Trustees

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 is currently the Vice Chair of RBPT.

She 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.

Robin Casson is currently the Operations Director of RBPT.

After a Yorkshire Dales upbringing, Robin’s career in education has spanned more than 40 years. He was Director of Education and Skills for Northumberland County Council for 8 years, which followed 7 years as Headteacher of Prudhoe Community High School in Northumberland. He was also Visiting Professor in Enterprise at the University of Northumbria.

He joined the Board of Directors of the University of Cumbria in 2016 and then joined the executive team as Director of Growth and Partnerships to develop degree apprenticeships, enterprise and external partnerships. He finally retired in 2019 to return to Richmond, having taught at Richmond School from 1981-87.

He has wide and varied experience at Board level, including Chair of an FE College Board, membership of a University Board, and of several Community Interest Companies. He was Vice Chair of Hexham Business Improvement District and a founder of the Blyth Tall Ship Heritage Project.

He has a particular interest in the development of enterprising rural communities through a focus on the growth of enterprising skills, qualities and attributes through experiential learning.

Stephen Ibbotson is currently the Finance Director of RBPT.

Stephen trained as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant with Ernst Young in London where he worked in audit on a diverse range of companies before moving into a career in industry. In his business career Stephen gained broad experience in transformational initiatives including restructuring, outsourcing and major IT systems implementations. He spent the majority of his career with Avon Products Inc including ten years based in New York city latterly as GVP Corporate Controller. He was then the Director of Commercial and Business at the ICAEW; in this role he was the spokesman for the ICAEW on business matters and was interviewed on both the TV and radio numerous times. His last business role was VP Controller at Venator Material PLC, an international chemical company based in the North-East of England.

Stephen also serves on the advisory board of Newcastle University Business School and volunteers as an advisor for Citizens Advice. 

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!

Nicky Dagnall has lived in many different countries, including Hong-Kong, Bahrain, the USA, Europe and until the pandemic, the Isle of Skye; but at heart, she is a local girl, from a local family and completed her schooling at Richmond School. 

Nicky worked for HSBC Bank in Richmond from 1977-2005 as a Customer Service Officer. On moving to the Isle of Skye in 2005 she continued her working life with the NHS, working at Portree Hospital as a Ward Clerk and administration support for the Smoke Free Service for Skye & Lochalsh. Relocating back to her hometown of Richmond in 2020 Nicky continued to work for the NHS until she took early retirement in May 2023 to concentrate wholly on her painting. 

Throughout her working life Nicky has also maintained a career as an artist, studying for a BTEC Foundation in Art & Design in 2004. Nicky has exhibited work nationally, has paintings in private collections nationally and internationally and shows her paintings in art galleries in England and Scotland. 

Always maintaining close links with Richmond through her family and friends and frequent visits "home"; Nicky has seen how The Station has developed into a thriving community hub with fantastic gallery space for all types of artists to exhibit their work. She is eager to offer her experience as part of the RBPT team to explore further creative opportunities within the Richmondshire area.

Nigel Bradbury 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 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.

Matt Ward spent almost 20 years living and working in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where his wife is from and children were born. After learning Spanish, he set up and ran several successful businesses in the hospitality and property management sector, which he continues involvement in today. 

After graduating in International Development from UEA, Matt had a career in research, training and professional development at the Demos thinktank and then as a Schools Conference Manager at The Industrial Society in London.  Later, he became head of the Education Team at the Careers Research and Advisory Council in Cambridge, managing consultants across the country to deliver training programmes in schools and universities.

In 2023, Matt moved to Richmond with his Argentine family. Although brought up in London, his family go back 3 generations or more in Swaledale, and this was always his second home. It has a special place in his heart and now enjoys it year-round!

Matt has a passion for the history of architecture, design and rejuvenation of heritage buildings so that they can serve a need today, hence his involvement in RBPT.  He also loves his 1970 Vespa and a good asado (Argentine BBQ) with family and friends on a sunny day.