Our Trustees

Heather Hancock LVO, DL

Chair, The Royal Countryside Fund
Master of St John’s College, Cambridge

Heather is the senior independent Board member for Defra and a non-executive Director of Rural Solutions Ltd.

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Rob Collins

Vice Chair, The Royal Countryside Fund

Rob was Managing Director of Waitrose & Partners from 2016 to 2020 and a member of the Main Board for The John Lewis Partnership.

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Stephanie Brimacombe

Global Chief Growth Officer and European CEO, VCCP

Stephanie joined VCCP, the UK’s leading creative agency group, in 2011 after starting her career in corporate and consumer PR.

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David Fursdon

Chairman, The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture

David was educated at St John’s College, Oxford and at the RAU Cirencester, where he is now an honorary Fellow.

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Lord Jamie Lindsay DL

Chairman, UKAS

Jamie Lindsay is currently Chairman of UKAS (the UK’s National Accreditation Body) and Berry UK Pension Trustees Ltd., and an advisor to Brockwell Energy Ltd.

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Trustee Janet McCollum
Janet McCollum CBE

Janet currently serves as Non-Executive Director to several leading businesses within the agri-food industry – Tirlán, W & R Barnett and previously to Foyle Food Group.

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Steve Murrells CBE

Group Chief Executive Officer, Hilton Foods

Steve is also a Non-Executive Director at Noble Foods. Steve was Co-op Group CEO having previously led the Co-op’s Food business.

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Meurig Raymond CBE, DL, FRAgS

Farmer

Meurig Raymond is a farmer and an advocate of British farming. He was President of the National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales (NFU) until 2018.

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Baroness Kate Rock

Kate has a portfolio of non-executive directorships.

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Chris Sparrow

Founder, Recce Rural

Chris is a chartered surveyor and business owner with 27 years of experience covering predominantly rural interests.

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Jonathan Warburton

Chairman, Warburtons

Jonathan is a fifth generation Warburton and has has held the position of Chairman of the family business since 2001. 

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Trustee Alan Wilkinson
Allan Wilkinson

Head of Agrifoods, HSBC Bank plc

Allan Wilkinson is a dairy farmer’s son from the North East of England, who joined Midland Bank in the late 1980’s becoming HSBC’s Head of Agriculture in 2010.

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As well as quarterly meetings of the board of trustees, The Royal Countryside Fund benefits from the advice of our board through a number of subcommittees.
Grants subcommittee

Chair: Janet McCollum

Development committee

Chair: Rob Collins

The Farming Advisory Group

Chair: Allan Wilkinson

Nominations committee

Chair: Allan Wilkinson

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