Ian Brotherston standing for position of Treasurer
I’m a chartered accountant with 7 years’ experience gained across a range of industries. I became a BPCG trustee and Treasurer in 2022. I’ve worked closely with several large charity clients in their annual accounts process, in particular review of their payroll, VAT and accounting for restricted and unrestricted grants. My passion for the Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses comes from my Grandfather and Mother who introduced me to gardening and the outdoors. I will continue to use this passion to help BPCG further their aims. I live just on the edge of Brockwell Park.
Joanna David standing for position of Chair
I am the current Chair of the Trustees for Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses, elected last November. I retired seven years ago after many years in local government working in policy, housing and social care and am now a community gardener working alongside tenants and residents on a local housing estate, as well as with refugees at a local refugee support charity.
I am a strong advocate of the significant and wide ranging health benefits that gardening brings. I hope that the skills and experience I gained in the workplace, as well as many years of involvement in the community and voluntary sectors, will continue to be useful in my role. I am delighted to have the opportunity to support this wonderful charity and to help staff, the trustees and our volunteers to build on its many successes and continue to offer a beautiful space for local people to enjoy.
Verena Kotonski
I’ve been volunteering with BPCG for over 10 years, and the garden with its wonderful community of volunteers and staff have been a real refuge over all this time. I am most grateful to staff and fellow volunteers for so generously sharing their knowledge about growing things and also for the many friendships that have developed over the years.
Having joined the board of trustees in autumn 2022, I am standing for re-election. This past year I have been focussing on Health and Safety matters, which included improving the provision of emergency first aid on site, reviewing risk assessments, generating an emergency and a safety plan. Drawing on my experience as manager at a large heritage organisation, I am keen to continue work in this area and also help improve BPCG’s relationships with other local stakeholders. Together with our dedicated staff and fellow trustees I am hoping to further improve the charity’s resilience so that it will continue to thrive in the years to come. As volunteer, I would like to develop the herb garden further for the enjoyment and benefit of garden users and visitors.
Larry Osei-Kwaku standing for position of Secretary
Lucie Russell
I am standing for re-election as a BPCG Trustee because as a committed volunteer and a former Trustee in the past, I have seen the organisation go through many changes and challenges, and I think it is currently at a pivotal point in its evolution. BPCG is such a precious resource for so many reasons, and I would very much like to be re-elected to the Board to contribute my many years’ of expertise and skills to supporting its stability and growth. The staff team also need to be fully supported, and BPCG needs to develop its focus on reaching out to local communities to enable them to utilize its treasure trove of resources, especially during the really challenging and uncertain times we are living in.
I have a proven track record of highly effective leadership in a range of third sector organisations as a CEO, Senior Leader and a Trustee. Through these roles I have gained extensive experience and skills in strategy creation and implementation, service delivery, Governance, fundraising, partnership work, strategic communications, campaigning and research. I am an effective influencer, communicator and compassionate leader who excels in maximizing staff talent, delivering high quality services, and driving forward challenging organizational change.
Janet Worth
I became a trustee in 2019 just before the start of the first lockdown. I am a lawyer by profession and worked for the public sector until I retired in 2008. I love BPCG, and think that the gardens are a magical place where people can relax and appreciate the beauty of our environment. Over the last four years I have got to know many other volunteers and I have gradually developed our “cooking” offer both for the shop and for our numerous events. My passion is developing things to eat from what many people would just throw away. I was instrumental in obtaining our compounding licence and worked closely with Steph to get our premises licence. This will be my final year as a Trustee and I hope to embed our cooking ethos to ensure that our shop is always stocked with produce that we have grown and cooked on site.
