ABOUT
Below is a summary of each of the trustees that make up the ALATI board. We are a broad section of people, with a range of experiences.
Kathy Reeds, Chair
Kathy Reeds MA, PG Cert TILL, FHEA
Kathy is a retired business journalist and an academic who taught journalism and cultural studies. Born and brought up in Gateshead, she has lived in London but retired to Alston where she is restoring a house. Her ancestors were married in Alston church.
Jane Burdett, Treasurer
Jane Burdett
Jane is a Freelance tutor in tax and financial accounting and provides tuition for a range of tuition providers, specialising in tax and financial accountancy tuition across ICAEW, ICAS, CTA, ACCA and university degree qualifications.
Lionel Playford, Artist member
Lionel Playford
Lionel is a painter at heart but has explored shipbuilding, sculpture, installation, and printmaking. He likes to work outdoors getting to know the landscape and its weather and is inspired by Alston Moor and the North Pennines
Brian Davies, Photographer member
Brian Davies
Brian is a retired design engineer and school teacher, now living in Alston. He has been involved with photography since he was very young and has taught photography to A-level standard in Northumberland. He loves to travel the world and photograph the areas that he visits. His grandfather was a famous South African wildlife artist, specialising in birds. He is also a director of the Alston Moor Partnership which is looking to promote and develop Alston into a 21st century town
Helen Wilkinson, Artist member
Helen Wiilkinson
Jon Reeds, Secretary
Jon Reeds BA FRGS
Jon is a retired environmental journalist. He co-ordinates a national advocacy group that campaigns for sustainable regeneration, planning and transportation
Helen Johnson, Artist member
Helen Johnson NPQH, MA, PGCE
Helen is a former head teacher and now works full time as a fine art painter, specialising in oils and using non-recyclable plastic in her work. She is passionate about the environment and sustainability.
Gordon Monk, Photographer member
Gordon Monk
Gordon has enjoyed taking photographs since getting my first camera from a jumble sale when he was 12. He moved to Alston from Surrey in 2017 following a career in aviation and loves to restore and use old film cameras as well as modern digital equipment to capture the amazing light here on Alston Moor.
Mike Knowles , Photographer member
Mike Knowles
Mike was born in the UK but raised in the Netherlands. He currently works for the Woodland Trust and also runs a smallholding near Nenthead. His original career was in retail, initially managing photographic outlets, then outdoor equipment shops and lastly multi-site retail for the National Trust. He is a graduate of the Photographic Institute and now tutors photography, specialising in landscape work. He was drawn to Alston Moor by the beauty of the landscape, the friendliness of the people and by its relative isolation