TC’s trustees are elected at the General Meeting. Their role is to support and advise the Core Group of Transition Chichester and to take responsibility for the activities of the Company Limited by Guarantee.
The current trustees are:
Jan Sander
I am a retired software development engineer and subsequently served two years as a volunteer for Voluntary Service Overseas in the Gambia, West Africa, supporting local village projects. I have a broad interest in natural history related issues including ecology and am particularly concerned with the serious problems associated with global warming. I have been actively involved as a volunteer with several charitable organisations in the Chichester area since 1997. I was closely involved with the setting up of Transition Chichester [TC] as a legally registered organisation in 2012, and have served as a TC trustee since its inception. My aim is that in addition to its own projects, TC might serve to support and cooperate with other groups in the area having objectives similar to those of TC.
Julia Sander
I was a teacher for over 25 years, and now I write educational materials for the Caribbean and Pakistan. I have wide experience of volunteer selection and management through working for Voluntary Service Overseas and also as Project Manager for Ghana for a Gap Year provider. I have been actively involved with Transition Chichester from when it first started in 2008. Since then I have fulfilled many different roles but my main job now is working with volunteers in the community gardens. I think that Transition Chichester has an important part to play in raising awareness of environmental issues around the city, and in rebuilding the community in a new and better way as we recover from COVID 19.
Debbie Carter
I am a retired nurse and have lived in Chichester since 2003. I retired through ill health in 2014 when I became more involved with Transition Chichester, first working in the Community Garden and also involved in the eco-cinema and the many talks given at the Quaker meeting house.
A couple of years ago I was elected as a green city councillor where I am involved in many community projects. Sarah Sharp my colleague and friend and I have been trying to get Community Hub in Chichester. This is something I know that Transition Chichester is very interested in trying to achieve too. We decided it would be good to have things all under one roof. We are hiring the Newell centre in St Pancras on a regular basis, and we hope to make this a delightful place for a drop-in, offering all sorts of activities.
We plan to include to include a swap shop rail, café, toy swap many other projects and produce from the Community Garden. UK harvest and other charities hopefully will be involved offering re skilling and food workshops. We hope to offer a space for people to reconnect and just enjoy being together in a safe environment. Thank you for your support.
Jennie Lindfield
I have had a vast change in direction from my initial career in sales within the retail, banking and recruitment sectors. After having a career break to start a family, I started up my own business as a self-employed Communications Consultant and started working for Transition Chichester.
I originally volunteered in the community gardens with my husband and young children in 2014 and then in 2015 I became the Communications Facilitator and have been involved in a variety of projects throughout the years. This sparked an interest of working for ‘not for profit’ and charitable organisations within the local area and I went on to secure a job working for St Wilfrid’s Hospice which is a charity very close to my heart.
I am currently working part time for The Boxgrove Almshouses, the Lavant Memorial Hall and am still involved with Transition Chichester. I am passionate about working within my local community and within these sectors.
Roma Carter
I have worked as an Occupational Therapist in the NHS for the last thirty years – and , over the last few years have specialised in working in adult mental health in patient services – and have particularly focused on developing community links as part of social inclusion work.
Working in Chichester, I have had the privilege of working with patients at Bishops Palace Community Garden – and have been impressed both by the therapeutic potential of horticulture and the great opportunity of enabling participants to feel part of a team and part of the local community. In my role as an Occupational Therapist I have also co-facilitated projects with Chichester Festival Theatre – again, the emphasis being on the importance of social inclusion work and the therapeutic potential of creativity.
I am also on the Board of UKHARVEST, and have run sessions with them looking at focusing on decreasing food wastage. I think that this charity is particularly important because of its focus on empowerment, sustainability and support of the local community
I am very keen to continue to develop joint community working with a focus on sustainability and supporting mental health. Because of work commitments, and links with UKHARVEST and other charities, I have limited time available but would be keen to support Transition Chichester in any way that I can.