Our Trustees Our Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall control and strategic direction of the Bradgate Park Trust. They meet regularly to discuss, decide and review our strategies and policies and receive reports and updates from the Trust's senior managers. Our trustee role is voluntary and they work to make sure we’re working to meet the aspirations of the Trust to maintain the land in our care for the benefit of wildlilfe and people. We have a total of ten Trustees. In accordance with the terms of Charles Bennion’s gift, three Trustees are nominated by Leicestershire County Council, three by Leicester City Council and three by the National Trust. Following a review of governance by the Trustees in 2014, up to a further three Trustees can be appointed by the Board itself. Nicholas Rushton - Chair Nicholas Rushton has lived in Ashby de la Zouch all his life. Nick is married to Daniella and his 21 year old son, Bertie, is studying Politics & History at King’s College, London. Nick has been the Leader of Leicestershire County Council since 2012 and is a very experienced county councillor, serving from 1989-93 and from 2001 to present. He has been a member of both Northwest Leicestershire District Council and Ashby Town Council since 1986, currently lead member for Finance and Resources for both councils. Nick has been Chairman of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Combined Fire Authority since 2015. On the national scene, Nick is a member of the Local Government Association’s General Assembly and an Executive Board member on East Midlands Councils. He is also the national spokesman on Finance for the County Councils Network. Nick is a Board member of the Midlands Engine for Growth and Midlands Connect Strategic Steering Group, working with Government to drive economic growth. Outside of politics, Nicholas is a successful businessman, runs Ashby Town market and has a keen interest in sport. Sir Peter Soulsby - Vice Chair I was born in Bishop Auckland and studied at City of Leicester College of Education and the University of Leicester. In 1973, I was elected to Leicester City Council. Eight years later, I became Leader of the Council – a position I held almost continuously for the next 17 years. During this time I oversaw the council’s transition from district council to a unitary authority, taking on responsibility for all local government services in Leicester. I also spearheaded Leicester’s City Challenge programme, bringing over £400m of jobs and regeneration to Leicester – including the land for the King Power Stadium and the development of the National Space Centre. In 1999, I was immensely proud to be knighted by the Queen for services to the City of Leicester. In 2005, I contested, and won, the parliamentary seat of Leicester South and remained as a Member of Parliament for that constituency until April 2011, when I resigned the seat in order to stand for election as Leicester’s first directly elected City Mayor. On May 5th 2011, I won that election against ten other candidates, polling almost 47,000 votes – 55% of the votes cast. I am privileged to have been re-elected to serve as Leicester’s City Mayor for a second term, polling just over 71,500 votes – 55% of the votes cast. I'm a former member of the Audit Commission and of the Beacon Council Advisory Panel. I've also been the Head of Regions for the British Lung Foundation and Deputy Chair of British Waterways. I've lived in Leicester for more than 40 years. My late wife and I had three children, Cassandra, Eleanor and Lauren, and nine grandchildren. David Lindley QPM DL BSc[Hons] After a varied and challenging career in policing working both in the UK and abroad David is currently a trustee of LOROS and an active volunteer both within the Park but also Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. He is a life member of the Friends of the University of Leicester Botanic Gardens and currently the Independent Person for Leicester City Council dealing with public complaints about the alleged conduct of councillors. Deborah Taylor Deborah lives in Anstey with her husband Paul and rescue dog Duke, a Saluki/Greyhound Cross. Deborah has been an Anstey Parish Councillor since 2011, Charnwood Borough Councillor since 2015 and Leicestershire County Councillor since 2017. In her leisure time she enjoys keeping fit, dog walking and spending time with family and friends. Deborah enjoys visiting Bradgate Park and is honoured to be a Trustee, hoping to make a difference during her time here. John Leach John is the Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services at Leicester City Council. He is responsible for delivering a number of key public services to the people of Leicester. His responsibilities include Parks and Open Spaces, Regulatory Services, City Cleansing, Waste Management, Libraries, Community Centres, Community Safety and Community Cohesion. He has worked at the City Council since 2014 and has a very broad public sector experience that includes working for local government at a regional level and for local authorities at a senior level in the East and West Midlands with responsibilities also encompassing Planning Policy, Economic Development and Leisure Services. Prior to entering local government in 1999 he worked for the Environment Agency and the former National Rivers Authority where he focussed predominately on Environmental Protection and partnership working. John lived and studied in Leicester in the late 1980s’/early 90s’ and now lives in Leicestershire with his wife and children. He holds a Masters in Public Leadership and Management, a Bachelor of Science degree in Science and the Environment and the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management’s Diploma in Water and Environmental Management. In his spare time he has visited Bradgate Park many times, where he is able to combine his strong appreciation for the environment with one of his hobbies, photography. Judith Spence Judith is a qualified accountant working for Leicestershire County Council, through which she became Honorary Treasurer in 2015 and a Trustee in 2021. She is also Chair of Governors at a primary school and has a particular interest in medieval history. Sam Lattaway Sam is the Head of Landscape, Biodiversity & Recreation for the National Forest Company, where he has worked since 2006. He trained in biology and computing, going on to work in local government, government agencies, consultancy and the mining industry. In his current role, he leads on issues relating to wildlife, public access, heritage protection and the funding of landscape-scale conservation projects. He has lived in the Charnwood area for more than 13 years and has developed a strong passion for its wildlife, landscape and heritage. Bradgate Park has long been a favourite destination, often with trusty camera in hand, and so he is proud to be a Trustee of the Bradgate Park Trust. Manjula Sood Manjula Sood holds BA, MA, LLD, and D.Litt. She was part of a high profile research programme with the world renowned John Hopkins University. She arrived in 1970, attended Leicester University and completed her Post graduate training. She was a primary school teacher for almost 20 years, a benchmark at the time, as she was one of the first Asian female teachers in Leicester in 1973. Manjula entered politics after the sudden death of her late husband, Cllr Paul Sood. She won with an impressive majority setting precedence by becoming first female Hindu Councillor. "Leicester is a diverse and multicultural city and home to many communities. I want them to know about the great heritage and history of Bradgate Park." Louise Ransberry Louise has always been passionate about the environment and studied Human Environmental Science at Kings College London in the 1980s. After which she somewhat surprisingly qualified as a chartered accountant and entered a career in finance – predominantly at Barclays Bank where she was Finance Director for Current Accounts and Savings. In 2013 she was lucky enough to join the National Trust, first heading up finance for the Midlands Region and since 2016 as Assistant Operations Director for the Midlands and East of England Region. As Operations Director she is responsible for the delivery of the strategic aims and is accountable for the performance of the National Trust places in the East Midlands. “I’m thrilled to be part of the Bradgate Park Board of Trustees. It’s a stunning place and wonderful that it is so accessible to so many people.” Beth Dawson Beth is the National Trust’s General Manager at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire and joined the Board of Trustees in September 2021.