Trustees
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
Vice Chair
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.
Alice Nava
Trustee
Alice has 10+ years of leadership experience across the education, arts and charity sectors, with expertise in governance, strategic planning, community engagement and programme development. As Programme Director at Bristol Folk House, an educational charity and community centre, she leads a diverse adult learning programme of over 1,000 courses annually. Alice previously served as Head of Art at a leading grammar school and has experience across galleries, arts PR, Christie’s Auction House, arts journalism and creative practice. Her work is guided by a belief in making arts and culture accessible and socially impactful.
Amy Robinson
Trustee
Amy began her Bristol career at Aardman Animations, before moving into the environmental sector, working in sustainability roles at Eunomia and internationally recognised ‘eco-restaurant’ Bordeaux Quay. While running Low Carbon South West CIC, she supported inward investment and regional growth of the environmental sector, and delivered the Go Green sustainable business scheme, part of Bristol’s programme as European Green Capital 2015. And since 2016, Amy has worked for Triodos Bank, promoting the importance of ethical investment and the positive use of money to achieve social and environmental goals. She is on University of Bristol - Cabot Institute’s Advisory Board and previous board roles have included The Architecture Centre (now Design West) and the Bristol Climate and Nature Partnership.
Lisa Urwin
Trustee
Lisa is a commercial contracts lawyer at Penguin Random House with experience of providing pro bono legal advice in Bristol through organisations such as the Pervasive Media Studio, SETsquared and Business in the Community. Having grown up nearby, Lisa has fond memories of Ashton Court Mansion, including attending her school leavers’ ball there, and is passionate about its regeneration for the benefit of the community.
Owen Pettinger
Trustee
Having spent many years working in finance, marketing and business improvement for a number of FTSE companies, in recent years Owen has turned his efforts towards public sector work, spending some time with Historic England before joining Arts Council England in 2023 where he is currently working as a Senior Manager. A dedicated musician, Owen has also been performing in and around Bristol since moving here to study engineering at the University of Bristol in 2000.
Matt Watt
Trustee
Matt spent 25 years as a management consultant, working for global consulting firms including over 10 years as a partner at the Big 4 Consultancy EY. He helped UK government to implement major change programmes, to improve services across most areas of public policy. He led EY’s People Consulting business in the UK and EY’s Organisation and Workforce Transformation services globally. Over the last 15 years he has helped social enterprises to scale up their impact, including as a Trustee at User Voice. He lives in north Bristol and enjoys walking and cycling around the West Country, fly fishing, cricket, and the theatre.
Dominic Gundry-White
Trustee
Dominic is an experienced business leader and Managing Director of Canon Security, a Bristol-based security and facilities services company. Alongside his wider commercial career, he has significant experience of the hospitality and events sector, including senior roles at Kings Weston House and The Lamplighters. This gives him first-hand knowledge of operating a heritage venue in Bristol, together with an understanding of the regional weddings and events market and the commercial realities of running and sustaining complex venues.