Andrew Buckley Chair of Board of Trustees since 2019 Expand My love affair with the Valley began in 1999 when I first moved to the North East. I lived on the Quayside and used to walk to work in South Gosforth, following the path of the Ouseburn. As a volunteer at the Trust, I am a Victoria Tunnel guide and have also been working with the Heritage Officer to develop, pilot and deliver a new above-ground walk – Back to the Future – which focuses on both the heritage and regeneration of the Lower Ouseburn Valley. I have been impressed with the range of the Trust's work and the role it plays in Ouseburn Valley and I am keen to extend my involvement and use my skills and experience to help its work as a Trustee and as Chair of its Board of Trustees. I bring a strong interest in industrial history and a genuine passion for the Valley, combined with a business career which has spanned 35 years. My background is in marketing and communications, sales and business development and, latterly, general management. Most recently, as Chief Executive of RTC North, I have been involved in bidding for, securing and delivering a number of large-scale business support programmes, funded by the European Union, Department for Communities and Local Government and Innovate UK.
Ray Bland Founder Trustee Expand I am an Engineer by profession working principally with industrial robots and their application, and have been self-employed most of my working life. I live and work in the Valley and I love its sense of place, its linking of rural, urban and riverside, the activities and enthusiasms it fosters and the promise it still holds. I trace my interest in and fondness for the Ouseburn Valley from the late 1980's when coming to live in Sandyford: active involvement in heritage activities in the Valley in the early nineties (including lobbying the Council not to demolish the Toffee Factory!), significant participation in setting up the Trust (Treasurer and Company Secretary until there were permanent staff), membership of the Executive of the Ouseburn Partnership throughout its five-year span. I would also describe myself variously as an 'appreciative supporter': of such as Byker City Farm, Stepney Bank Stables, Centre for the Children's Book/Seven Stories, the Homing Society, Motor Boat Club and Ouseburn Farm; and 'willing foot-soldier': in past Ouseburn Festivals, fascinated exploration of the Victoria Tunnel and the Ouseburn Culvert, and various one-off initiatives with local collaborator organisations - and with that perspective realise just how far the Valley has progressed in the time I have known of it. As is the case with my fellow Trustees I identify closely with the Trust's objectives, matching as they do my own interests and priorites, and the value I place on the marrying of collaborative activity and community benefit.
Sue Bright Trustee since 2017 and Vice Chair Expand I have worked in or on the edge of the valley since 1985 when I remember selling bags of abrasive paper and cloth to Tim Kendal from 36 Lime Street. I moved to ERB Services/Newcastle Autocentre in 1996 to teach my mother how to do accounts in Sage and have worked in their accounts department since then – becoming a shareholder last year. In 2005, as vice-chair of the Ouseburn Business Forum I was invited to coordinate Ouseburn Festival during the Tall Ships Race and have continued to be involved in the festival, helping to shaping it into a registered charity in 2008. I was vice-chair of Ouseburn Management Board until its demise in 2011 when some of the members formed Ouseburn Futures in order to continue the valuable and never-ending work of regenerating this valley that means so much to all of us, particularly those that get to work and play here most days – and now the growing number of people that get to live here too. My roots are deep within the Ouseburn Valley – dating back to the 1850s when my paternal great, great grandfather lived in Ouseburn as a Chelsea Out-Pensioner and his daughter was one of the first to marry at St Dominic’s Priory. My maternal grandfather lived just up the road in Heaton Park Road in the 1920s where my Mother was born in the flat above the shop on Cardigan Terrace. Passionate about heritage, I am a dedicated genealogist and local history writer with a degree in Information and Library Management and a teaching qualification in Further Education. Author of ‘Bridging the Ouseburn’ and ’30 years of Regeneration’, I am currently working on a history of The Biscuit Factory.
Dale Bolland Trustee since 2017 Expand One way or another I've been involved with the ebbs and flows of lovely Ouseburn since the mid 80s - and it remains unfinished business for me as it does for many people in the valley I worked for Newcastle City Council as a planner and economic development officer since 1974 - and for the last 20 years mainly on Ouseburn - 5 years ago I left the Council and have been part of Ouseburn Futures since then There is still much to do in Ouseburn - it is a special place - I hope I can contribute over the next few years as part of Ouseburn Trust
Geoff Kell Founder Trustee Expand I am a founder member of the Ouseburn Trust and have been a director/board member since its establishment getting on for twenty years ago. I remain passionate about the Valley and am convinced that active Trust membership is the best way to input into this special place. My experience of engaging local people with urban development issues began with the development of the Quayside in the late 80s. Even after so many years of involvement with the Trust there is always something new to keep things interesting and make me feel useful. At present it is the new Heritage initiative with new faces taking part bringing fresh ideas and perspectives. I have been involved in various creative writing projects in Newcastle (inc. Newcastle Carers Centre, English Heritage, Kingston Park Writers) and also work as a ghost-writer and editor. I am also a hands-on trustee for a Shieldfield-based charity for older people and people with disabilities which broadens my understanding of the wider area and its communities.
Sheila Spencer Trustee Expand Sheila became active in the regeneration of the Valley in 1995. As a councillor for the former Sandyford Ward, she was a member of the Ouseburn Partnership Executive, and then joined the Ouseburn Trust and its Board shortly after leaving the Council. She was acting Chair / Chair for the Trust for around 6 years. She uses the Valley frequently as a visitor to the pubs, festivals, venues, and open spaces, and is a keen walker, cyclist, and supporter of the arts.
