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 Society’s membership, campaigning and policy work, financial administration and strategic planning. Ann has worked for the charity since January 2011. 

Ann has a MSc in Natural Resource Management and has worked in many roles for Yorkshire based charities and the national park in fundraising, and management 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

Ann Shadrake, Executive Director

Penny Lowe, Administration Assistant

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

Ann Shadrake, Executive Director

Penny Lowe, Administration Assistant

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!

Jenny Pateman-Harrison volunteers every month, and has done so for many year. Jenny comes into our office to process the invoices and carry out a bank reconciliation for our subsidiary social enterprise, the Dales & Bowland CIC, which runs DalesBus. 

Rod and Judith Clough who organise and serve tea & biscuits at our indoor events and wash up afterwards - they have done this invaluable role for many years!