About AVCT
THE BOARD
The Board of ten Directors and Charity Trustees are all volunteers and have a range of backgrounds, skills and interests.
- Nigel Dyke - Chair
- Councillor Jos Clark - Trustee
- Dr Charles Booth - Trustee
- Matt Kyle - Trustee
- Lindsay Telling - Trustee
- Rupert G Mullins TD, FIPA - Trustee
- Lynn Robinson - Trustee
- Dan Flew - Trustee
Before joining Alec French Architects he was an Associate of Nealon Tanner Architects, Bristol, where he worked on a number of educational and community projects. Prior to that he worked as a Project Architect for Jestico + Whiles in London, principally on residential, education and low energy projects.
At Alec French, he has been involved in a number of high profile projects in Bristol for both public and commercial clients including Quakers Friars and the refurbishment of Grade II listed City Hall on behalf of Bristol City Council. He has a particular interest in workspaces, low energy design and the creative use of existing buildings.
Nigel is an active member of various business and design groups in Bristol; he was a visiting critic at the Centre of Alternative Technology and UWE Bristol and is a member of the Steering Group of the Bristol Urban Design Forum, member of Academy of Urbanism and Honorary Business Fellow at UWE Bristol. He is also a trustee at Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust.
During his career he has spent many hours advising charities when they needed specialist help.
He was previously involved with many of the charitable foundations in the area and retains his links with The West of England Initiative and St John Ambulance of which he was a County Board Member for over twenty years.
He has been a Trustee of Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust since 2014 and Director of Arnos Vale Cemetery Enterprises Limited since 2016.
Lynn is an experienced senior executive having held key senior leadership positions in the technology, built environment, regulation, accreditation and dental industries.
As an experienced Trustee / Non-Executive Director Lynn is Vice Chair at Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust, a unique heritage site in the heart of Bristol, UK. Lynn is also a Trustee / Non-Executive Director at The Bristol and Bath, UK, Parks Foundation.
Dan currently holds 3 protected species surveying licenses, these include a Class 2 science and conservation NE Bat license, Class 1 NE Great Crested Newt license, a NE Barn owl survey licence, and also a NRW Bat licence. He is on the board of trustees for Arnos Vale Cemetery helping to maintain and enhance the site for wildlife and visitors.
His MSc dissertation looked at the ecology of Lesser horseshoe bats in an urban environment within the city of Bristol and looked at how valuable different survey methods were for this species.
Although not primarily a botanist, Dan is very keen on flora, and likes to focus on fern identification. He is a keen Herpetologist, and has good knowledge of UK species and also has qualifications in reptile husbandry.
In 2017 Dan appeared on BBC 1 Countyfile, talking about nocturnal wildlife in cemeteries and bats. He has also featured on BBC Radio 4 talking about bats and Goth culture.
THE STAFF
The staff team at Arnos Vale are as follows.
Ellie Collier BSc MA FRSA
Chief Executive Officer
Nick Bull BA
Estates Manager
Janine Marriott BA(Hons) PGCE, MSc
Public Engagement Manager
Elspeth Crowley
Shop Manager
Vanessa Spencer
Cemetery Services Coordinator
Sophie Kinsman BSc(Hons) MInstF
Fundraising Officer
Buffy Jones
Wedding Manager
Adela Straughan BA(Hons) MA
Events and Marketing Manager
Liam Matthews
Estate Supervisor
Catherine Smith
Accounts
Rosie Opio
Caretaker
Steve Litson
Caretaker
Ruth Preece
Administration
BUSINESS PLAN
Arnos Vale is a working cemetery and community space engaging visitors in the journey of Life and Death.
Arnos Vale is also a memorial to the citizens of Bristol who have died and been buried or cremated here in the last 175 years as well as a national centre to talk about the subject of Life and Death. In addition, it is a visitor centre attracting people who come to explore the 45 acre estate, enjoy the exhibitions, heritage, wildlife and environment at Arnos Vale, participate in events, visit the gift shop and relax in the cafe. Arnos Vale is also an important community space engaging and developing over 100 volunteers.
With the main objectives in the 2014-17 business plan achieved the Trustees developed a new plan which, alongside a focus on financial sustainability, also identifies a renewed emphasis on the development of Arnos Vale as a museum of life & death and a centre of community volunteer activity.