The current Trustees of ECGT are:
Dr Peter Robinson – Chair of Trustees
Peter is Head of the Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Management at Leeds Beckett University. He is author of several books and peer-reviewed journals and has appeared on a number of television and radio programmes discussing the tourism industry. Peter has owned businesses in the travel, ICT, waste management and publishing sectors, and has delivered consultancy work for organisations in a wide range of sectors across the world. In 2021 Peter was Awarded the Victor Middleton Prize for Education and Scholarship by the Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE).
Peter is a Fellow of the Tourism Management Institute and the Yorkshire and Humber representative, a Fellow of the Tourism Society, a Fellow of the Institute of Travel and Tourism, and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is Co-Chair of The Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE), a Director of The Institute of Travel and Tourism and he represents ATHE on the Tourism Society Board. He is Chair of a £41m restoration of a historic house and country park near Derby and was formerly Vice-Chair of The Museum of Carpet. His research interests focus on business planning, visitor experiences, heritage management and Cold War tourism.
Previously Peter worked as Head of Marketing, Leisure, Innovation and Enterprise at the University of Wolverhampton, and also managed the institution’s Arts Council funded Arena Theatre. Before working in academia Peter managed EU funded projects in the Peak District, tourism projects in Oxfordshire and spent a number of years working for The National Trust. He has been visiting Elvaston since he was 4 years old and lives nearby.
Tamsin Liddle – Vice Chair
Tamsin is a senior manager at Rolls-Royce plc, working in the programme management function. She has a strong background in procurement, strategy development, change management and stakeholder engagement. Tamsin has a passion for green spaces, historic buildings and their sustainable preservation for future generations.
Andrew Baker
A former senior manager at Rolls-Royce, Andrew then spent twelve years running and advising community finance businesses and was a director of Social Enterprise East Midlands. He has worked as a business advisor for both start-up and social businesses and got his hands dirty working as a volunteer for the National Trust in the Peak District for 8 years.
Christopher Manning – Treasurer
Chris is a trained accountant, who previously worked as Executive Director of Finance & Administration at Landau Forte Charitable Trust based in Derby, a Trust of six Academies across the Midlands. He has just taken up a position with the Diocese of Birmingham
Tony Dickin
Tony has a background in Furniture manufacture, restoration and conservation and was a Lecturer in Furniture studies for over fifteen years. He has a Masters Degree in Heritage Studies and has a keen interest in Object-based learning. He currently delivers leisure courses in furniture crafts and works in complaints resolution for the furniture industry. Tony has family links to the Elvaston Castle Estate with his Great Grandparents and Grandfather living in Riverside House in the early 20th Century.
Dr Andrew Durrant
Andrew is a professional engineer and the owner of a technology and manufacturing business with offices in the UK, Sri Lanka and the USA. He is a technical expert in advanced GPS, video and data systems, with skills in software and IT systems engineering. Andrew has over 20 years’ experience in being a school, college and MAT trustee. He is also involved in the University of Nottingham, where he holds the post of entrepreneur in residence. Andrew has extensive personal experience of building and renovation projects, including taking a derelict 17th century listed building off the at-risk register. Andrew is an enthusiastic member of the trust, and frequent visitor to the park with his family and dog, Ted. Andrew’s particular interest is in increasing the park’s accessibility, widening it’s demographic appeal and it’s use to support our young people with respect to recreation, education, work experience, mental health and wellbeing.
David Ashton
Former Global Head of HR with the Denby Group and with a wealth of senior general management experience. He now runs his own consultancy part-time. David is also a Trustee and Governor for the David Nieper Academy and has lived close to, and regularly visited, Elvaston for over 30 years.
Kim Powell
Steve has worked across creative marketing, communications consultancy and business development initiatives. He is an experienced facilitator of projects and of partnership working that require a balance of mediation and progression. With experience of working at a senior level within multi-national advertising agencies, local consultancies, commercial businesses as well as the service sector, Steve calls on a breadth of differing brand-led experiences . . . and he is enthusiastically excited by the Elvaston opportunity. Steve has a particular interest in tourism and destination marketing, which basically means all initiatives that aim to shape places and deliver memorable visitor experiences to a breadth of communities. Beliefs: clarity, focus, direction.
Steve has worked across creative marketing, communications consultancy and business development initiatives. He is an experienced facilitator of projects and of partnership working that require a balance of mediation and progression. With experience of working at a senior level within multi-national advertising agencies, local consultancies, commercial businesses as well as the service sector, Steve calls on a breadth of differing brand-led experiences . . . and he is enthusiastically excited by the Elvaston opportunity. Steve has a particular interest in tourism and destination marketing, which basically means all initiatives that aim to shape places and deliver memorable visitor experiences to a breadth of communities. Beliefs: clarity, focus, direction.
I have lived close to the Castle all of my life and I have fond memories of visiting it when I was a young boy. It is very exciting to see the plans for the castle and I am delighted that the castle has a bright future and in good hands. I am in no doubt that the plan will bring prosperity to the area by creating employment for local residents.
