Our team
Ann Shadrake
Executive Director
Ann works closely with the Trustees of the charity and manages a team of volunteers. Ann works part-time across 4 days in the week and is responsible for managing and implementing the charity's strategy, membership, campaigning and policy work, publicity and financial administration.Ann has worked for the charity since January 2011.
Ann has a MSc in Natural Resource Management and has worked in for a number of Yorkshire based charities and the national park national park authority in management and fundraising roles.
Penny Lowe
Administration Assistant
Working part-time across 2-3 days per week, Penny joined us in March 2017. Penny works on all aspects of membership administration - sending out welcome packs to new Friends of the Dales, keeping our records sorted and up to date, setting up Direct Debit payments, tracking our monthly income and expenditure and dealing with a hundred and one queries on all things Friends of the Dales! Penny has a wide range of experience and skills, having worked for the NHS in a financial role, for a Yorkshire education charity for 16 years, and also running her own business offering holistic therapy.
Both Ann and Penny are based at the charity's offices at Gargrave, near Skipton.
They can be contacted on 01756 749400 or by email
Trustees
All the Trustees are unpaid volunteers who together put in hundreds of hours every year to run our registered charity and deliver our campaigning work, communications and events. They also ensure our charity operates legally, for example making sure we comply with our financial and governance obligations from the Charity Commmission, Companies House and the Fundraising Regulator.
1. Scarlett Armstrong
2. Kyle Blue
3. Anthony Bradley
4. Mark Corner
5. Wilf Fenten (Vice Chair)
6. Ian Harrison (Treasurer)
7. Ken Humphris
8. Julie Martin
9. Bruce McLeod (Chair)
10. Dilip Mysorekar
11. Malcolm Petyt (Vice President)
12. Tony Smith
13. Nancy Stedman
14. Mike Stephenson
15. Marion Temple
Our Honorary positions, elected annually at the AGM
Vice Presidents
- Mrs Ann Cryer
- Dr Malcolm Petyt
- Dr Colin Speakman
Patron - Alastair Humphreys
Volunteers are essential to the delivery of our charity's work. Over the years volunteers together contribute hundreds of hours of unpaid work towards the events, putting together our flagship magazine - the Yorkshire Dales Reivew - and on membership and financial administration.
To find out more about volunteering, phone us on 01756 749400 or email
Bernard Peel comes into the office on most Thursdays, and has been doing so for around 10 years. Bernard works with Penny Lowe, Administration Assistant, on membership administration and he also leads or helps on many of our walks.
We estimate that Bernard has put in over 3,000 hours of volunteering to support our charity - and counting!
Other regular volunteeres (photos coming soon)
Lynn Leadbeatter - who has supported our longstanding editor of the Review, Fleur Speakman over recent years and has now (mid 2017) taken on the Sub Editor role
Prue Harrison - our new volunteer Editor of the Yorkshire Dales Review from August 2020 - welcome to Prue! Prue takes over from Sasha Heseltine who has ably edited the Review since mid 2017.
Although that sounds like a big team, we definitely welcome new volunteers especailly those interested in helping at events or finding out about becoming a Trustee.
Contact us on 01756 749400, or email
We have cancelled all forthcoming events due to coronavirus except for online events.
There are many ways to Support our Charity and be a Friend of the Dales, to help keep the Dales special and vibrant for years to come.
Join us as a member
Make a donation
Leave a gift in your will
Register as a supporter
Help as a volunteer at our events
Our Business members are very valuable to us and we thank them all. For a list of all these businesses, or for more information on the benefits of business membership, click HERE
Bill Bryson, a supporter, says :
"There isn't a more glorious and beguiling landscape anywhere, or one more deserving of our support. It really is as simple as that"
Alastair Humphreys
Our Patron
says :
"it's more beautiful than you realise; the people are open and friendly and have time for you; your phone might not work which is a positive as you'll have more time - slow down and enjoy the silence".
Alastair’s quest for adventure began young. Aged 8, he completed the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge over 26 miles
Chair: Bruce McLeod
Registered Address:
Canal Wharf, Eshton Road, Gargrave, BD23 3PN.
Charity number 515384.Company limited by guarantee number 1822908
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