Trustees
The Board of BHBT
Bristol Historic Buildings Trust
Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees
Simon Cook MBE
Chair
Simon is a former Bristol City Councillor of 17 years, serving as Deputy Leader and then Leader of the Council, with a specialism in culture and the arts. During his time in office he created the Bristol Music Trust, oversaw the refurbishment of Colston Hall, and championed the delivery of M Shed. He has served as Director and Chair of Bristol Cultural Development Partnership, on the Regional Council of Arts Council England, and on the boards of Bristol Ensemble and Bristol Music Trust. He trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and has performed with the RSC and Bristol Old Vic, as well as appearing in numerous television dramas. He was awarded an MBE in 2016 for services to culture.
Josh Nesfield
Trustee
Josh has spent over a decade leading marketing, growth and international expansion for major FMCG and heritage brands, and now runs his own strategy and marketing consultancy. Alongside his commercial career he has become deeply engaged in Bristol’s civic life as Chair/Managing Director of Hotwells & District Allotment Association, stewarding six sites and over 700 members and guiding the association toward a more equitable model of community growing, food access, biodiversity and education. He has served as a director of The Bristol Cable, Bristol’s award-winning community-owned investigative media cooperative, and as a magistrate on the Avon & Somerset Bench. Josh is currently studying for an MSc in Food Policy.
Nigel Dyke
Trustee
An architect by training with a particular interest in the creative use of existing buildings, he has been involved with a number of significant heritage projects in Bristol, including Quakers Friars, SS Great Britain and The Underfall Yard. He was also Chair of Trustees for Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust for 7 years until September 2025 and is currently a Trustee of the Curzon Cinema and Arts Trust in Clevedon.
Charmaine Lawrence
Trustee
Charmaine brings over a decade of experience in youth and community development. She is currently CEO of Full Circle Docklands, a leading Bristol charity providing vital services to children, young people, and families. Under her leadership, FCD has been selected as one of eight national early adopters of the Young Futures Hub, taking the strategic lead for coordinated youth provision across Central Bristol. Alongside this, she serves as Deputy Chair of the East Central Youth and Play Partnership, championing the youth sector and promoting collaborative working across diverse communities.
Sarah Smith
Trustee
Sarah has worked in the arts and cultural sector for over 35 years and has been involved with a number of capital projects specifically restoring Grade 1 and Grade 2 listed arts venues. She led the development and delivery of Bristol Old Vic’s restoration of its Georgian theatre and back of house facilities which reopened in 2012 and co-ordinated the development and delivery of the National Lottery Heritage Fund Lantern Project at Bristol Beacon which reopened in 2023. She was chair of Tobacco Factory Arts Trust between 2012 and 2023 and supported the development and growth of Tobacco Factory Theatres.