Thank you and good luck!

19.9.2023

We're so sad to be saying goodbye to Keith Lilley, our Chair of Trustees for the past 8 years. He's put in a huge shift for the Trust and we wish him all the very best for his exciting new role in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Sadly it's the end of an era.

Keith Lilley joined the Trust's Board  of Trustees in 2015, having known the place for years - he and his family were our next-door-neighbours at one point.  Keith has always believed passionately in what the Trust does and, in 2016, stepped up into the role of Chair of the Board. 

Since then, he's worked tirelessly to improve and develop the Trust. But, with his demanding day-job as Director of Estates and Facilities Management at Sheffield University, virtually all of that work went unseen; it invariably took place in the evenings and at weekends - and quite often in the Rising Sun!

But just look at what has been achieved during his tenure.  Not only have we focussed our charitable education provision so that we have as great an impact as possible on some of the City's most disadvantaged youngsters, but we've also developed fantastic new facilities that enable us to deliver and support that work. Keith has been absolutely central to all of that.

So it was with mixed feelings that we heard that he had been offered a fantastic opportunity in New Zealand - as Director of Facilities at the University of Cantebury in Christchurch.  He's been an outstanding member of the Team and we will be incredibly sad to see him go.  We wish him and his family all the very best for the future and hope to see them up at the Farm when they are back in this neck of the woods.

The only silver lining is that, as with all eras, one follows another.  And we're delighted that Peter Edwards has agreed to take over the role of Chair.  Peter has been a Board member since 2018, so knows the place inside-out.  We're all looking forward to working with him to develop all of the great things that Keith achieved.