Lowberdale Farm is managed by a group of trustees and supported by volunteers with skills and experience in education and training, health and wellbeing, management, business, finance and farming.

The Trustees

Robert lives in Ashbourne, and is a retired Chartered Patent and Trade Mark Attorney who was a Director in a local firm working in Derbyshire and Staffordshire for over thirty three years. Robert has been active in youth work for many years, including working with a number of vulnerable youngsters. He very much enjoys working with young people and seeing their character and confidence develop. Robert has enjoyed working on farms ever since he learnt to milk by hand when five years old on a farm holiday. He has a wide range of interests including playing and watching football, and working on narrow gauge steam railways.

Paul retired as a Chartered accountant in 2016, having spent the last 10 years of his career as Finance Director for a Housing Association in the East Midlands. Paul has lived in Ashbourne, Derbyshire for the past 25 years and enjoys the local beautiful countryside. He has been a trustee for the Lowberdale charity for over 3 years and enjoys the challenge of helping the organisation create opportunities for young people.

Liz retired in 2017 after 34 years in education as a Geography teacher, Humanities Adviser, Ofsted Inspector and most recently as Headteacher of a large comprehensive school in Hertfordshire, leading the school to an outstanding Ofsted inspection in 2014. In 2018 Liz and her husband retired to Hartington, in the middle of the Peak District, where they keep very busy with walking, gardening, travelling and lots more. In 2020, she was delighted to take on the role of a trustee at Lowberdale and looks forward to working with the team to develop more opportunities for young people on the farm.

Dorothy has had three careers – first as a Software Engineer, then as a full-time mum bringing up four children and finally as a Maths teacher working in Further Education and Sixth Form. In 2018 she retired from teaching and moved to an old farmhouse near Hartington where, amongst other things, she and her husband welcome guests to their holiday accommodation. She has always enjoyed being involved with children and young people in a voluntary capacity and hopes that as a trustee she will be able to help Lowberdale develop, particularly in an administrative role.

Tim is a local Methodist Minister in Ashbourne. He has worked in the area for the past 14 years and it has been great to see the Lowberdale Farm Project blossom and develop. Concern, commitment and care are just three of many words he would use to describe what the team who deliver the Project are about, and he describes it is a real privilege to be a very small part of it – supporting, encouraging and enabling those who offer their time and gifts to young people in our wider community

Tamara is currently working as a Welfare and Safeguarding Officer at Derby College. Prior to this she worked as a Residential Warden at Derby College, and Cover Supervisor at Derby Moor Academy. Tamara has been involved in youth and children’s work for 21 years, especially with the Girl’s Brigade, where she is currently Captain of the 23^rd Derby Brigade. Tamara studied Agriculture at College, and has worked on various farms, but particularly enjoyed volunteering at Lowberdale Farm, over a number of years. Tamara was very excited to be asked to join the board of trustees in 2021.

Andy Brown

Mark Lowe grew up on the family farm. He has achieved a degree in Agriculture and a PGCE teaching qualification. He has experience in teaching across Key Stage 2-4 as well as in the provision of land-based vocational programmes to 14-19 year olds.

The Volunteers

Fiona was a primary school teacher for 18 years and also worked as a Learning Support Assistant at Buxton and Leek College.  She has run a wide variety of after school-clubs and activities relating to her interests, from STEM and Code Clubs to gymnastics and skating and is a great believer in presenting children with wide-ranging opportunities beyond the usual curriculum to help equip them with skills and interests for their future lives.

Now retired, Fiona and her husband have acquired a small wood just to the north-west of Lowberdale. They are keen to use this as a backdrop to scientific investigations, art, literacy or practical woodland skills. It also provides a calm space to reconnect with the natural world.

Andy trained as a construction manager running multi million pound projects in London for ~10 years from 2000 managing all aspects of the work from planning, project management, safety, coordination and handover. Following a year out to work overseas Andy trained as a Water Manager and now manages wastewater networks across the midlands.

Malcolm Hawton

Ruth Lowe