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Who are we?
Our committee are elected by the society's membership.
Geoff Freeston
Knaresborough Forest Park Site Lead
Geoff was brought up on a farm in Leicestershire and studied Agricultural and Environmental sciences at Nottingham University. He also worked on a Biodynamic farm in Sweden. This was followed by seven years as Head Gardener at Norton Conyers near Ripon, developing the 2 acre walled garden by setting up a PYO fruit enterprise and a plant nursery. Altogether he has more than 45 years of horticultural experience in many settings.
Grame Knowles-Miller
Food Forest Site Lead
Graeme is a salesman with a background in design and keen interest in gardening.
An allotment holder taking a naturalistic style of organic growing, Graeme has a keen interest in top fruits and is a member of the Northern Fruit Group.
Linda Nelson
Board Member
Linda is Director of Veloheads, an organisation which aims to support young people to develop skills for life and for work through a two-year programme including functional skills and qualifications and work placements.
Geoff Foxall
Board Member
A retired teacher, and Chair of Starbeck Residents Association, Geoff was a founder member of Long Lands Common Ltd. He has eight years of experience as a Labour Councillor on Harrogate District Council including four years as Group Leader and has also opposed overdevelopment in the Starbeck and Kingsley Road areas of Harrogate.
Rick Brewis
Estates Officer (Role Share)
Rick is a local 3rd generation landowner within the Nidd Gorge catchment area, woodland owner & business partner, and was a founding member committee member of Nidd Gorge Community Action Group & HALT.
Shan Oakes
Vice Chair
Shan has been a teacher (of English in secondary schools) then a senior education officer for Humberside and then York Councils. She spent 30 months living and working in Uganda for Action Aid and FENU – Forum of Education NGOs Uganda. She helped set up Voice International to promote smaller or unheard voices. She holds an MSc in Education for Sustainability.
Ben Skinner
Board Member
Ben has been a Harrogate resident since 2012. A keen cyclist and local business owner, he became involved with the Nidd Gorge Community Action group in order to protect Harrogate's green spaces. He provides IT and other digital skills for the team.
James McKay
Chair
James manages a centre for research into renewable energy, called EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Low Carbon Technologies and Bioenergy at the University of Leeds, and he is also a science communicator. His work involves creating visualisations of different scientists’ research as well as public engagement and outreach.
Mark Flood
Board Member
Mark is a retired Occupational Therapist with clinical and managerial experience of working for the NHS and Local Government. He was the founder of ORB Community Arts in Knaresborough, Town Councillor & Former Deputy Mayor for Knaresborough.
Ian Fraser
Woodland Officer
Ian is the Natural Climate Solutions lead at Zero Carbon Harrogate and Woodland Officer at Long Lands Common, liaising with White Rose Forest.
Alison Organ
Membership Secretary
Alison is a retired language teacher, lecturer, teacher trainer and translator. She was one of the coordinators of the successful Woodland Trust Appeal to buy land in Nidd Gorge in 1992.
Trish Sanders
Estates Officer (Role Share)
Trish has lived in Bilton all her life. A local business owner and landowner, she was involved in the campaign against the "relief road", and has been involved with Long Lands Common since the beginning.
Chris Kitson
Secretary
Chris has been the Secretary of Long Lands Common Ltd since our foundation in 2020, guiding the society through its inception and initial community share sale to successfully raise the funds to buy Long Lands Common and build a membership base of 3000 people.
George Eglese
Board Member
Designer, curator, and place strategist, George works across physical, digital, and narrative layers to shape meaningful connections between people and land. He leads Harrogate 250 and supports a number of civic and ecological initiatives, bringing a creative and systems-thinking approach rooted in ecology, culture, and belonging.
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