ABOUT US - MEET THE COLWALL ORCHARD TRUST TRUSTEES

Lindsay is a retired mixed-practice veterinarian and long-time farmer. Having worked in Australia for 20 years he sold his veterinary practice and farm moving to Colwall in 2013.

Along with his wife Jane he runs a smallholding, and equine livery at Brookmead, next to COG’s Lugg’s Mill Orchard. He has been working to improve the biodiversity at Brookmead having planted over 50 orchard trees and 3000 hedge plants in the past 3 years.

Lindsay is the site manager of COG’s Lugg’s Mill Orchard and is particularly interested in the wildlife value of orchards, as well as creating wildflower meadows in COG orchards and at Brookmead.

 Wendy retired from a 30 year career in the Government agency with responsibility for landscape and countryside recreation where she mainly worked on policy development and research relating to National Parks, AONBs and outdoor recreation. Her work often focused on the health benefits of outdoor recreation and on helping local communities to care for their environment by providing funding and advice.

As COG Secretary, Wendy is responsible for governance and communications as well as for fund raising from events, grants and sales of COG produce.

Wendy is an active volunteer involved in many aspects of orchard management. She also has an allotment at Colwall Village Garden and helps to run the allotments.

Andy is a career-change gardener having given up a position in local government in I.T. and property management in 2003 to study horticulture full-time at Pershore College where he obtained an HND qualification. 

He subsequently ran his own home energy rating consultancy business for over 15 years and, whilst semi-retired, now still does some part-time gardening locally. 

With an Open University degree in I.T. and management in the public sector Andy has various roles for COG including being the site manager for Colwall Village Garden and working as a joint lead on Health and Safety issues; he manages all aspects of the COG website and helps to arrange practical orchard work with our volunteers.

 Peter and his wife Rose moved to Colwall in 2016 from West Devon, where Peter had been a member of the Tavy and Tamar Apple Group. 

His 48 years of working life included periods as a ship’s navigator in the Merchant Navy, an NHS Manager and a management consultant. 

Peter has been retired since 2013 but continues as Chairman of the Board of two small companies. 

Within COG he is a regular Friday volunteer and leads on Juicing.

Jilly moved to Colwall last year and  became a trustee of COG shortly afterwards. Her  previous home was at Canon Frome Court, a farming community half an hour west of Colwall. 

Her interest in, and love of, orcharding goes back to her childhood; where she had 2 orchards as part of the market garden her mother ran. As an adult she learnt to prune fruit trees and began helping friends with the care of their orchards. At Canon Frome Court she took the lead on caring for the 250+ fruit trees on the estate and gained a lot of experience in the care of trained fruit - espaliers and the like. During that time she undertook the training to become an Orchard Champion. 

She has retired from both her professional roles; midwife and yoga teacher. 

As a COG trustee she leads on our Orchard Liaison Service with local orchard owners, and does a lot of the hands-on pruning in COG’s orchards, private gardens and other orchards in the area. She is working with the Down’s Light Railway Trust in the partnership we are developing to care for, and enhance, the orchard alongside the railway. 

Andrew is now retired having worked in the bakery products sector of the food industry for over 30 years. He worked in several areas covering production, product and process development, and project management.

Andrew moved to Colwall in 2008, joined COG soon after, and has been an active volunteer since then, with a keen interest in pruning. He is a beekeeper and looks after the apiary at CVG.

Andrew is also treasurer for the Malvern Hills branch of Tools for Self Reliance which is a UK based charity helping to relieve poverty in Africa.