The Trustees and Officers

Richard spent all his working career in financial services specialising in risk and compliance matters – trying to keep the businesses he worked for on the straight and narrow. His roles towards the end of this time at work included the Nationwide Building Society (which brought him west from his previous home in Kent), an IFA business near Cheltenham, and finally a Risk Management consultancy, Crowe UK.

Richard has a love of music and the arts, and he intends to use his experience to bring some of the business disciplines necessary to ensure the Goods Shed is well controlled, understands its obligations and can continue to grow offering a wide variety of events for the people of Tetbury. He knows that it is important that in his role as a Trustee, he also ensures the Charity meets its objectives – including returning a profit that can be used to further develop the Goods Shed’s plans to be a great place to be entertained!

Richard has been leading the Cinema Group deciding what films to show, which is quite a challenge as the Goods Shed wants to be able to offer diverse selections, as well as the ‘blockbusters’, but also it needs to cover the licensing costs etc.

Richard has been asked to take on the Chairman’s position for the period December 2019 – December 2020.

Mel moved to the Cotswolds in 1995, having lived in Bristol and London previously.  She now lives in a small village about 15 minutes from Tetbury and whilst fully enjoying rural life, she also likes the proximity to local market towns which provide a broad range of amenities and activities.

She previously had a career in HR, ending up in a senior strategic role for a global commercial insurance brokers, but decided to give it all up during the pandemic, for a more relaxed pace of life.  Whilst never looking back from this decision, she continues to utilise her HR experience and skills in Trustee roles with different organisations, of which the Tetbury Goods shed is one.

Mel initially became involved with the Goods Shed in June 2022 as a volunteer, helping out mainly in the Box Office.  She was then approached and asked to join the Board of Trustees in November 2023. She is a strong advocate and supporter of this local performing arts centre which she believes caters for a wide range of tastes and interests, is easily accessible to all and has a very positive and bright future.

Phillip Hodson bought a house in Tetbury 40 years ago as a weekend retreat but soon moved here full-time because he liked the town so much more than London.  Phillip is a past President of Tetbury Cricket Club.

He’s now delighted to serve as a Trustee for the Goods Shed – a project he has favoured ever since his friend the then Mayor John Dearnley sparked his interest.  Phillip has also recently taken on the role of “Cafe Champion”.

Professionally, Phillip has been a Director, Chairman & Trustee of several medical & therapy trusts as well as a passionate supporter of all the arts – music is his first love – in particular the Tetbury Music Festival. He plays the piano (thankfully in private) & has written books on opera.
He’s a Fellow and past Head of Media Relations for the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy; he’s been an accredited psychotherapist since 1983 and worked extensively in radio, television & some performing arts since the mid-70s. He is also a past Times newspaper columnist, publishing Director, property Company Chair & Consultant to The Prince’s Trust.  The father of three sons, he’s very happy that two have recently moved back to the country.

Fiona moved to Tetbury in 2020 having lived, since retiring in 2015, in Frocester.
Seeking the practical benefits of a town community and missing access to the arts she is now happily settled in her ‘ideal town’.
Her background is in art and history of art. She taught both at Cheltenham Ladies’ College for 15 years and prior to that at Clifton College in Bristol.  She lived in London for many years working as a project manager for The Wellcome Institute with responsibility for assessing and cataloguing the prints, drawings and other works on paper held at The Wellcome Institute.

She has previous experience of working in an arts centre having worked at The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) during the 1980’s. The events and exhibitions at The ICA were perhaps rather more radical and Avant Garde than those at Tetbury Goods Shed!

Since arriving in Tetbury she has been a volunteer at The Goods Shed as well as volunteering as a steward and now a guide at Rodmarton manor, the Arts and Crafts House just outside Tetbury. She frequently gives art history themed talks at local venues and societies.

She thinks that the town is incredibly fortunate to have an Arts Centre like The Goods Shed and wants to contribute to keeping it a vibrant and exciting place to visit.
She feels it is important to maintain the connection with the community both locally and with nearby localities and would like to see The Goods Shed gain a higher profile in the town, rather than just with those that know it exists already.
She hopes to forge new links with art practitioners and arts organisations not just inviting them to display their work but also connecting them with their audience through talks and events.  She feels it is important to use the visual arts and art practice to connect people of all ages and sometimes to surprise and beguile them.

