Meet the Trustees

We’re governed by our Board of Trustees who are all volunteers for the Great Denham Community Hall. The trustees have ultimate responsibility for the CIO's vision, activities and community engagement. They meet regularly to discuss our governance and operations. We're always looking for local people who are passionate about Great Denham to join us as Trustees, so if you are interested, then please get in touch by emailing manager@greatdenhamcommunityhall.co.uk.

Ubaldo Cortese, Chair Person

Born in Bedford, Ubaldo has lived in Gt Denham for the last 22 years is married to Antonietta and has three daughters and seven grandchildren. He is a retired Financial Adviser and a keen car enthusiast.

 

Gemma Dilley, Secretary

Gemma trained as a Solicitor with a leading Luton-based firm before setting up her own private practice. She lives in Great Denham with her two children, and has been a member of the Board of Trustees since its incorporation in 2016.

Rob Tansey, Treasurer

Rob retired at the end of 2020 after 38 years in various HR roles in Retail, Pharmaceuticals, and most recently Group HR Director for a major Housebuilder. He lives in Great Denham with his wife Diane and their dog, Bo. Rob and his wife have two grown up children living in London. Social Mobility is a passion of Rob's, and he has been involved in numerous charities and initiatives to improve the opportunities of those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.

Sam Swann, Trustee

Sam proudly joined the Great Denham Community Hall as a trustee in December 2020. Sam has been in Great Denham since 2011, where she resides with her son. Sam works as an IT Strategy & Planning lead for Costa by day, a broad role, covering assurance, planning, financial management and governance of IT projects. Sam is also a parent Governor at Great Denham Primary school.

Rachel Smith, Trustee

Rachel joined as a trustee when the hall first opened in April 2016. Rachel has been living in Great Denham for the last 22 years when the majority of the village was green fields, so it has been an amazing experience to see it develop and grow, hence the interest in becoming a trustee of the hall and giving something back to the community. Rachel lives close by to the country park with her husband and two boys.

Katie Meredith, Trustee

Katie moved with her family to Great Denham in 1999. After having studied abroad in Australia for a number of years, Katie returned to the village in January 2019. Katie is currently working with the Bedford Probation Services. Katie has previously worked at the Bedford Golf Club and has a strong attachment to the local area. She has a keen interest in encouraging youth engagement within the community.

Donna Parsons, Trustee

Donna joined the Great Denham Community Hall as a trustee in 2018, having moved to Great Denham with her family in 2014. Alongside her work in financial services and raising her family, Donna is also Chair of the Great Denham Parish Council.

Zoe Midgley, Trustee

Zoe has lived in Great Denham with her husband and son for just over 7 years. She works in the film and television industry, and is known for her work on: Cruella, Mowgli, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and most recently: The Legend of Ochi. Over the years Zoe has helped out at many of the events at the village hall and decided to become a trustee in Feb 2023.

Sophie Field, Trustee

Sophie has lived in Great Denham since Oct 2021 with her husband, son and an energetic labrador.

She's worked for over 10 years in community roles in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, focusing on volunteers, events and engagement.

Nneka, Trustee

I joined this beautiful community in 2020 and remember how happy I was looking at the environs. I feel incredibly honoured to have this opportunity to serve in my area of residence and give back in the best way possible. I live in Great Denham with my husband, 2 fantastic daughters and one more on the way. I'm running my own business at Wit Outsourcing Ltd and looking forward to working with the trustees in building a better and safer future for Great Denham

Contact us

If you want to contact the Trustees, please email manager@greatdenhamcommunityhall.co.uk with "FAO: Trustees" in the subject line.