The Old Low Light has 9 dedicated trustees, who bring a wide range of skills and experience to the charity. All of them do it as volunteers.

David Bavaird, a local business and sector connector, David is also High Sherriff of Tyne and Wear is our Chair 2022. As Chair David is the line manager of the Centre Director, and mentors and guides the charity to achieve its overall objectives of ensuring Old Low Light is of benefit to the community.

Sarah Tempest is energy incarnate. A founder and strategic director of Newcastle based design company Altogether. Sarah like Linda, brings her creative talents to the board of trustees. Sarah’s skills and experience have been key to Old Low Light expanding its audience since 2015, and in keeping us up to date with audience trends and behaviour in the ever changing time. We can’t mention Sarah without her team, including Michael – who while not a trustee often lends his time, skills, and experience in helping us deal with technical solutions.

Bill Tavenor is a retired Architect, who spends much of his time overseas but supports Old Low Light with advice from afar.

Nina Brown, is the charity’s secretary. Nina’s attention to detail and administration skills are central to our ability to operate as a charity. Nina also has a passion for history, heritage and education and has been the driving force behind our schools programme and many exhibitions.

David Hodgson, is a local accountant and director of the Fish Quay Management Company. David is the charity’s treasurer with a true passion for the people and place of North Shields. Not that his charitable activities are limited to Shields, they have taken him as far as Bogata (capital of Columbia) a mere 5000 miles from his office.

Linda Kay, is a retired graphic designer and one of the original founders of our charity. If you’re looking at it at Old Low Light, its likely Linda has designed it. From the menu in the café, to the colour of our website, from every exhibition from 2015 to 2022 Linda has lent her considerable design talents to the centre.

Stuart Barlow is a retired Architect, and chair of the building and health and safety committee. Like Nina, Stuart has incredible attention to detail. Over the last two years Stuart’s work to ensure the Old Low Light operates in a safe and covid secure way, has ensured our visitors and volunteers have been as safe as can be.

Rachel Chapman is a retired public communications specialist. Rachel is the chair of our Events and Marketing committee, and in this role co-ordinates our publicity, events and exhibition programme. Rachel has been key to expanding our volunteer base since the start of the pandemic, and communicate our activities with both the public and press.

John Nolan is a self-employed Archaeologist, who excavated Clifford’s Fort before Old Low Light opened at a heritage centre. John sits on the building and health and safety committee with Stuart given his experience of working within the historic environment. In truth his skills and experience straddle everything the trustees do, and John often contributes to research conducted by volunteers, and events planned by the centre.

That we are still open now, is in no small part to the actions and activities of all of these people, and we are very lucky to have them.