About us Gardens are GROWing and we're recruiting!
Knutsford GROW is a charity and is run by a board of unpaid volunteer Trustees elected each year at our Annual General Meeting. We have a Chairman / Secretary, Treasurer, Volunteer Manager and two general Trustees.
The board meets approximately every two months.
Chairman / Secretary:
Neil Forbes
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Neil was appointed Chairman at GROW's 2021 AGM having previously served from February 2008 until April 2014. A locally elected Town Councillor (2007 -2023 including two years as Town Mayor) and Knutsford resident, Neil is disabled himself. After a lengthly career with a major bank where he ended up a Senior Project Manager, he worked in the charity sector locally from 2005 to 2019 which included (at times) helping train social workers and managing a county-wide team of care package brokers.
​​Trustee
Gill Mortlock
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Gill joined G.R.O.W. as a Trustee in April 2025.
Gill spent 41 years in the Civil Service in senior leadership roles at the delivery rather than the policy end of several Government organisations including the Department for Work and Pensions, the Home Office and Prisons and Probation services.
After retirement she became a Trustee and Non-Executive Director at the David Lewis Centre for some years until she had to retire again to look after family.
Knutsford G.R.O.W. intend putting her previous experience to good use. (In 2011 she was named “Boss of the Year” in the Guardian newspaper!)
​​Trustee:
Andy Martin
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Andy joined G.R.O.W. as a Trustee in May 2020 and is one of the grant bids team. Andy works for the Mersey Rivers Trust, overseeing a diverse range of projects and hosting stakeholder partnerships, that work to improve our rivers. Prior to this he managed Groundwork’s Grozone Community Garden Project, offering volunteering and learning opportunities to people of all ages and disabilities in Northwich, and before then as a Countryside Warden, specialising in environmental education. Andy is a firm believer in the benefits of being outdoors and the joys of gardening.
​​Trustee
Could this be you?
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We're looking for a Trustee to join our friendly board.
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Spring is in the air and we're recruiting!
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​​Treasurer:
David Taylor
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David joined the Board in June 2023 and is an experienced financial professional and was elected Treasurer in April 2024. He has worked for a number of companies, including Churchill China plc a manufacturer of ceramic tableware, across a career spanning forty years.
He enjoys gardening alongside interests in trail running, cycling and other outdoor activities.
Become a trustee
Becoming a trustee for a charity can be extremely rewarding. You might have skills or knowledge that greatly benefit a small charity such as Knutsford GROW. If you become a trustee for a local charity, you may also help your local community.
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If you are interested in learning more, please email our secretary at secretary@KnutsfordGrow.org.uk or call 07762-342792. We look forward to hearing from you.
Being a Trustee gives me a ‘buzz’ in (early!) retirement using the skills & knowledge I’ve gained from the workplace to help GROW grow
Neil Forbes
Secretary / Chairman
Our policies
We have policies to cover many areas as listed below. To find out more, please contact our secretary at secretary@knutsfordgrow.org.uk
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- Constitution
- Equality and Diversity 2024
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Form for recording safeguarding concerns can be downloaded for use. (Last reviewed June 2024.)
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Cyber Security Policy was last reviewed in August 2024. It's available to Trustees and Coordinators in GROW's Dropbox
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Paying Bills & Invoices (July 2024) is available to Trustees in GROW's Dropbox