The people behind the buildings

Behind every restored building and every welcoming space is a team of people who care deeply about Richmondshire and its heritage. From leading the Trust’s strategy to serving your morning coffee at The Station, our staff bring skill, warmth and real local pride to everything they do.

Our work is guided by our Chief Executive and management team, and delivered by a talented group across our venues and projects - supported by our brilliant volunteers. Together we’re a close-knit team with a big ambition: to save Richmondshire’s heritage and share it with everyone.

We’re proud to be an organisation people want to be part of - one that invests in its team, works with integrity, and never forgets that the buildings we look after belong, in spirit, to the whole community. Whether you’re visiting, volunteering or thinking about joining us, you’ll find a warm welcome here.

Gemma Lord

Chief Executive Officer

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day for me is varied - from setting the vision a...

Gemma Lord

Chief Executive Officer

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day for me is varied - from setting the vision and strategy for the organisation and overseeing overall management and direction, to nurturing external partnerships, budget planning and monitoring, bid writing, and project planning. I love chatting to our visitors and volunteers and make a great cup of tea!

What is your favourite building in the world and why?

Fountains Abbey. I get lost in thought walking around the abbey, imagining the rooms filled with people and activity. I loved seeing it in the dark during Fountains by Floodlight, when the ruins are lit up at night, it’s also magical during music events - it makes the hairs on my neck stand on end.

If you could time travel to any period in history, where would you go?

Victorian times, I'd love to experience the horse-drawn carriages and beautiful architecture, the atmosphere of a proper afternoon tea with all its silver service and finely dressed rooms, the gas-lit streets at dusk, and having fun exploring fashion and looking at the window displays.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

I'm a descendant of 'Bonny Bobby Shafto,' the real figure behind the famous folk song and nursery rhyme 'Bobby Shafto's Gone to Sea.

Holly Robinson

Finance Officer

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

I keep the numbers behind our gallery, shop, café b...

Holly Robinson

Finance Officer

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

I keep the numbers behind our gallery, shop, café bar, and cinema running smoothly.

What is your favourite building in the world and why?

Growing up, my local sports centre was my second home - hours spent training as a competitive swimmer, chasing personal bests one lap at a time. Now, years later, I still walk through those same doors as often as I can, not as an athlete anymore, but still just as connected to the place that shaped so much of who I am.

If you could time travel to any period in history, where would you go?

I'd have to choose Regency-era England. As a big Bridgerton fan, I'd love to experience the glamour of a London Season firsthand: the candlelit ballrooms and the swirl of a new dance called the waltz. It's a world of elegance, and I'd love to see if it's even half as magical as it looks on screen.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

I am a fully qualified lifeguard and have been since 2019

Anna Tunstall

Operations Manager

What does a typical day look like for you?

No tw...

Anna Tunstall

Operations Manager

What does a typical day look like for you?

No two days are the same for me however, it mainly involves The Station shop, managing volunteers and our second hand book stall and overseeing the day to day running of the building.
What is your favourite building in the world and why?
No particular building but I do love visiting castle ruins and learning about the history.

If you could time travel to any period in history, where would you go?

To see the dinosaurs!
What would people be surprised to know about you?

I have a degree in Theology and Religious Studies - studied originally to become a teacher, however, it didn't turn out the way I had planned!

Matt Reed

Buildings Manager

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

Every day is different and very varied. Some days are peop...

Matt Reed

Buildings Manager

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

Every day is different and very varied. Some days are people oriented and customer facing, but a lot of what I do is behind the scenes and not seen, but it all contributes to keeping Richmond's wonderful Station building standing and in use.

What is your favourite building in the world and why?

I have a passion for all things handmade, so my favorite building would be any simple vernacular structure or traditional timber frame structure such as the memorial library at Bedales School and Barnsley Workshops designed by Ernest Grimson.

If you could time travel to any period in history, where would you go?

Probably the period from 1880-1920 that covers the "anti-industrial" Arts and Crafts movement.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

I lived abroad for nearly six years. It was an amazing , slightly chaotic adventure and I came back with a lot of great memories!

Harry Ritson

Technical and Cinema Manager

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

No two days are the same, I look after all the technology ...

Harry Ritson

Technical and Cinema Manager

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

No two days are the same, I look after all the technology across The Station, from projection to the digital systems and IT that keep things running behind the scenes, alongside supporting the wider running of the trust.

What is your favourite building in the world and why?

The Eden Project, turning a disused quarry into working biomes that recreate entire climates is exactly the kind of ambitious engineering-meets-nature project that reads like a blueprint for how the human race starts terraforming Planets.

If you could time travel to any period in history, where would you go?

