Trustees

Raymond is a senior property lawyer, and until his recent retirement from full-time work after more than 40 years, was an equity partner and head of commercial property with Farrer & Co. Raymond continues to practice as a consultant property lawyer and independent director and Trustee. He has been the Trust’s legal adviser since its inception and took on the role of Chairman in June 2006.

Neil is Property Manager with Threadneedle Property Investments Limited. From 1990 to 2000, he was employed by Guardian Assurance plc in which capacity he was largely responsible for the management of the Market. A Trustee since 2001.

Helen is a graphic designer and first worked in Covent Garden when the company she was with relocated from Marylebone to Burleigh Street in 1981. In 1985 she joined Kim Church Associates and was in at the inception of In And Around Covent Garden magazine. Helen has seen Covent Garden through several stages of its development to become the busy attraction it is today. A Trustee since 2010.

Chris studied architecture at both the Birmingham and Brighton Schools of Architecture. He joined Purcell Miller Tritton in 1992 and is now a senior principal. He has worked on a wide range of buildings and is experienced in conservation studies, condition surveys and long-term maintenance programmes for historic buildings. A Trustee since 2007.

Joanna joined Broadway Malyan as Director of Regeneration from EDAW in July 2009. She has been responsible for a range of master planning and regeneration work in the UK and overseas, and has extensive experience of development projects, working with delivery agencies and community consultation. She has also developed a particular expertise in open space planning and is a CABE Space Enabler. She is a member of the Regional Management Board (RTPI London) and Deputy Representative on the RTPI General Assembly. A Trustee since 2009.

Heather is a chartered accountant and chartered tax advisor.  She studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University then joined Ernst & Young where she became a partner in International Tax, before joining Hanson plc as Head of UK and Cross Border tax.  Subsequently, Heather became Group Tax Director of Barclays plc.  Heather now runs her own tax consultancy business, Covent Garden Tax Services.  Heather moved to Covent Garden in 2002 and takes a keen interest in the area and can often be seen walking her dog Chloe.  A Trustee since 2008.

Carrie is a qualified solicitor who trained with Gouldens and qualified in 1984, becoming a partner in 1989 during which time Gouldens (then Trowers & Hamlins) acted for Guardian on the original purchase of the Market from the London Residuary Body. Carrie continued to advise Guardian on all matters relevant to Covent Garden during the period of their ownership. Carrie moved to Farrer & Co in 2008 and is a partner in the Commercial Property department. A Trustee since 2007.

Frank has been Deputy Chief Executive of Jubilee Market Hall Limited for 20 years. He is a constant supporter of the various bodies endeavouring to preserve the character of Covent Garden. Prior to 1983, he owned a small group of estate agencies with special interests in residential developments. A Trustee since 2004.

Aly joined Visit London having worked as the Client Services Manager for Electric Airwaves, a media company in the West End. She handled a range of high profile and FTSE 100 clients and played a key role in expanding the business. After taking some time to live and travel abroad and a brief stint at Saatchi & Saatchi, Aly found her way to Visit London where she has been able to combine her passion for London with working for her clients including Covent Garden London. A Trustee since 2009.

Barbara is Councillor for the Church Street ward and is the minority (Labour) party planning spokesman. She is a member of the Planning and City Development Committee as well as a member of the Planning Applications sub-committee and is also a member of the Children and Young People Policy and Scrutiny Committee, the Licensing Committee and the Education Awards (Appeals) sub-committee. A Trustee since 1999.

Stephen is an architect specialising in historic buildings. His early experience with the Department of the Environment was followed by work in the private sector. He is a principal of Weldon Walshe, a well-known London firm of architects, and in addition to project work in his own right, acts as consultant to many prominent architects and planning consultants. He is a member of the RIBA ad IHBC and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. A Trustee since 2009.

Geoff was previously leader of the GLC Covent Garden development team in the 1970s, up to and including the re-opening of the Market in June 1980. He later became GLC Chief Transport Planner and from 1986-91was Director of Operational Services for the London Residuary Body. Following his retirement from the GLC, Geoff became a planning inspector with the then Department of the Environment and continued in that role for several years. He served as Chairman of the Covent Garden Area Trust from 1992 to 2006 and was elected as an Ordinary Trustee in 2006.