I’ve been lived in Tetbury since our first child (of two) was born in 1993, and I’ve always felt that there has been a great sense of community here. I grew up in Hertfordshire but fell in love with the South West while at Bath University.

My professional background is in IT sales, where I continue to work full time. As an antidote to this, I get my fresh air and exercise through dog-walking and cycling. I’m looking forward to working as a trustee and joining a team that helps to look after what is truly a fantastic community resource and success story so far.

I see our task as balancing the short- and long-term needs of the Shed now that it is properly up and running – for this next phase of its life we will need to be clear and focused in setting our priorities. Lots to do!!

Douglas retired from the MoD as a programme manager, specializing in risk and corporate governance. He also serves as a Trustee elsewhere in both the health and arts sectors from which he can bring knowledge and experience in working with charities and other organisations to contribute effectively to the future of the Goods Shed. He lives in Tetbury with his partner.

Born and brought up in the Middle East and Africa my husband and I moved to the Tetbury area in 1979. I had been working in London in advertising and PR and moved to work in radio and television as a reporter for the BBC in Bristol initially before running their bi-media office in Bath and then working for BBC Wiltshire Sound as breakfast producer and then Radio Gloucestershire as news editor and finally deputy editor. After retiring I taught media studies at the University of Gloucestershire for four years. I have been volunteering at The Goods Shed helping with marketing and PR for the past two years and felt I would like to be involved more closely as a Trustee. The Goods Shed is a wonderful facility for the town and so many people have worked so hard over the years to get it to its current state. I just hope we can keep delivering a varied arts programme and continue to involve the local community in what is, essentially, their project.

A native Tetburian, Will Cook has been involved with the rail lands since the project started in the 1990s with Will chatting to the Prince of Wales! He was one of the original Trustees when the Trust was formed in 2000 and was the Chairman from 2013 to 2017 during which time he led the Goods Shed renovation project turning the building from a derelict wreck into the beautiful arts cen­tre that we have today. During this time Will was also the person who probably did most actual physical work on the project using his carpentry skills as well as labouring. Since stepping down as Chairman Will has been the great driver in getting the café started and then making it into a much loved and popular venue for dog-walkers, mothers, children and anyone who loves the park lands. He was also instrumental in bringing to Tetbury and renovating the Goods Shed’s railway carriage.

Will has been a Feoffee for many years and is a great supporter of all things Tetbury. If he is not helping out at the Goods Shed or café, Will is likely to be found mending clocks (and winding up the town clock), violin making or completing his latest project, currently a shepherd’s hut.

I came to Tetbury in 2013 and was immediately swept up by the enthusiasm of the Goods Shed volunteers. Twenty years in the Royal Engineers and then working as a business developer and environmental engineer gave me some of the skills to contribute to the project of converting a derelict goods shed into the splendid building that we have today. First as a volunteer, then a Trustee and now as Treasurer I have enjoyed seeing the Arts Centre become such a great success.

With a love of railways, large and miniature, and an interest in history I was also delighted to write for and edit the first Friends of the Goods Shed Newsletter in August 2016. Still going today the newsletter gives me the excuse to slip in little histories that might not otherwise see the light of day.

Paul has lived Tetbury since 1981 and for many years cycled to work along the Old Station Road. A keen cyclist, Paul was pleased when the cycle/footpath was opened to the far end of Preston Park in 2000.

Some years later he became involved with the cycle path project again, and the Trustees appointed Paul as Rail Bed Project Manager in October 2017.

Under the terms of his appointment Paul is responsible for all aspects of the improvement, extension and maintenance of the proposed cycleway/footpath from Tetbury to Kemble along the old railway line.

Paul is also interested in steam railways and when the Trust were looking to buy an old railway carriage managed to find a Finnish railway carriage that its owners were prepared to give away.  Paul worked on the restoration of the Finnish railway carriage once it arrived in Tetbury and also researched its history which is displayed in the carriage.

Please contact Paul if you would like to help in the development of the Tetbury Trail.