Meet the Trustees

 

 Morag bennett

chair of trustees

Morag joined FPDRG in 2008 when she moved to the area and was looking to do some volunteering.  She's always had a love of horses and riding and had seen the benefits of disabled riding through a family member, so this was the perfect match.  Morag trained up as a ride leader and now looks after 3 rides a week.  With a background in financial sales and  training she became a Trustee, and after a few years took on the role of Chair in October 2019,  overseeing the various aspects involved in running the charity... she never imagined that would include a global pandemic! 

 

 Lyn Cowburn

Lyn joined the group in 2011 to volunteer on one of the children’s rides but was soon persuaded to help with STAN, the mechanical horse and now spends most of Wednesday at the stables.  Lyn joined the Trustees in 2013 and her knowledge of software made her a prime candidate to manage one of the databases.  Lyn is now responsible for the riders’ database so organises the new riders for the rides.  She has also helped to set up the website.

 

Peter Nelson

Peter is married with 2 sons and has lived in Harrogate for 16 years. His working life was spent in Hospital management and with the Legal Services Commission. He became a volunteer in 2013 to add to his other voluntary work at St. Michael's Hospice. Once a horse owner himself, he now spends much of his leisure time out on the golf course.

Peter now is looking at our publicity, redesigning our posters which were a bit busy, making them more readable by using case studies of people we have helped and including a photograph. He will also look at our leaflets to make them more readable and understandable and he will be responsible for helping us recruit more volunteers.

 

FIONA BARWICK 

secretary

Fiona joined FPDRG in 2019.  Having ridden for nearly 40 years and owned her own horse for 11 years, she understands the benefits that riding and having contact with horses  can bring.  She volunteers on one ride and is ride leader on another.  With a background of 20 years as a financial analyst she thought she might be able to contribute as a trustee and joined the team in 2020, the first Trustee to be voted onto the executive committee via Zoom!

                                                          

john haigh

John joined our Charity in 2020, just weeks before the first Covid lockdown!  After a 30 year career in human resource management, being the father of four children and grandfather of five,  John has had his fair share of "people experience".  Following retirement, a stint at Martin House Children’s Hospice,  firstly as a volunteer then later as a Fundraiser, enabled him to become very familiar with the therapeutic benefits of animals of all shapes and sizes. He assists with the Tuesday evening rides and with Carriage Driving sessions.  John was a little surprised and very pleased and honoured to be invited to become a Trustee in 2022 and is looking forward to helping the group continue to thrive, contributing in any way he can.

 

JANE CHENNELLS

TREASURER

Jane started her career as a graduate trainee in the NHS.  After she had her children, she moved into school finance and administration and spent 18 years at Gateways School which is where she first learned about us through the Duke of Edinburgh scheme.  She is still involved with Gateways, helping students achieve their awards.  Jane started with FPDRG in February 2022 working in the office on the finance side and her experience and attention to detail are a great asset to the Charity's governance.  

 

CAROL FLEETWOOD

Carol joined FPDRG in 2010, initially as a volunteer and soon progressed to the role of Ride Coordinator.  With a lifelong love of riding horses, the charity has provided her with a meaningful way to maintain that connection whilst giving back to the community and she finds it immensely rewarding to help disabled individuals experience the therapeutic benefits it can bring.  Married with children and grandchildren, Carol has lived in Harrogate since the 1970's.  She brings a wide and varied professional skill set to the charity, recently focussing on event management.

 

ALLAN PEARSON

Allan joined the group in 2024 and found his fellow volunteers to be warm and welcoming and always keen to guide him as he had no previous equine experience. He greatly enjoys working with the ponies and finds the rider interaction both fun and humbling, taking a great deal of satisfaction from the whole experience which he’s keen to share with others at any opportunity. With his background in electro mechanical engineering, customer service and more recently change and project management, Allan will undoubtedly bring new skills and benefits to the charity in both a practical manner and more strategically for the good of the group.