Hazel Pidsey (Chair) has been a governor of St Edmunds Trust for six years and in December 2020 was appointed Chairman.  Having retired in 2016 after being Chief Officer of a local charity for many years, her interest and support of charitable organisations remains, and is keen to promote St Edmunds Trust and supporting and encouraging organisations to apply for funding.

In her spare time she volunteers for Age Uk Norfolk and is chairman of Norfolk and Norwich Art Circle.

Kirk Vaughan (Treasurer) is a chartered accountant and chartered tax advisor, working at Knights Lowe Chartered Accountants as a client services director. He also heads up the tax department working on a range of specialist tax assignments covering all taxes.

He has been a Trustee of St Edmunds Trust since 2019.
Simon Brown joined St Edmunds Trust in 2018, connected to good causes through his work in supporting unpaid carers in Suffolk (www.SuffolkCarersMatter.org.uk) and further afield UK wide (www.FamilyCarersNet.co.uk) in a professional capacity.  He also is sits on a Health Committees within the NHS that focusses on Digital and Community Support.  Living in West Suffolk with his family, keeping a local focus in the community is really important for him.  Simon is a Councillor at West Suffolk District Council and is actively involved with his local Bardwell cricket club and Thurston rugby club.

Graeme Kirk (Secretary) (not a Trustee) has been the Senior Partner of Gross & Co. Solicitors in Bury St Edmunds since 1996.

His specialist area of practice is UK immigration and he was chairman of the Immigration and Nationality Law Committee of the International Bar Association from 2000 to 2004.

He is a past President of the Suffolk and North Essex Law Society, and also a past President of the Bury St Edmunds Rotary Club and Bury St Edmunds Round Table. He has been involved with St Edmunds Trust for over 25 years.
Dr Jamie Gilmour is a GP partner in a large semi-rural Practice in Sudbury. He graduated from Cambridge then trained locally at the West Suffolk Hospital before settling with his family in Bury St Edmunds.
Neville Horn is a Senior Investment Manager with JM Finn and has over 20 years experience managing Private Client, Trust and Charity investment portfolios. Neville is also a Director of Bury St Edmunds’ business improvement district “Our Bury St Edmunds”.  Neville was also a founder Director of the Thedwastre Education Trust.

Heather Sonnet is a Chartered and Certified Financial Planner with over 27 years’ experience assisting clients with their financial planning and wealth needs. Heather often works with people who are experiencing difficult life changes such as separation and divorce or recent bereavement and inheritance. Prior to working in finance, Heather had originally trained as a psychiatric nurse and still has a strong interest in the care of those with mental illnesses.

Outside of work, Heather is a Past President of the Cambridge Business and Professional Club. In addition, Heather enjoys playing Polo and is a member of the Cambridge County Polo Club.

Julia Wakelam is a retired Solicitor who practised in Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich.  She is a West Suffolk District Councillor, a former Mayor of St Edmundsbury Borough Council. In addition to being a Trustee of St Edmunds Trust, she is a Trustee of the Bury St Edmunds Ecumenical Trust, which manages The St John’s Centre in Bury, and the Suffolk Academies Trust, a Governor of West Suffolk College, a member of the Abbey of St Edmunds Heritage Partnership, and Founding member of the Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival. In addition, she is the proud Honorary Life President of Gatehouse – Caring in East Anglia. She is the mother of two grown children and a joyful grandmother. She and her husband live in Bury St Edmunds.

Ian Shipp is a Director of local pest control company 999 Pest Control Ltd, he is also a district councillor for West Suffolk and Chairman of their Overview and Scrutiny Committee. He is currently the Mayor of Mildenhall High Town Council where he has been a councillor for 7 years. He moved to Bury St Edmunds in 1978 and has lived and worked locally ever since.  He worked for 28 years in Local Government at St Edmundsbury Borough Council and also Forest Heath District Council where he was responsible for Culture and Community Services and he has a great deal of knowledge and experience in working with the voluntary sector.