Guardians of Richmondshire’s heritage

Bryan Johnston

Bryan Johnston is currently the Chair of RBPT.

Bryan was raised and schooled in North Yorkshire, having returned with his wife, Wendy, to live in Richmondshire in 2020. Bryan has three children, two step-children and he and Wendy have two grandchildren.

Between leaving North Yorkshire and returning, Bryan had both a military and a legal career. His military career started at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and ended as a Major commanding an infantry company during Gulf War I.  In between he served in Germany and Northern Ireland, and other outposts around the shrinking globe.

His legal career started at The University of Westminster and the School of Law and ended as a Solicitor and Managing Partner of a law firm.

Bryan was also involved in the arts as a Director and Trustee of a regional theatre for six years.  Bryan sat on the Employers' Panel of the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST). He has been, among other appointments, Chair of a charity and Chair of a Chamber of Commerce. Bryan is a trained Mediator.  

Bryan’s hobbies include writing, theatre, sailing, golf, trekking and skiing. 

Bryan writes under the name Campbell Johnston and Horace, his first novel, was published in 2023. 

Lin Ryan

Lin Ryan is currently the Vice Chair of RBPT.

Lin moved into the area in 1979 as the wife of a serving soldier. She trained as a Registered Nurse at the Friarage hospital gaining a Bsc in Health Studies at University of York. She worked at the Friarage before moving to the Royal College of Nursing where she has held various roles and continues to provide employment relations advice and support; during this time Lin was awarded a Bachelor of Law at University of Teesside.

After a couple of years in Cheshire, Lin moved back into the area and was thrilled to see how The Station had developed as a community asset through the work of RBPT.  She is keen to ensure it is valued by the community now and in the future.

Nigel Bradbury

Nigel Bradbury is currently the Operations Director of RBPT. 

Nigel was born and raised in the South of England and is a qualified Mechanical Engineer; having spent his working life running manufacturing, wholesale and distribution companies both in the UK and further afield.

He moved to the North East for work in 1995, moving into the Richmond area in 1997 and despite working at a number of locations since; he maintained his residence here as it was always his intention to return to the North East, which he did permanently in the year 2000.

Nigel is keen to use the skills he has acquired to assist with the running and development of a local organisation, being both an admirer and a frequent visitor to the Station, RBPT was an obvious choice.       

Nigel’s interests include the arts, restoring classic motorcycles, walking the National Trails, sailing and golf.

Sian Moore

Sian Moore is currently the Finance Director of RBPT.

Sian is local to the area, attending Gunnerside Primary School and Richmond School. She has spent her adult life working and living in the area, initially training as a Chartered Accountant after studying Maths at Warwick University.

Most of Sian's working life has been spent in Local Government, latterly working for North Yorkshire County Council and as the Council's Director of Resources at Richmondshire District Council. 

As well as core management activities, she was heavily involved in the financial management of many major projects, including the Waste Recovery Park at Allerton, that now recycles and disposes of the County's waste.

Since retiring in Summer 2023, Sian has resumed studying, currently undertaking a post graduate course in Psychology.

Sian is married with two grown up daughters and two grandsons, who all live locally and regularly use the RBPT premises.

Phil Upton

Phil Upton has a working career now spanning 50 years and his career path has generally focused on technology based areas including electronic design work, Information Technology sales, implementation and project management through to software development and solutions for the advertising and creative business sectors.

Phil is co-founder and Managing Director of Purple Creative Studio (PCS), a business formed in 2009 that has grown to become a major digital agency in the region.

The business provides website solutions, creative design and print services, digital marketing and social media support as well as working with cloud technologies through a partnership program with both Google and Microsoft.

Phil has helped the Trust from its earliest days until the present time both in a voluntary capacity and providing business services. Phil enjoys being closely involved in the workings of the Trust.

In his spare time Phil is a keen motorcyclist riding his re-vamped Triumph Bonneville around the Dales and further afield. He is also a musician and plays drums with local band – The Messengers.

Father of 4 (+ step children) and Grandpa to 8, Phil has a variety of experience that proves useful in his role as a Trustee as well as a small potential family army to bring in later!

Greg Dick

Greg Dick was born and raised in the Midlands and is a qualified Architect; focusing the majority of his career working on and with historic and conservation based projects.

Having lived and practiced in Warwickshire and surrounding counties, having family connections to the area Greg has now moved up to Swaledale and now lives and works in Richmond.

He is passionate about historic buildings and the built environment in general and with many building developments under his belt proves to be invaluable to his role as a trustee within the RBPT.
  
Father of 2, and after hanging up his rugby boots Greg’s interests include the arts, hiking and as a member of the Swaledale Outdoor Club, cycling all over the Dales and beyond.

Azadeh Fatehrad

Professor Azadeh Fatehrad is Professor of Art and Public Policy at Teesside University, where she directs the Inclusive and Empowered Places strand of the Institute for Collective Place Leadership. She has an international reputation for her work in participatory arts, cultural regeneration, and community engagement, with over £3.8m secured in research and arts funding to date.

Alongside her academic leadership, Azadeh serves as a Trustee of several community and cultural organisations, including Compass Collective and Living Under One Sun, and is a Council Member for Engage, the National Association for Gallery Education. She has also worked closely with local authorities, arts networks, and heritage bodies to develop sustainable, community-led initiatives.

Based in Richmondshire, Azadeh has a strong personal and professional connection to the region. Her current projects include working with communities in the Yorkshire Dales on nature, farming, and heritage-led regeneration through participatory art. She is particularly interested in how heritage sites such as The Station can serve as vibrant community hubs, connecting history with contemporary creativity, wellbeing, and social cohesion.

Liz Byrne

Liz has over a 20 year career leading large-scale transformation projects, developing governance regimes and delivering social impact within communities. She has directed award-winning public sector projects, advised on national reforms and currently advises business on maximising community partnerships through Corporate Social Responsibility and social value initiatives to support inclusive growth. She specialises in developing systems and delivering projects that are efficient, effective and authentic and is passionate about empowering individuals, teams and organizations to play to their strengths and deliver solutions often deemed too hard or impossible to achieve, something she also teaches as a guest lecturer and mentor at Teesside University Business School.

She came to Richmond in 2009, initially on a temporary basis but quickly saw the benefits and opportunities that the town has to offer for her and her family. She is mum to 5 children, loves to swim (anything water related!) and is also Chair to Richmond Dales Swimming Club.