The early days of cinema in the late 1890s/early 1900s, I'd love to see how audiences reacted to moving pictures for the very first time.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

I've watched Grey's Anatomy the whole way through three times, which by my rough maths is somewhere around 900 hours, that's over a month of my life spent inside Seattle Grace Hospital, and I regret nothing.

Eddy Player

Operations Apprentice

Eddy Player

Operations Apprentice

Typical day- scheduling films, working on my data and business insights apprenticeship.
Favourite building St James park (Newcastle United football clubs home ground) - St James' Park sits right on top of Newcastle city centre, you can actually see it from pretty much anywhere in town, which says a lot about how much this ground means to the place. Newcastle United have played here since 1892, and even after all the redevelopment over the years it's still got that old-school, towering feel to it. Holds just over 52,000 fans, biggest stadium in the Northeast by a mile. What really gets people is the noise. On a big match day the whole place shakes, genuinely one of the loudest grounds in the league when it gets going. It's not the flashiest stadium in the country, but there's something about the history and the location, right in the heart of the city.
Time period- 1990s would definitely be my favourite time period as the music sounds better from then and the films set in that time period include some of my favourites like the original toy story and Good will hunting!

Dan Westgarth

Head of Development & Programming

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

Never two days are the same I could be deep in our cinema ...

Dan Westgarth

Head of Development & Programming

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

Never two days are the same I could be deep in our cinema programming one day, slotting in a bigger event the next, going over figures, or out building new partnerships.

What is your favourite building in the world and why?

Has to be the Stadium of Light home of Sunderland AFC. It might not have the pedigree of some architectural wonder, but there's something about the way it rises up over the city, the way 49,000 seats fall silent and then erupt as one, that no other building I've stood in comes close to. It's not just a stadium; it's the heartbeat of the city.

If you could time travel to any period in history, where would you go?

Heading back to the court of Charles II (The Merry Monarch) his court was lively, chaotic and full of parties, theatre and mayhem after the end of the Puritans. Seemed like he’d be a good laugh.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

I once won a free holiday from a teenage dance competition despite not being able to dance, and then had to somehow follow it up at the finals the next year.

Sarah Iveson

Events and Gallery Manager

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

I’m not sure there’s any such thing as a typic...

Sarah Iveson

Events and Gallery Manager

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

I’m not sure there’s any such thing as a typical day for me, which is great! There’s never a dull moment. I can be liaising with artists over their exhibition, sourcing providers for events, collaborating with colleagues on future projects, among many other things. I’m usually working a long way I advance too, for example I am currently tying up the 2027 calendar for the gallery which is booked all the way through to 2028.

What is your favourite building in the world and why?

My home – it’s my haven, and where my favourite person and my dog usually are.

If you could time travel to any period in history, where would you go?

Ancient Egypt. I’ve been obsessed with it since a trip to the British Museum as a child, and where my love of history began.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

I doubt much about me would surprise anyone that knows me, I’m an open book! I think probably though, given that most people know me for being meticulous and liking a clean and tidy environment, they’d be surprised by the state of the inside of my car! Or perhaps that I’m an introvert at heart and enjoy peace and solitude - my job is very ‘peopley’ so most people are surprised to learn I’m not an extrovert.

Sophie Grufferty

Marketing Manager

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

I can be doing anything from writing copy for the website,...

Sophie Grufferty

Marketing Manager

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

I can be doing anything from writing copy for the website, creating social media, or designing artwork for use in our venues, no two days are ever the same, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

What is your favourite building in the world and why?

The Eiffel Tower, without a doubt. It is a symbol of hope to many the world over, and sits in the heart of a city I love. I go as often as I can to Paris, and still love to see The Eiffel Tower when it sparkles.

If you could time travel to any period in history, where would you go?

I would struggle to pick! I think I would go back to the 1930’s. There is something about the music, the art deco style, and post/prewar attitude that really appeals to me.

Ella Harris

Marketing Executive Apprentice

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

As the marketing apprentice, my days are a real mix, from ...

Ella Harris

Marketing Executive Apprentice

In a sentence or two, what does a typical day look like for you?

As the marketing apprentice, my days are a real mix, from creating social media content and designing promotional materials to helping shout about all the events and exhibitions happening at The Station

What is your favourite building in the world and why?

My favourite building is the Louvre in Paris. It's such a beautiful piece of architecture, and the fact that it's home to the Mona Lisa makes it even more incredible.

If you could time travel to any period in history, where would you go?

The 1960s. Everything about it looks so free and fun, and I love the fashion. The outfits and style from that era are just brilliant.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

In July 2026 I represented Teesside at Parliament as part of the Tees Maritime Youth Board, spending the day championing young people's voices within the education and employment system. It's not something people would necessarily expect, and it's an experience I'm really proud of.

Gareth Bottomley

Emma Bottomley

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The charity is registered as a Company limited by guarantee.

Registered Office, The station, Station Yard, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 4LD

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