Meet the Team — The North Norfolk Wheelyboat 'Poppy'

Our Trustees

Tom

Tom is an entrepreneur, property developer and Chair of the Norfolk Charitable Trust. He was formally a Trustee of The Royal British Legion and member was a member of the Audit and Risk and Care Services committees. He was formally a member of the University of East Anglia business advisory board and Trustee of the Kings Lynn Academy specialising in business and enterprise.

His motivation for the poppy project stems from his experiences in sailing both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. He wanted to bring the sense of fulfilment, achievement and closeness to nature that comes from sailing our seas, to the disabled.

Founder & Chair of Trustees

Shailesh

Shailesh is a former solicitor and MP for nearly 20 years. He was a Government Minister for six years, serving under three Prime Ministers, including in the Cabinet. He was the last person to be personally sworn into the Privy Council by the late Queen Elizabeth II. He is currently on the Advisory Board of the Museum of the Prime Minister and is a strategic adviser and keynote speaker.

Trustee

Trustee

Sean

Sean is a Trustee of NCT. He is an experienced engineer in the energy industry with 35 years of experience in construction, contracting and application of health and safety in the working environment. He has previous trustee experience as an acting trustee of the High Kelling Village hall (303989). He brings knowledge of risk assessment, opportunity evaluation, business case analysis and decision making along with a knowledge of the role and priorities for a charity trustee.

The NCT and the operations that it is involved in brings opportunities for deserving people to step out of the stresses of their normal lives and experience the calming and re-envigorating energy of the natural world and the beauty of North Norfolk. Sean is committed to helping the NCT continue to deliver these opportunities.

Deborah

Deborah is a Trustee of NCT. She has 30 years of experience in the not-for-profit sector, academia and philanthropy focusing on children’s rights and disadvantaged young people and adults. Deborah has a doctorate in international law and is a qualified Rogerian therapist, and has worked extensively with young people suffering from physical and mental health issues, earning a commendation from the Cambridge Journal of Education for research on ethics with vulnerable people. Debroah has managed a broad range of charitable and philanthropic initiatives for multiple family offices and most recently a charitable foundation supporting a £14 billion infrastructure fund and remains a non-executive advisor to the Indian Garcha family’s Aashita ‘Hope for Children’ Foundation.

As a Trustee of NCT Deborah brings a wide range of experience of the sector, from both leadership and advisory roles, as well as a knowledge of safeguarding and ethical considerations, impact analysis and programme evaluation and a passion to support disadvantaged vulnerable young people and adults. Deborah’s lifelong personal connection to north Norfolk has also given her a deep appreciation and respect for the rich and unique natural resources the county offers, and a culture and community she is privileged to work with to benefit others less fortunate.

Trustee

Gary

Trustee

Gary is an experienced commercial skipper, business owner and long-standing member of the North Norfolk coastal community. Having spent more than 60 years around Morston and Blakeney boating, sailing, fishing and working on the water, he has extensive local knowledge of the harbour, creeks and the people who use them.

Gary is a qualified RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore and holds a Boatmaster’s Licence. He has volunteered as a skipper and provided operational support for Poppy, including maintaining the vessel, organising storage and helping train and support other volunteer skippers.

Gary is passionate about protecting what the Poppy means to its volunteers, the local community and, most importantly, the people it enables to enjoy being on the water. Gary hopes to use his practical experience, local knowledge and strong community connections to help NCT develop for the future while retaining the values and purpose that matter most.

Amelia

Amelia is the Secretary of the The Norfolk Charitable Trust, working closely with Trustees and employees to ensure the organisation runs effectively and stays focused on achieving its charitable objectives and internal goals. With a collaborative and hands-on approach, Amelia plays a key role in strengthening and supporting decision-making, and helping turn strategy into meaningful action.

Amelia helped in successfully getting our accessible boat, Poppy, up and running, opening up new opportunities and removing barriers for those who might otherwise be excluded. Passionate about creating an inclusive environment, Amelia is driven by a strong belief that everyone deserves an equal chance in life and is committed to creating positive, lasting impact through the charity’s work.