Ford Park Cemetery Trust is currently managed by a Board of 10 directors. These directors are volunteers with wide-ranging skills and experience of working in the public, private and voluntary sector.

Since 1999 to the present Dr Henry Will has been our Chairman. He retired as partner and consultant with Messrs Beers solicitors in 1999 where he gained experience in management, personnel and finance. His extensive career spans law and academic study, including published work and lectures.

Robin Tatam has been a board member since 1999 and Vice-Chairman since 2003. His extensive career includes nuclear engineering and safety in the Royal Navy, commercial and public sector project and development management in the maritime industry, creative arts, port development, sales, recruitment, leadership and team building. 

Janet West has served as board member, company secretary and treasurer since 2000 and has been our managing trustee overseeing the day to day running of the cemetery since 2006. She was company secretary, finance and administration manager of Tamar Development Trust in Barne Barton 1999-2006 and was acting Chief Executive Officer for a period. She has held senior administrative roles in Plymouth schools between 1978 and 1998.

Jean Northey has been a board member since 1999. Born into a showman’s family she has spent her working life with the family travelling fair and since retirement in 1999 has been actively involved in the cemetery, particularly burial searches and floral arrangements in the chapel for services and events.
Jean and fellow board member John Clamp were instrumental in the petition which rallied local support to save the cemetery when its future hung in the balance before the cemetery trust was set up.

Wendy Shaw has 20 years experience as a newspaper journalist, television researcher, news editor and producer for local and national channels and public relations for the Ministry of Defence, Plymouth City Council, the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and currently the Royal Devon & Exeter hospital. Her role as the Trust public relations officer includes working with the media, promoting events and the website content.

Ian Hodgins, who has been a board member since 2005, is a General Practitioner with a wide range of clinical experience including diabetic medicine, medical audit, obstetrics, minor surgery and child health. He has a particular interest in computer programming and has designed databases for the cemetery burials and maintenance contracts. Ian is working on several projects with Plymouth and West Devon Record office.

David Manford, a board member since 2002, has his own IT consultancy business. Between 1968 and 1999 he worked for the BBC in production, lighting and technical engineering and management. He oversees all the IT requirements of the Trust including the office business and website design.  

John West joined the board in 2007 with skills in mechanical engineering, auditing of documents, management of staff, health and safety issues; and fire and licensing regulations. Previous posts have included 34 years in the dockyard as a mechanical engineer working in the drawing office, six years as general manager of Plymouth Civil Service Club and almost 40 years service as a a management committee member and Chairman of the Civil Service Sports Association. He is currently General Secretary of the Civil Service Sports Association.

Les Netherton joined the board in 2007 but has been closely involved with Ford Park Cemetery since 1999 in his previous role as a senior officer with Plymouth City Council. He is an Environmental Health Officer by profession and has over 34 years experience in Local Government including being responsible for the cemeteries and crematoria service for 10 years. He currently manages an Environmental Health consultancy.

 

 

To contact us call 01752 665442, Fax 01752 601177 or
e-mail at info@ford-park-cemetery.org