Trustees

Nigel Dyke BSc (Hons) Dip Arch RIBA joined Alec French Architects in 2000 and was appointed Director in March 2002.

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.

Jos Clark is the councillor for Brislington West "even though the cemetery is not in my ward it is on the boundary, so I feel a close affinity to it".

She lives in Brislington and has spent many happy hours with her son when he was little, walking around the area.

She became councillor for Brislington West in 2016 and was happy to come onto the board of trustees at that time. She has lived in Bristol and Keynsham most of her life. Her background is as a qualified social worker doing her training at Bristol University.

Before starting his academic career in 1991, he worked in local government housing for 10 years, initially in service delivery before assuming a strategic and policy development role.He moved into academia with an ESRC Management Teaching Fellowship at Bristol Business School, followed by a permanent appointment to a full-time position.

He is an active teacher and researcher and committed to public engagement, based on his research. Over the course of his academic career he has been involved in a number of externally funded research projects, both public and private; the most recent working with the BBC in an AHRC-funded project concerning the 2014 First World War Centenary.

Matt is a commercial litigator and a member of the dispute resolution team at Osborne Clarke. He specialises in health and safety.

Matt has five years' experience as a police officer with the Avon and Somerset Constabulary. This experience has assisted Matt when advising clients on their response to major incidents and investigations. Matt has significant advocacy experience appearing for clients in court hearings and at inquests. He is also a local resident.

Dan is an ecologist with experience in protected species surveying and site assessments.

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.

Mary Wood, both as an original Friend of Arnos Vale Cemetery and an early Trustee, has experienced the cemetery from its days of dereliction in the late 80s/90s, through its restoration, to the thriving community (and wider) venue that it is today.

As an experienced ecologist (now retired) with Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre and Avon Wildlife Trust, she has contributed to Management Plans aimed at increasing the wildlife and habitat value of this Site of Nature Conservation Interest, while always respectful of its importance as a cemetery.

Mary enjoys being a regular nature, and occasional history, tour guide and speaker at Arnos Vale. She also supports staff and volunteers in their ongoing appreciation of the site's ecology.

Steph Mustoe BSC, ACA, DChA is a Senior Finance Manager at The Shaw Trust and became a Trustee in February 2023.

Steph qualified as an accountant at a small accountancy practice in Cheltenham before moving to PwC where she became a charity specialist.

Steph then joined the central finance team at the University of Bristol before returning to her charity roots and joining The Shaw Trust in February 2022.

Steph's variety of experience includes both internal and external audit, month end management accounts and year end statutory accounts as well as business partnering with operational teams and supporting them with budgeting and forecasting.

Steph lives on the outskirts of Bristol with her two teenage boys and is also a volunteer for Little Wheekers (a guinea pig rescue in Bristol).

Andrew is a local resident and has volunteered in the grounds at Arnos Vale since 2012 and is also a National Trust volunteer. He is passionate about the cemetery’s place and purpose in the city as a heritage, natural environment and community asset. He joined the Board of Trustees in 2025.

Andrew has 30 years’ experience in the world of planning, design and engineering through his work at Arup, a global sustainable development consultancy. As one of Arup’s leaders in Bristol he has set business strategies, targeted income, built relationships with local city and regional stakeholders, reviewed legal contracts and developed skills in others. He leads a wide range of projects and engages with organisations to help deliver appropriate solutions.

Charles Whittaker is the programme manager for Wildscreen’s ARK project, a global initiative connecting young people with nature through digital technology and storytelling. With degrees in marine biology from the University of St Andrews and Plymouth, he grew his passion for the natural world diving in Scotland and mucking about with seaweed in Devon.

Before returning to Wildscreen, Charles spent 11 years as a secondary biology teacher and leader in Bath and central Bristol. Throughout that time he was dedicated to environmental education, pastoral support and inspiring young people in lessons and field trips in the UK and abroad. He is a strong advocate for underrepresented groups, a proud member of Bristol’s LGBTQ+ community, and passionate about authentic communication that engages diverse communities.

Emily is a communications specialist and has been working at the University of Bristol since 2019. Emily currently leads on communications for the University's new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus development.

Before working at the University of Bristol, Emily held a role in a Fundraising Consultancy and has a History degree from the University of the West of England. Emily has also been part of Arnos Vale’s Landscape Volunteering Team since the beginning of 2023.

Sally is CEO of Bristol Aerospace Museum and has held a range of roles at well-known organisations in the Bristol area including Interim Executive Director at Bristol Old Vic Theatre Trust, Deputy Chief Executive at SS Great Britain and Communications Director for the Diocese of Bristol.

Sally is a non-Executive Director of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and a member of Bristol Diocesan Synod. She has previously been a non-Executive Director of St Pauls Carnival.

She spent her early career in marketing and communications roles at organisations such as the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, NHS and Arts Council.

Sally is a single parent to three children, lives locally to Arnos Vale and enjoys walking her daughter to school through the cemetery every day.

Nicki leads the South West People team at the National Trust, having previously worked in Human Resource roles at Marks and Spencer and in health and social care. Prior to working in HR she worked in various commercial retail roles.

She is a chartered member of the CIPD and her key strengths are employee relations, project management, policy creation, recruitment and talent management. She is also a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council, having recently completed a coaching qualification. At the National Trust she works in a strategic business facing role, supporting leadership teams to deliver their people plans and reach their people ambitions.

She lives locally to Arnos Vale and has spent many an hour exploring it, especially during the Covid times and while on maternity leave. She is also particularly enjoys visiting the café with her family.