Meet the team

Jan Arger

Chairman

Trustee

Jan has been involved with CPRE for many years in the North East, at branch and regional level and nationally as a Board Member, with a specific interest in Green Belt, Dark Skies and Tranquillity. Jan appreciates wild spaces and good quality built environments and understands rural isolation and inner city problems. She also has a passion for reading Terry Pratchett books, heritage, travel and cheese.

Katie Atkinson

Vice -Chair

Trustee, Planning Lead

Katie used to work for the old regional structure of CPRE in Yorkshire & Humber so knows our organisation well and so we were fortunate to persuade her to become a trustee in 2018. Until recently, Katie lived and worked in Ryedale and knows the area and wider North Yorkshire countryside well. Having worked at senior levels in both the public and private arenas as well as for a statutory consultee, Katie brings a broad wealth of planning knowledge to the charity board which proved invaluable in our campaign against ‘fracking’ in the county. Indeed, Katie’s knowledge of fracking has led her to be commissioned privately to represent both local authorities and local interest groups defend refusals of planning permissions at numerous public inquiries. She has two young boys and manages to balance trustee work with a busy schedule and a spot of salsa dancing!

Clair Jones

Trustee, Treasurer

Clair grew up in the North East of England. Trained as an accountant, she has spent most of her career overseas, working with various humanitarian international organisations. She is now looking forward to re-discovering the North Yorkshire countryside from Richmond where she has made her permanent home – and also exploring how she can contribute to CPRENY’s financial management and strategic plans for the future.

Ron Healey

Trustee, Infrastructure Lead

Ron has forty years of experience and commitment to CPRE North Yorkshire. Ron’s knowledge of rural transport, minerals and waste and all issues York & Selby is second to none. Ron is our voice of reason, common sense and fair play. Image shows Ron (centre) presenting a cheque to Canals and Rivers Trust.

Ron was awarded a national CPRE award in 2019 for outstanding commitment to CPRE and the CPRE Long Service Award in 2020.

Dr Morris Charlton

Trustee, Dark Skies Lead

I am a new Trustee for the Society with my focus area being Dark Skies – what a fantastic place to be in with such a brief. When we moved back to Yorkshire we settled in the West of the County near Skipton. Great access to Malham and the Dales – actually my back garden is brilliant for astronomy. I spent a number of years with the military as a  regular and also as a specialist reservist. On leaving the military, I became a Headteacher focussed on SEMH as it is now called, moving through to work in Inspectorate. I now have my own business carrying out specialist  ecological / environmental / safety taskings. I am currently contracted to a number of government departments working on C-19 and Brexit issues. My principal areas of academic study and lecturing are specialist ecology, history and crisis management- I am attached to and lecture at a number of Universities. I am a Trustee of a number of military  and environmental charities. I hope to bring my experience and what expertise I have to support CPRENY over the next few what are likley to be challenging years.

Julie Chapman

Trustee, Events Lead

Julie grew up on the outskirts of North Yorkshire and worked in Local Government for a number of years before moving into the Private Sector in several Executive positions.

In 2019 Julie finally started her life long ambition of working within nature and our countryside.  Julie embarked on a business venture with a like minded colleague called ’Nature to your Home’ to provide a precious connection to our natural world everyday and to develop a greater love for our Countryside.

Julie has a wealth of experience in organisational and project management, retail and craft events. We look forward to working with Julie and supporting her to organise events to help make our countryside a better place for everyone to live, work and enjoy.

Sally Learoyd

Trustee, Climate Change Lead

Sally grew up in East Yorkshire and, after a number of years working in the South and London, has recently returned to her home county to live and work from her new base in Richmond, North Yorkshire.  Sally enjoyed a 20-year employed career as Human Resources Director, successfully delivering change programmes in organisations and strengthening employer engagement with staff.  She now runs a coaching services business focused on helping managers develop their leadership skills and confidence.  Sally is a keen walker and loves nothing more than a walk in the Dales with her husband.  And she relishes a challenge having taken on the Coast to Coast walk on her own in 2022, with more solo walking challenges in the offing!  Sally is a passionate believer in our capacity as human beings for change including to slow the progress of climate change so people can once again live in harmony with nature.  So we are delighted that Sally has chosen to bring her skills and energy to the climate change agenda for CPRE

Fran Evans

Administrator and IT/Social Media Officer

Fran grew up in South Africa, after travelling for 3 years around Africa, Europe and America, she moved to the UK in 2007.   Fran joined CPRENY as our administrator in 2018.  She keeps us all on track and looks after all our IT and social media including our website.

When Fran enjoys her limited spare time, she loves spending time with her husband and two young boys. Fran runs the local Scout Group, organising camps and days out across our beautiful North Yorkshire.