I moved to Ilketshall St. John from Rumburgh in 1978 after purchasing St. John’s Hall Farm. I have farmed since that time, firstly with my father and now with my son, growing mainly arable crops. I have taken an active interest in the commons for over 30 years and been a director of the LMC since its incorporation in 2004. My farm has been involved in many environmental programmes, including more recently the HLS and ELS environmental schemes. The knowledge and experience gained from these programmes has been significant in ensuring the commons are managed both sensitively and practically and remain a local resource to be enjoyed for the benefit of all.

I have lived in Ilketshall St. Andrew since 1988 and I have been the Company Secretary and Treasurer of the LMC since its inception in 2004. My responsibilities include paying bills, keeping up-to-date accounts, liaising with the accountants and maintaining the LMC records at Companies House.

I am retired and my interests include nature conservation, birdwatching and gardening and I am also responsible for the Village Butterfly Survey.

Having been born into a farming family I have been associated with the Commons all my life and attended school at Bungay Primary and Earsham Hall in my early years. Living at Hawthorn Farm from 1984 before moving across the road to Great Common Farm I have an intimate knowledge of the area and have been involved with the annual hay cut for nearly 50 years. In recent years the decision was made to expand our dairy herd and upgrade our milking facility. As a result we now run a herd approaching 600 head of which we milk around 350. The business is very much a family affair with my wife, 2 sons and sister all being actively involved. When time and farming allows I like nothing better than watching a game of rugby complimented by a good beer.

Born and bred in Whitstable, Kent my entire career was spent in the property industry where I headed up the sales department within a firm of Chartered Surveyors, Planning Consultants and Estate Agents. Working principally from the city of Canterbury I encountered a vast array of property styles from fine country homes and farms to beach front second homes. Taking early retirement in 2008 coincided with my own house move to Ilketshall St.Andrew.

On finishing work I became involved in voluntary work for Kent Wildlife Trust the RSPB and the Woodland Trust. It was therefore a natural progression to continue this interest with Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Natural England once living in Suffolk. When a vacancy appeared at the Land Management Company it allowed me the opportunity to engage my interest at a very local level, and on my own doorstep, where I could give something back to the local community.

I moved to Ilketshall St. Andrew from Sheffield in 2016, having spent most of my career working in several different Universities, both in the UK and abroad. After starting out with a specialism in Economics, more recently I have focused on strategic management and on financial asset management. During my career, I have undertaken consultancy work for a variety of organisations of different types, including charities, and now work part-time for a number of academic institutions in addition to enjoying rural life in Ilketshall St. Andrew.

I joined the LMC in November 2018 in order to better engage with the local community and to contribute to the preservation and enhancement of the Commons into the future.

I moved with my husband to Ilketshall St John in 2019 and work in the NHS as a Sustainability/Energy/Waste Manager. Loving nature I am passionate about all aspects of environmental protection and enjoy being a part of our local community. I try hard to reduce my environmental footprint and wanted to be involved with the management of the commons in order to help protect local flora and fauna and to protect our local heritage. I enjoy gardening, bird watching, walking, exercising, cooking and entertaining. Feeling privileged to live in such a beautiful area I want to help keep it that way and often find myself clearing litter whilst out walking.

I moved to Ilketshaw St Andrew with my fiancé Rozelle in early 2022 from Hertfordshire. My background is in agriculture and farming; in the past I’ve worked in many different sectors and businesses including seed breeding, dairying, care farming and commercial farming. Presently I’m working for the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, conducting research trials into regenerative farming and developing the tools and knowledge needed for farming today and in future.

The commons are a rare and invaluable resource for the villages and I feel privileged to be able to contribute to their management and preservation for the community today and for future generations to enjoy.

I moved to Ilketshall St Andrew 23 years ago from Blythburgh having always enjoyed the countryside and looking after animals. I have since bought a smallholding in the village and keep horses, goats, sheep and various poultry. An opportunity came along to join the Land Management Company and I decided to join so as to help make the commons enjoyable for everyone to use for many years to come.