How we are governed

After a 30 year career at the National Lottery Heritage Fund - culminating as Area Director for England, Midlands & East - Robyn retired in 2025. She brings extensive leadership experience to the Trust and throughout her career has worked closely with a wide range of communities, partners, and stakeholders. She's also a Board member of Saffron Housing Association; where she Chairs the Audit and Risk Committee.  Previously, she was also a Board member of Orwell Housing and Care. 

She's lived in Suffolk and been a member of the Trust since 1990. She understands how important wildlife and landscape is to the heritage and identity of Suffolk, and how much nature means to the people and communities who live in the county. 

Robyn enjoys spending time in her garden and allotment, both of which are managed positively for wildlife.

Calum is a chartered accountant and a former partner of Deloitte LLP. He is currently non-executive director and audit committee chair of a number of public companies in the financial services sector. He's also the chairman of Tarbat Historic Trust - a museum on ancient Scottish artefacts in North East Scotland.

He has been a member of Suffolk Wildlife Trust for over 30 years and assists his wife who runs a small nature-friendly farm in Dunwich Forest, near RSPB Minsmere and Dingle Marshes. The farm includes a range of habitats including acid grassland, alder carr, riverbanks, and woodland; all supporting a wide range of wildlife with advice and support from the Trust and RSPB over many years.

Calum's experience in finance, combined with the knowledge he's gained from running a farm as a nature reserve, is hugely beneficial for the Trust.

Miranda has been involved in conservation management for over 25 years, working for Essex & Suffolk Water to enhance the biodiversity value of their landholding. She spent most of her childhood holidays in east Suffolk with family and moved here in 2013 with her husband and horse - since joined by a dog.

She feels privileged to live in such a beautiful part of the world and is please to continue to use her experience to support the Trust and our critical work safeguarding Suffolk’s wildlife and natural environment.

Sharon has enjoyed a long career in teaching and senior leadership roles in further and higher education, and policy and funding roles nationally with the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Department for Education. 

She's been a Trustee of Suffolk Wildlife Trust since 2023 and chairs our Health & Safety and Safeguarding Committee. Sharon brings experience of Charity governance through her previous roles as Chair of the Food Museum in Stowmarket, and Chair of Governance with Suffolk Family Carers.

Born in Suffolk, Sharon has lived in East Anglia all her life and is passionate about protecting the natural environment and inspiring more people to care about wildlife. With her partner, she manages her garden for wildlife and is actively involved in environmental projects in her village.

Patrick has an masters degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, a doctorate in Evolutionary and Molecular Microbiology from the University of Oxford, and postdoctoral experience in Ecological and Evolutionary Genetics at University College London.

He's recently started as Life Sciences Division Editor at the Public Library of Science. Prior to that, he was the Chief Editor of Nature Ecology & Evolution (since 2016) and a senior editor at Nature; working with academics and conservation professionals globally to publish high-impact research and opinion, as well as writing editorials and journals. He's lectured in the Nature Masterclass programme to train researchers in publishing and was a member of Springer Nature’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy committee.

Patrick lives in Earl Soham and is Chair of Governors of Earl Soham Community Primary School.

Since 1981, Joan has run a diverse farming business at Alder Carr Farm, in partnership with her husband and family. The farm has always left space for nature with 10 acres of woodland, a river, tree planting, and a nature trail that's open to the public. She's a member of the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group and has participated in the Countryside Stewardship scheme, welcoming hundreds of children on school visits to discover how food is produced.

Joan has a keen interest in wildlife and conservation, and how farming can co-exist with the natural world. She has been involved as a Council Member of the Suffolk Naturalists' Society having acted as Secretary, Chairman and currently Treasurer. With a Zoology degree and a Teaching Certificate Joan, has also taught Rural Science and Biology at secondary level and understands the need to engage children with wildlife at the earliest age to build a lifelong appreciation.

Michael started his career in government, working on UK and international environment policy, including the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement. He then changed tack, spending the years since 2015 as a Director at social business Three Hands, where he builds strategic partnerships between businesses and charities. His work includes engaging with people and communities who struggle to make their voices heard.

Michael grew up in Suffolk and now lives with his wife and two young sons next to the our Arger Fen & Spouse’s Vale nature reserve in south Suffolk. He and his family love the magical feeling of the reserve, especially the incredible dispays of bluebells , and he often goes there for his morning run.

Sabine has spent over 30 years working internationally in sustainability. She's a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors at ERM (Environmental Resources Management) - the world’s largest sustainability consultancy. At ERM, Sabine leads global functions spanning sustainability, risk, health & safety, and brand & communications, as well as serving as a Trustee of the ERM Foundation and on the Supervisory Board of Rewilding Europe. 

Although much of her work has been global, Sabine has a strong and growing connection to Suffolk; where she spends half her time. Having grown up in the Netherlands, she feels at home in Suffolk’s familiar big skies, farmland, forests, rivers, and coastline. 

She enjoys nature-friendly gardening and loves exploring the county’s landscapes, often walking with her dog Dottie.

Stephen has lived in rural Suffolk since 1984. Over his 30year career in river and coastal management, he lead Environment Agency teams across Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, providing him with a deept undersranding of the - often conflicting - needs of community, industry, and the natural environment.

Leading a European 'LIFE' project with English Nature, he promoted a new approach to 
Shoreline Management Planning, and the importance of inter-tidal habitats benefiting both wildlife and flood risk reduction. In 2004, he was appointed coastal Policy Advisor for the Environment Agency. He's also held governance roles with Brightlingsea Harbour Commissioners, Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, and iscurrently a charity trustee of Hands on Heritage; which provides practical workshops for Suffolk schools.

Stephen is passionate about the natural environment and is concerned at it's current rate of degradation; believing we need to adapt land use to prepare for the effects of 
accelerating climate change and providing space for habitats to respond, wildlife to thrive, and local communities to remain viable.

He other interests include painting and sculpture, and rowing the ancient Butley Ferry; which he's done for over 15 years.