Following an appeal earlier this year for people to join its management board, the Peasedown Community Trust has welcomed two new trustees to its team.
Alex Wright and Shaula Reilly
Alex Wright and Shaula Reilly, who both live in the village, bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise with them to the charity.
Alex is a Director of ScienceScope, an education technology company based at a local school.
The organisation plays a pioneering role in the development of digital skills in education, equipping young people for their future and contributing towards a more sustainable world. He is also a Governor at Peasedown St John Primary School.
He said: “I’m pleased to join the management team at Peasedown Community Trust. I was impressed by the organisation’s environmental vision and wanted to get involved.
“The more we can encourage children and their parents to take an active interest in caring for the environment, the better.”
Shaula Reilly is the new curate at St John’s Parish Church. A former GP, Shaula practiced in Taunton for many years before taking up her new role with the church.
Shaula said: “I was impressed by just how much the Trust had done in the community in its first year of operations.
“As well as serving the village through the church I was keen to get involved with other projects and organisations too, so when I was approached about becoming a trustee I jumped at the chance!”
Peasedown Community Trust was established last year in the wake of the first lockdown. It’s an amalgamation of several community projects that have joined together to form one united charity.
The Trustees are a collection of business representatives, community leaders and councillors.
Chairman of Trustees and Director, Gavin Heathcote said: “Peasedown St John is a fantastic place to live, work and visit – and we have a lot to shout about!
“With a population of almost 7,000 residents, the village was in need of a civic body that would champion good causes and be proactive in ‘getting things done’. So, a group of us decided to step up to the mark!
“We’re absolutely thrilled that Alex and Shaula have joined the team. We’re looking forward to working with them in years to come.”
Projects currently run by the Trust include:
- Peasedown Community Library – in partnership with B&NES Council, the Trust run the village’s library service. Over 20 volunteers help manage a wide range of library services each week.
- Peasedown Community Garden – in partnership with Curo, they run a sensory, quiet garden where villagers can go to relax, unwind, and volunteer in a range of initiatives.
- Dementia Friendly Peasedown – A team of trained Dementia Champions are raising awareness of the condition across the village and helping to create a dementia-friendly community.
Peasedown Community Trust members are not paid and serve voluntarily.
