Trustees
& Staff
Our Trustees
St Peter’s Council of Trustees, are responsible for the direction, integrity and safety of this charitable organisation. We are fortunate to have a breadth of experience on the council that ensures the continued work at St Peter’s.
AnnMarie Newbigin
Chair
After moving to Marlborough from London in 2016, AnnMarie became involved with St Peter’s as a volunteer. After joining the Council as a Trustee in 2019 was voted Chair of St Peter and Paul’s Trust in 2023.
Alongside her role as Chair, AnnMarie is the Head of the Outreach Committee and responsible for increasing engagement with our local communities in Marlborough and the wider Kennet Valley through our updated website and other social media avenues. She is also a member of the Finance Committee.
From 2010 till 2019, AnnMarie was Chair of the Board of Green Corridor, a charity specializing in providing alternative education and training opportunities for young people with special needs. Previously, AnnMarie held trustee roles with charities involved in cultural conservation and volunteering such as CSV since 1995.
AnnMarie has extensive experience in the commercial sector in the areas of management consulting and financial services since coming to the UK from the US in 1988. In the early 1990’s, AnnMarie moved into Corporate Human Resources covering Foreign Exchange, Fixed Income and Corporate Finance with the investment Bank, UBS, where she became a Managing Director in 1998.
While at UBS, AnnMarie was a Trustee of the Pension Fund and a member of the Investment Committee and led the major transition to a defined contribution plan from a salary benefit plan.
Since moving to Marlborough, AnnMarie and her husband, Michael, have become active members of various local organizations. Since 2019, AnnMarie has led two Study Groups for the local branch of the u3a: Short Stories and American History.
John Yates
Trustee & Treasurer
John studied civil engineering at UCL and then worked for Halcrow in the UK and Dubai. He moved from London to Marlborough in 1984 and in 1993 became a Science teacher at Lavington School near Devizes. John became a Trustee of St Peter’s in 2007 and was elected Treasurer in 2012.
As Treasurer he reports to the Finance Committee. John administers financial transactions and keeps records. His duties include producing reports to inform Trustees on financial matters and supplying our accountant with data for the Trust’s annual report. He helps to consolidate future spending plans into an annual budget.
John writes plays and has had short pieces performed at fringe festivals. He’s currently writing a trilogy based around Neolithic Avebury and occasionally gives individual tuition in Science subjects.
Nicki Evans
Trustee & Secretary
Nicki joined St. Peters & St. Paul’s Trust early in 2021 bringing a wealth of local knowledge, charity experience and a diverse commercial background with her. Currently, she is the Trust’s Secretary and a member of the Outreach sub-committee; responsible for communication and social media, educational initiatives and business and membership development. The role demands good communication skills, teamwork and an interest in developing local interactions.
Having lived in the Marlborough area for 28 years she has been involved in a number of local and charitable organisations: Chair of Preshute Primary School, member of the Residents Association and for the last 8 years Chair of Manton Village Hall; responsible for raising funds and managing a total refurbishment. Being involved in the community and developing the resources that are available to be utilised by local people is of paramount importance.
Her business background began in retail management with Marks & Spencer, based all over the country, then progressed to managing their graduate recruitment programme. Finally, she joined M&SFS and was involved in the development of its banking arm. Over the last twenty years she has run her own property management company in the Marlborough area. Her commercial experience has demanded leadership, teamwork and communication capabilities all of which are utilised as a Trustee.
Paul Crerand
Trustee
Mike Stokes
Trustee
Michael was elected to the Council as a Trustee in 2020 and served as Tower Constable in 2023.
Michael still undertakes regular guided tours of St Peter’s tower and is still on hand to help with other tower duties when required.
Michael is particularly interested in the history of Marlborough and is eager to bring to wider attention the town’s significant events through the activities of the Trust and the use of the Church for the benefit of the community and tourists.
Married to a Canadian in Salisbury Cathedral in 1967, Michael and Rosamund have owned a house in Marlborough since 1981, where they have lived whenever Service and other duties have allowed. Together they have enjoyed much foreign travel by land, sea and air, are social bridge players and own 2 oriental dogs.
Previously, Michael spent 33 years in the RAF involved flying Hercules tactical transport aircraft all over the world, often into inhospitable territory or climate, undertaking famine and disaster relief missions in addition to low level insertion and extraction of para-troops by day and night, training crews in air refuelling and as a meteorological research test pilot.
On retirement from the RAF as a Wing Commander in 1997, Michael spent the next 20 years training young men and women to become airline pilots at Oxford Airport, helping over 500 students develop their confidence, responsibility and the self-discipline required for this demanding profession.
Finally in 2017, after 50 years as a professional pilot and with 20,000 flying hours under his belt, he folded his wings. He hopes now to use all his experience gained as a Serviceman to enhance the opportunities for St Peter’s Trust to serve the community.
Jane Nicholson
Trustee
Since moving to Marlborough 25 years ago, Jane has been an active supporter of both local and international charities. Jane is well known for cycling and has participated in a number of sponsored rides in various countries.
