During this time she was heavily involved in the development of the Children's Centres in Berwick, Wooler, Alnwick, Seahouses, Rothbury and Hadston. She is a past member of the Institute of Management and the Association of Accountancy Technicians. Sally is a native of Berwick upon Tweed and joined as a Trustee in September 2019.Keith SisemanTrusteeKeith 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 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).
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 Ann Turner or Becci Murray on 01289 303366 or email aturner@nullberwicktrust.org.uk or bmurray@nullberwicktrust.org.uk and they can have a chat about what’s involved.