Board of Trustees
Working alongside the young people, staff and volunteers is the Longlands Care Farm Board of Trustees. All the trustees are voluntary and reflect the knowledge, skills and experience required to deliver a safe and confident Care Farm service.
Mark Molloy (Chair)
Mark is a social worker by background and has a long history of working in statutory children’s services across social care, education and health. He has held regional responsibilities on key national DfE and DH children’s programmes. He has delivered a variety of change and commissioning programmes for the Welsh Assembly Government. Mark has excellent leadership skills, is commercially and politically aware and has in-depth knowledge of current legislation. He has solid project management skills both within a local authority context and through his consultancy expertise. Recently, Mark has specialised in commissioning and its application as a transformation/change management process. He has held senior positions in Local Authority settings being responsible for Children Services across Health, Education and Social Care under Children’s Trust/partnership arrangements.
Doug Hill (Treasurer)
Doug is a qualified accountant (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales), who has worked for more than 35 years in senior finance roles in telecoms, manufacturing, consulting and marketing, and most latterly as a Portfolio CFO with a range of SME clients. Before that, he was CFO at WPP Health & Wellness and REL Consultancy Group – both global businesses in excess of £25m.
Now based in Whitbourne after relocating from East Sussex in 2022, he also volunteers his time as Treasurer with the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity. As a former member of the Roundtable, Doug has long believed in the value and importance of volunteering – supporting local communities, making a difference to other people’s lives, and bringing his specific experience to the team at Longlands to support them and to help the Charity fulfil its potential.
Peter Thomas
Peter is the former CEO of a multi-academy trust and has had three headships over a career spanning nearly 40 years in state education. He has experience of commissioning alternative education and has inspected UK secondary schools, including alternative education, as an Ofsted inspector. He was appointed a National Leader of Education to support and challenge Academy Boards and to review the performance of CEO’s. He has undertaken a number of community projects: leading an Interim Executive Board on behalf of a Local Education Authority for 3 years and serving as a trustee of a charitable education trust for 17 years. He brings to the Board a wide range of educational knowledge, skills and experience.
Emma Gregory
Having spent the last 15 years working within financial recruitment, Emma runs her own recruitment business in Worcester. The agency specialises in professional taxation appointments within professional services firms. She brings to the board general business management and recruitment and human resources knowledge. Having grown up close to Longlands at Whitbourne Hall, Emma spent a considerable amount of her childhood on Longlands farm with Julia and her family. From her own experiences she recognises it to be a supportive, nurturing and special environment. She sees the real benefits of being part of a real life working environment surrounded by positive role models, being part of a team and feeling respected and listened to. Having worked within the private sector and been self-employed for the past 10 years, Emma feels she can offer support in the day to day running of the business, particularly from a human resources perspective.
Iain Morrison
Iain has 22 years experience in the legal profession and is a partner in mfg solicitors based in their Worcester office. He heads their agricultural and rural affairs department which is nationally recognised as a leading firm in this area of practice. Iain sits on the board of management of the firm with responsibility for the firm's marketing. He is a past president of the Worcestershire Law Society. Iain’s legal knowledge as well as his experience in advising farmers and rural businesses on a wide range of matters gives him a unique insight into the issues facing agricultural businesses. His management experience having sat on Care Farming West Midlands board and having been involved in community projects adds to the expertise he can bring to Longlands.
Joe Evans
Joe is Julia's eldest son and grew up on Longlands Farm. Following a successful career in international banking, Joe returned to Whitbourne and now runs the estate on which Longlands is based. He brings to the board general business management experience. In addition to his involvement in Whitbourne, he is a non-executive director of allmanhall, a food procurement business based in Wiltshire. Joe is also Chairman of the Herefordshire branch of the Country Landowners and Business Association and is the National Chairman of the Environment Committee. He is Chairman of Herefordshire Business Improvement District.
Julian Clapp
Julian set up and ran a marketing and business development consultancy for 25 years. Having established the company as market leader in its sector, Julian has recently sold the business to pursue other interests. He has since acquired a farm in the area.
Julian understands the danger of vulnerable young people disengaging from education and society in general. He has seen how Longlands provides practical help in a real work environment that gets lives back on track.
He also enjoys playing racket sports, walking, cycling and travel.
Longlands continues to grow and develop and is keeping under review the membership of the Board to ensure it has the right capabilities to deliver this important service. Please contact us if you are interested in applying.