Myra Giesen Trustee since 2012 Expand Myra has worked in heritage management for many years, first as an archaeologist and later as a senior cultural resource manager for the US federal government. Myra has a PhD in Anthropology, with a specialisation bioarchaeology. She moved to the North East in 2006, and since her arrival, she has taught on the Museum, Gallery and Heritage Studies programmes at Newcastle University. She also has delivered sessions in archaeology/history within the North East Centre for Lifelong Learning before its recent closure. She has served as a Committee member and Newsletter Editor for the Council of British Archaeology North since 2007. Myra was drawn to the Valley’s rich heritage, so was very pleased to join the Board in 2012 to help promote and sustain interest in the Valley’s heritage.
Dave Cross Trustee Expand I’ve been working in the Ouseburn since 1990, with the commercial business Midnight Electronics and the publicly funded music development agency Generator which has since re-located into offices above the Cluny. I have developed a passionate fondness for the area’s green spaces, industrial heritage and cultural renaissance, in addition to the attraction of its pubs and live music. Having active links with public sector regeneration work and community engagement, I am eager to see the Trust’s objectives for the Ouseburn’s regeneration and heritage being implemented and developed, particularly thanks to its locally-driven management. I have the benefit of experience of the national networking opportunities created by harnessing the interests of Arts Councils and other agencies, which developed into the UK-wide META network and later evolved into the Music Industries Development Association and following on from which, I became an Executive and Trustee of the National Music Council. My personal history in the industry began with small scale arts promotions in the late 1960s and regular hands-on work with live and broadcast music, local and national theatre and in event production. Having directly managed small businesses with personal responsibility for staff, IT, accounts and admin I have also been pleased to assist in the planning, budgeting, management and statutory permissions, particularly Licensing, attached to a range of projects, from community festivals to regional flagship attractions and events, in the public and private sectors. I continue to provide audio and licensing services for events and to provide IT and Internet hosting facilities. I currently serve as Trustee for four Charitable organisations, including the groups responsible for the local Jesmond Festival and Ouseburn Festival. I have been Director of a few Companies, and enjoyed a period on the Management Committee of the now-legendary Newcastle music venue, Riverside; have been a drama advisor to Northern Arts and a music advisor to the Arts Council of England. My preferred style of work is a cooperative approach to working with colleagues, with Politicians, policymakers, funders and practitioners, and in taking a balanced approach between realism and optimism in budgeting and business planning. I enjoy a balance between a hands-on approach to tasks and a strategic detachment. I also exploit some experience in specific areas of Law including advocacy in Licensing, acoustics as applied to Noise and Environmental Health, in Railway Law, and in Copyrights. I’m delighted to be working with the team at the Ouseburn Trust and expect to see the Trust remaining centre stage in the continuing unfolding of the Ouseburn’s exciting tale of development.
Paul Murphy Trustee since 2015 Expand I have a real interest in the valley and am keen to promote this unique location as a real asset to the city, I have a property background that fits well with the skills required to develop and promote the offer and deliver real change. I already have a good knowledge of the Ouseburn as I act for clients who own property in the valley.
Alex Slack Trustee since 2019 Expand Having lived and worked in Newcastle for over a decade I have developed a love for the Ouseburn valley. The area epitomises so much of what I love about our great City, people, history, culture, creativity, industry and an overwhelming sense of inclusivity. Professionally I am currently employed to deliver the regeneration of The Bigg Market, a forgotten jewel in Newcastle’s historic centre. Such a project requires me to have a broad skillset which includes but is not limited to, robust budgetary control, understanding of heritage and conservation, establishing and maintaining key stakeholder relationships. Working for the City Centre BID organisation has given me fantastic exposure to a wide variety of issues that impact upon the urban environment. Alongside my current role I sit on the recently formed Newcastle Gateshead Heritage Forum and have established some excellent working relationships with heritage organisations throughout the region. A significant part of my career to date has been spent managing a large property portfolio and having responsibility for, lease renewals, landlord and tenant issues, service charges and maintenance all in accordance with Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors best practices. I have a great deal of admiration for work of the Trust and am delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to the protection, preservation and future prosperity of the Ouseburn Valley.
Erin Robson Trustee since 2019 Expand My interest in the Ouseburn stems from childhood, from an early age I possessed a keen interest in social history, stemming from my father, and spent a lot of time, both pre and post, regeneration in and around the Quayside and Ouseburn Valley. Having seen Newcastle, as with other major city centres, become increasingly homogenised over time, the Ouseburn represents to me, one of the few remaining parts of the city which reflect Newcastle’s individuality, its industrial past and its heart. The regeneration of the valley to date is amazing, the council and the Trust has managed to sympathetically restore and rebuild heritage assets to provide viable uses and therefore preserve these assets for future generations. New development has introduced quirky, interesting architecture to the valley, which reflects the unique and diverse nature of the area. I am keen to be a part of its story going forward. As a Town Planner, with a keen interest in urban placemaking, heritage and design, as well as being a proud North-Easterner, I would like to help to support an area I feel hugely passionate about. I am keen to work to ensure that the Trust prospers for the future, in all capacities, not just planning and development, ensuring that the Ouseburn is sustainable, accessible to all, but also forward thinking, embracing of new technology and new development, whilst respectful to the guiding principles of the Trust.