Since 2012, Jane has been a trustee of St Peter’s eventually taking on the role of social secretary responsible for organizing a range of successful events. In addition, Jane conducts tower tours and contributes her gardening skills on a regular basis. Jane is also a member of the Operations Committee.
Previously, Jane was a trustee of The Merchant’s House and the Marlborough Brandt Group. A governor of Sherborne Girls’ School and an executive committee member of the local u3a.
After reading Biochemistry at University College London, Jane then married and moved to Uganda where she taught Maths in a Catholic Mission school on the Congo border.
Following a year in Lebanon where Jane taught chemistry for the British Council her husband joined the Foreign Office. Jane accompanied her husband to postings in Zambia, Romania under Ceausescu and Cyprus, in all of which Jane managed to find teaching work.
After spending six months working in Paris, Jane joined the Security Service (MI5) as a civil servant. Jane’s most memorable posting was as Security Coordinator in Downing Street. Jane had an office in No 10 and saw a good deal of the two Prime Ministers she served under: John Major and Tony Blair. Following her retirement, Jane spent 2 years working for the Government escorting visiting heads of state and their support teams for the Foreign Office.
Robert Pick
Trustee
Bob and his wife, Ali, have been associated with Marlborough since 1980 when Bob joined the chemistry department of Marlborough College following graduation from Durham and Leeds universities.
In his time at the College he was Master in Charge of both rugby and cricket, a Housemaster, Second Master and Deputy Master. He was also a governor of two Wiltshire preparatory schools for a total of twenty-five years. In 2009, following the College’s decision to expand overseas, he became Head of International Development and the founding Master of Marlborough College Malaysia. On retirement from Malaysia in 2017, Bob and Ali returned to their home in Marlborough. He has since been involved as an educational consultant, a tutor with Buckingham University for teacher training, an A’ Level chemistry tutor and holds a number of non-executive directorships.
Bob’s main interests revolve around his family (two daughters and two granddaughters) and sport, particularly golf, cricket, rugby and football. He is, for his sins, a misguided but passionate supporter of Leeds United.
Bob believes that becoming a trustee of St Peter’s provides an excellent opportunity for him to give something back to the Marlborough community.
Our Staff
St Peter’s employs staff to operate the core functions of the charity. Employed staff bring continuity and targeted expertise to managing St Peter’s.
Overseen by the Council, our staff are responsible for the day to day operations of the Trust.
Les Donaldson
Trust Manager
Having worked as a consultant to the Trust in 2024, Les quickly helped establish a flourishing events programme including St Peter’s Live, our Monday Markets, Kids’ Halloween activities, Santa’s Grotto and a splendid 1920s themed New Year’s Eve party.
So far in 2025 we’ve hosted a 38 piece concert orchestra, a 22 piece big band and we’re just getting started.
With over 25 years business management experience, Les brings a wealth of experience in all aspects of running a multifaceted organisation from strategy and budgeting to sales and marketing.
Les has a degree in visual communication from the University of the Arts London and was recruited straight from his end of year show by the Corin Group PLC. There Les head up the marketing team for four years, reporting directly to the board, before setting up the first of two marketing agencies he has grown and sold.
Notable clients have included the British Athlete’s Commission, having built the Team GB athletes an information portal for the London 2012 Olympics. Nationwide Building Society, and Optima Group PLC who supplied C-IED training and consultancy for governments and institutions such as the UN.
Les was head hunted in 2016 by Heliograph Holdings GmbH to help run and market Daetwyler UK, the UK’s largest importer of European and US industrial print machinery. Overseeing the five year period that included leaving the EU and the pandemic, while maintaining profitability.
Since 2021 Les has been providing business development and marketing consultancy for a number of businesses and charities which is how the relationship with St Peter’s began.
Have a short conversation with Les and you’ll see why he is now St Peter’s Trust Manager. He is passionate about the building and building our community. In the short time he has been working with the Trust we have started a transformation and there is an exciting future ahead.
Sara Donaldson
Operations Manager
Sara joined St Peters as Events Manager in 2022 and was the Trust’s first member of staff. While running music events, comedy nights and seasonal fairs Sara’s role quickly grew to overseeing all day-to-day operations of the building.
Sara officially moved to Operations Manager in 2024. Her role brings together all parts of the organisation and oversees our guardianship of the building.
Sara has quickly built documentational infrastructure and a heritage maintenance schedule around independent surveys, allowing us to see the full picture for the first time.
Sara’s enthusiasm for St Peter’s comes from a love of history and the opportunity to play a small role in the longevity of this historic building specifically. Managing operations at St Peter’s is a special responsibility that will help support and maintain the building for years to come.
Sara has held previous management positions with CaterLink, and the Cricklade Club. Her ability to organise and run teams of people are key strengths but also the specific events and hospitality experience are critical to understanding our infrastructure.
Sara was also integral in the set up the Cardinal, our in-house coffee shop. Her expertise has been critical in getting us up and running, through our first hygiene rating, first year of trading and now into monthly profitability.
Born in Wroughton, Sara was raised in Royal Wootton Basset. She has many fond memories of Marlborough all the way from childhood, through to now bringing her own children into Town.