Louise is one of the three councillors for the St James’ ward which includes Covent Garden and was Lord Mayor of Westminster in 2007-08. She is Deputy Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services and also serves on the Children and Young People Policy and Scrutiny Committee and the Planning Applications sub-committee. A Trustee since 2007.

Tim works as a Principal Lecturer at the London College of Fashion where he specialises in luxury brand management and fashion retailing. Holding a Masters degree in Marketing and the Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma, Tim has previously worked in fashion retail management and buying for a number of UK brands. As an academic he is on the editorial panel of the Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is currently developing an Executive MBA in fashion at the London College of Fashion. In the last 10 years he has pioneered developments in post-graduate fashion buying and pure online courses. Tim also works as a freelance journalist including reviewing conferences on the business of luxury operated by the International Herald Tribune and Financial Times and regularly comments on fashion business issues for global broadcast media, including the BBC. A Trustee since 2007.

Ruth was brought into the Royal Opera House in 2001 after the re-opening of the theatre to grow the revenue stream from companies, trusts and private individuals. Now, as Director of Policy Development, she is responsible for initiating and supporting a range of strategic projects and alliances that support the Royal Opera House's role as a lead organisation within the cultural sector locally, nationally and internationally. A Trustee since 2010.

Derek is a commercial property investor with offices just north of Fleet Street. He has been involved with buildings and developments in Covent Garden since 1983, sometimes as principal, and sometimes as adviser to other owners. This has given him wide exposure to the issues that Covent Garden faces, and to most of the representative bodies present in this part of Central London. He was one of the founding directors of Speyhawk, developers of the Jubilee Market Hall. A Trustee since 2005.

Mhora began her a career as a dancer and choreographer in Scotland. She moved to London in 1989 as Centre co-ordinator for Chisenhale Dance Space, and in 1991 was appointed Director of Total Theatre. She joined ABL Cultural Consulting in 1998 and in 2001 became Chief Executive of the Cultural Industries Development Agency. Mhora joined The Theatres Trust as Director in January 2006. A Trustee since July 2006.

David and his wife bought and restored a derelict house in Floral Street in 1977 which led him on to abandon his career in the electronics industry and start a property development company in Covent Garden.  Having handed over control of the company to his son he now has more time for travel to advise on charitable projects around the world, but mostly in South-East Asia, in particular Cambodia. A Trustee since 2004 and Company Secretary since 2008.

Stan is a local resident who was born in and lives in Westminster. A regular soldier for 26 years, he left the Army in 1982 as a Conductor of Ordnance. He then spent 26 years as a Court Clerk, first to a High Court Judge and then to the Lords Justices of Appeal, retiring aged 70 in December 2008. A Trustee since 1992.

Christina has lived and worked in Covent Garden for more than 35 years where she has run both retail and restaurant businesses and is actively involved in the conservation and re-development of both Covent Garden and Seven Dials. She is closely involved with the local community and has done much to ensure that the character of Covent Garden has been retained for the benefit of both local residents and businesses. A Trustee from 1997 to 2001 and re-elected in 2007.

Paul is a chartered architect with experience in both the private and public sectors. Over the last 25 years he has worked primarily in conservation and planning. From 1992 to 2004 he was the nominated Trustee of English Heritage and was elected an Ordinary Trustee on his retirement. He has continued to promote the interests of conservation and accessibility in the Covent Garden area. A Trustee since 1992.

Jo has been a local resident for more than 20 years and is a watercolour artist. She is Chairman of the CGCA, Chairman of the Central Westminster Police Consultative Group, on the board of the Jubilee Sports Hall, a member of the Westminster Amenity Society Forum and is on the Soho Society Executive committee. A Trustee since 1993.

Sarah is a former journalist, who trained and worked in Bournemouth before moving to London in 1998 after which she worked on a local weekly newspaper, edited a magazine, was customer service co-ordinator at Greenwich Millennium Village and was employed in various capacities for the NHS with Southwark Primary Care Trust. She has worked for the CGAT since June 2006.