Board Members

Born, bred and living in Burnley, Clarets supporter for more than 60 years. Married to Janet with two (fairly) grown up daughters – all four of us are season ticket holders in James Hargreaves Upper.

Civil servant for 35 years working in various parts of the North of England. Second career working for a charity/voluntary organisation in Burnley for 12 years until retirement in September 2014.

Other interests/roles include Trustee/Director of Burnley Leisure, active member of KSC and Catenians, voluntary work for The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and the Lancashire Lieutenancy. Loves most sport and currently trying to relive youth by playing walking football.

I was a Board Member of the Board of Management at a Housing Association where I was also on the Audit Committee, Diversity Committee and served as Diversity Champion.

I previously served as a Governor at a local Primary School.

As well as a Board Member of the Clarets Trust, I am also a Committee Member and the Treasurer of the Burnley Football Club Disabled Supporters Association (BDSA) and am currently a Trustee and Treasurer of a local registered Charity.

Growing up a stones throw from Turf Moor it was inevitable I’d become a lifelong Burnley fan. I would plead with my dad to take me on to matches in the 1970s when sadly football wasn’t the friendliest of environments for a little girl. I’ve flown the flag for Burnley wherever I’ve gone – travelling back from University just to make it to crunch games in the early 90s, to wandering off in the Salt pans in Bolivia to get radio reception for the final scores.

I spent 20 years living in London – working both in Parliament and in the voluntary sector on policy, research and campaign projects: including – among other things, work on homelessness; food safety policy; and supporting the All Party Parliamentary Football Group (I ensured Burnley FC were invited to give evidence to an enquiry into governance of football).

I was actively involved with the London Clarets, serving on the Committee for 10 years or so: representing the Supporters Club at APFSCIL (the Association of Provincial Supporters Clubs in London) which shared and sought to progress shared concerns and issues like travel to games, as assisting Editor and then Editor in Chief of the bi-monthly magazine “Something to Write Home About”.

So a varied past! I returned to the North in 2012 and was co-opted to the Clarets Trust a couple of years later before being elected to the Board. A chronic illness sufferer (with M.E.), I remain a season ticket holder at Burnley. There’s no doubting the importance of the Club within the town – Burnley FC plays a pivotal role in the community and, as the largest small shareholder, I hope to see the Trust’s role develop as lynchpin between community, club and a voice for the small shareholders.