Civic Voice

Paula Ridley (Chair)

Paula is Chair of Civic Voice. She has been involved in the civic movement for over 30 years and is Hon. Vice President of Merseyside Civic Society, following many years as Hon. Secretary, where one of her key activities was helping to save the Albert Dock in Liverpool – the largest group of Grade 1 listed buildings in the country - from both dereliction and unsuitable development in the 1980s. She was Chair of the Victoria and Albert Museum from 1998 – 2007, Director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Chair of the Liverpool Housing Action Trust, a large housing regeneration scheme in Liverpool. Paula has had a long and varied career in both public and private sectors and throughout has always retained a keen interest in civic affairs, regeneration and architecture. Paula is Chair of the Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art, the National Student Drama Festival, and is on the board of the National Communities Resource Centre. Paula is a CBE and a Fellow of the RIBA.

Contact Paula – paula.ridley@civicvoice.org.uk

Martin Meredith (Treasurer)

Martin is Civic Voice’s Treasurer. He has been involved in Chester Civic Trust for over 10 years and is Honorary Secretary. After a career as a senior financial manager in international insurance Martin has devoted time and energy to numerous local bodies involved in heritage and culture and is on the Finance Committee of his local golf club after 6 years as its Treasurer.

John Bothamley

John Bothamley is the Chairman of the Hereford Civic Society. John was appointed to the Civic Voice board on the 20th October 2012 - biog will follow shortly.

Paul Clarke

Paul is Chair of Todmorden Civic Society and has been involved with Civic Societies since 2006.  He has a First-class BA (Hons) degree in Architectural Conservation and has undertaken work on a variety of listed building repairs, regeneration projects and prepared conservation audits and conservation management plans.  Paul is a Regional Volunteer for the War Memorials Trust and previously held voluntary roles with the Historic Chapels Trust, helping mange one of their Grade I listed churches and he has also volunteered at Cromford Mill in Derbyshire. 

Paul has an active presence on Twitter as @Paul_Clarke151

John Kershaw

John Kershaw is the Chairman of Manchester Civic Society and Vice-Chair of the North West Association of Civic Societies. He was appointed to the Civic Voice board on the 20th October 2012 - biog will follow shortly.

Helen Marcus

Helen is Vice President of the Heath and Hampstead Society, one of the oldest civic societies in the country. She is on the committee of the London Forum and edits its newsletter as well as that of her local civic society. Helen has a musical background – both as a retired opera singer and through her involvement in chairing the Hampstead and Highgate Festival and involvement with the Royal Academy of Music’s Development Committee and as a trustee of London Opera Players. She is also experienced in arts promotion, including as the former artistic director of performances of the New Shakespeare Company at the Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park. Helen founded the Camden Amenity Forum and was the first elected representative from the voluntary sector on Camden’s Local Strategic Partnership. She has wide experience of local restoration projects, including Hampstead Town Hall.

Neil Sinden

Neil Sinden has been appointed as a trustee following nomination through our Civic Panel – a group of not-for-profit organisations who share Civic Voice’s passion for places.  Neil is Policy and Campaigns Director at the Campaign to Protect Rural England and has wide experience in national lobbying and campaigns.  He was responsible for CPRE’s award winning “cluttered countryside” campaign and the originator of Apple Day when working previously for Common Ground.  Neil has been a volunteer for Planning Aid and chaired his local Tenants Association, managing its transition to a co-operative.  Neil is a member of the Friends of Epping Forest.

David Tittle

David is actively involved in the Coventry Society – the first member of Civic Voice – where he has helped in its revival as a lively local campaigning group. He works as Head of Design Excellence at the West Midlands architecture centre, MADE, and manages CABE’s urban design summer school. He has a postgraduate diploma in urban design. David worked for the Civic Trust in the early 2000s, managing the Pathfinder programme for strengthening civic societies. He is also involved with the Spon End Building Preservation Trust which has restored a terrace of six medieval buildings to mixed-use.

John Walker

John Walker is Chairman of the Kent Federation of Amenity Societies, one of the largest, long standing and most effective groupings in the country. He is also a founder member and Vice Chairman of the Canterbury Society and an active committee member of the Ramsgate Society. He is also a Board Member of CPRE Kent and was formerly a trustee of the Kent People’s Trust and of the Museum of Kent Life. Away from the civic society movement he is also chairman of The Whitstable Music Society one of the most vibrant and successful music societies in the country. John has a business background with 20 years experience on the Board of a house building and commercial property PLC followed by 10years as a private residential developer specialising in high quality residential development.