
About us



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.
Vice Chairman:
Nicky Owen
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Nicky joined the board in December 2021 and served as Treasurer until April 2024 when elected as Vice Chairman. She has worked in local government and corporate communications for companies such as Tootal Group and Greenalls. She then established her own communications business, Epigram Communications & Design Ltd, in the early nineties. With fellow runners, she set up the Tatton Yule Yomp 10K in 2009, organising the event for 11 years and raising over £175K for local charities during that time.
​​Trustee:
Andy Martin
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Andy Joined GROW 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:
Clare Brabbins
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Clare joined the Board in May 2021 and is also our Volunteers' Manager and our Contractors' Relationships Manager. She has lived in Knutsford for over 30 years, and since retiring from the NHS in 2019, she has taken the opportunity to widen her interests. Being a keen gardener she enjoys working with people and is keen to volunteer for Knutsford GROW. Clare is also working towards starting an accessible allotment in the town for others to enjoy without having responsibility for a full allotment themselves

​​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