Trustees

Trustees

Charity trustees are the people who share ultimate responsibility for governing a charity and directing how it is managed and run.

The National Coastwatch Board of Trustees comprises eight Trustees elected by NCI Member Stations, one ex officio Trustee (the National Treasurer), all of whom are working watchkeepers, and up to three co-opted Trustees. The Board members each serve a term of three years before needing to stand down. They may opt to stand for re-election up to a maximum of three terms.

The current members of the Board of Trustees are:

Clive Pouncey

Chairman

Clive was born in London and after serving 30 years with the Metropolitan Police moved to Lincolnshire and was appointed head of police driver training for Lincolnshire Police. Following retirement, he joined NCI Skegness in 2014 and has served as Treasurer, Station Manager and Training Officer. Clive was elected to the Board of Trustees in April 2019 and has served as General Secretary until his election as Chairman. He is married with two daughters and two grandsons. In what spare time he has outside the NCI he enjoys sailing holidays, reading and assisting in the maintenance of his home and garden.

Ian Whalley

Deputy Chair and National Fundraising Lead

Ian is a former Merchant Navy radio officer, joining NCI in 2009. Following his career at sea, he trained in marine purchase and supply, specialising in food. He has lived and worked in Hong Kong and Germany, travelling extensively and supplying all manner of commercial and naval vessels and military units in many countries. On retirement he did project work with HM Prison Service and City Hall, London amongst others. He now works part time on outdoor development for graduate trainees and undertakes occasional international project assignments. He has served on the board of several companies including a charity working for disadvantaged families. His hobbies include photography, painting and designing and building sets for live theatre. His NCI duties include DSM at NCI Skegness, National Fundraising and lead on East Coast new stations.

Steve Ashby

National Treasurer

Steve graduated in 1980 with a degree in Computer Science and Marine Biology. He worked for 17 years in Defence IT, much of this time spent in Germany working on the electronics for the Typhoon fighter. Steve then moved into Management Consultancy, specialising in Project Management, Corporate and Social Psychology, Leadership and Team Building where he worked throughout Europe as a professional trainer. After taking voluntary redundancy in 2015, he became the manager of a golf club. Steve has since retrained as an accountant and currently runs a small accountancy practice. Steve joined NCI as a watchkeeper in 2011 and currently serves on the Board of Trustees as National Treasurer. He also volunteers with the National Trust, is a keen golfer and qualified referee. He is also fluent in German.

David Crozier

Lead - Operations, Training and External Liaison

Following a lifelong career in broadcast TV, David joined the NCI in 2010. He is currently a Trustee: Operations and Training, DFS Assessor, Station Manager and member of the NCI/Coastguard Liaison Team as well as being a Watchkeeper. His passion is his belief in a truly national NCI.

Tim Colquhoun

Corporate Communications & PR

Following a career in the regular army, Tim was in business in London & Dorset (which included PR), was a director of three brewery companies (now retired), a professional yacht skipper for private charter (mainly in the Mediterranean, Atlantic and West Indies) and for a number of years ran a yacht delivery business. He is a classical organist [PhD (Mus)] now retired from teaching. Tim is a watchkeeper at St.Albans Head and the NCI Trustee responsible for Corporate Communications & National Public Relations since 2016. He has a Yachtmaster [Ocean] ticket with international marine radiotelephony operator’s certificate (MP&T).

Jonathan Rothwell

Internal Comms and Social Media

Jonathan worked for Merseyside Police and the Civil Service in Liverpool (with a brief spell at QVC as Distribution Team Leader and Staff Trainer). He studied Business Management at John Moore University and Psychology & Social History with the Open University. After re-locating to Cornwall, he joined NCI Cape Cornwall in 2010, where he served as Training Manager, Fundraising Officer and PR Officer before becoming Station Manager in 2012. In 2017 Jonathan joined the NCI Board of Trustees where his role is Head of Internal Communications & Social Media, Website News Manager and National Data Controller. His ambition is for the NCI to become an organisation that is as well-known and respected as our SAR colleagues. Jonathan is married with two children, four grandchildren, two dogs and three cats. His interests outside NCI are helping to run the family online business, military history and listening to music.

Stephen Hand

General Secretary & IT

Stephen began a career in IT management in 1975 in the transport industry, followed by spells in investment banking, insurance and legal services. From 2000 to 2011 he led a global IT function as Group IT Director at the Lloyd’s Register Group. Following retirement, Stephen worked as a consultant helping clients in the UK, Europe and Asia with IT strategy, governance and commercial management. He also qualified as a commercial arbitrator and is still involved in contractual dispute resolution. He was a member of the Board of Governors at Middlesex University for six years and is a local councillor, spending five years as council chair. Stephen joined NCI in 2016 at Shoreham station as a watchkeeper and was elected Station Manager in 2018. He was elected as a Trustee in 2020. He has crewed other people’s yachts in the Solent and the South China sea, and now in his spare time plays golf and bowls as often as possible and, because someone has to, supports Queens Park Rangers. Stephen is a Fellow of the British Computer Society, a Chartered IT Professional and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Phil Styles

Board Secretary & HR

Phil has spent most of his career working for Multi National Corporations predominately in the electronics sector with the last 15 years being at senior management level. This has included 8 years working in Europe and America involved with start-up and restructuring projects. He was also an Auxiliary Coastguard for 11 years based at HMCG Porthcawl. As well as being on the Board he is the Station Manager at NCI Porthcawl where he has actively promoted the use of CCTV to extend the station's coastal visual range, whilst also providing a vital visual web link back to the local CGOC.

Chris Aps

Asset Development

Chris was a Consultant Cardiac Anaesthetist and a Clinical Director at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals, London, having trained at St Thomas’ Hospital as a medical student, and latterly led all operating theatre and post-operative recovery departments across both hospitals. Heavily involved with post-surgical critical care he developed the Overnight Intensive Recovery unit (widely adopted nationwide) which takes significant pressures off Intensive Care resources. An experienced private pilot, he has now hung up his wings in favour of (very active) boating and has the RYA Yachtmaster (Coastal) qualification. Chris is still an Assistant Training Officer at NCI Gosport and is currently coming to the end of his three-year stint as Station Manager. On being elected as Trustee, he has necessarily relinquished his position as National Support Officer for the Solent (South) Stations, which he will miss. He is passionate about the NCI and the important role it plays in the SAR family.

Lesley Suddes

Strategy Project Lead

After a full career in the Royal Navy spending time at sea and ashore as a Meteorologist and Oceanographer, Lesley retired in 2010 and spent time working as a Forecaster and Broadcaster for BBC Radio Cornwall. Lesley joined the NCI as a watchkeeper at NCI Nare Point, near Falmouth, became a Trustee and General Secretary in 2013 and was then elected National Chairman in 2016. She stood down as Chairman in 2021 but has agreed to continue as a co-opted Trustee - focusing on future strategy for the Charity. In her rare spare moments, Lesley enjoys walking, cycling and sailing in Cornwall.

About

Currently 57 NCI stations are operational and manned by over 2600 volunteers keeping watch around the British Isles from Fleetwood in the North West, through Wales, to the South and East of England to Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

NCI watchkeepers provide the eyes and ears along the coast, monitoring radio channels and providing a listening watch in poor visibility. They are trained to deal with emergencies offering a variety of skills and experience, and full training by the NCI ensures that high standards are met.

The words National Coastwatch Institution and Eyes Along the Coast and the NCI logos are Registered Trademarks of NCI.

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