Trustee Directors

Crispin O'Brien (Chair) spent 33 years with KPMG, working with global media and technology clients in London, Tokyo and Hong Kong.  He has held a variety of trustee, advisory and volunteer roles, working with a diverse range of organisations including Thames Reach, (the London homeless charity), Help Tibet, The New Economics Foundation, The Prince’s Trust, Business in the Community and the DTI.  Crispin is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists.  He joined FiSH as a volunteer four years ago, initially as a bus driver, and more recently helping with transport and befriending prior to becoming Chair in September 2016.  Crispin lives in Barnes, is married to Diana (also a FiSH volunteer), and has two grown-up sons.

Michael French (Treasurer) became a Trustee Director of FiSH in 2013.  He began his working life as a civil engineer before retraining as a chartered accountant and undertook professional postings in Africa and Japan.  Since his retirement Michael has served as a school governor and as the treasurer of a London university.  He also has involvement with several charities.  Michael and his Japanese wife, Takako, have lived in East Sheen since 1983.  In his spare time he enjoys sailing, tinkering with old cars and the occasional game of veterans rugby!  Michael became Treasurer of FiSH in September 2016.

Peter Anderson has lived in Sheen for over 30 years.  He became a trustee in 2016 and is also a trustee of Field Studies Council, the environmental education charity.  He is a FiSH volunteer, principally as a driver of the bus.  Peter is a lawyer by training and career, having been a corporate finance partner in a large London law firm for 29 years before retiring in 2015.  He has been a trustee of a grant giving charity and a Director of a medium sized company in the retail sector.

Penny Cowell became a Trustee Director of FiSH in 2012.  She previously worked as a teacher with a specific interest in learning difficulties.  She has been a FiSH volunteer for about 25 years, fitting Helpline jobs around a busy family life.  More recently she has been involved with FiSH ‘n’ Chats and the co-ordination of transport for outings.

Tim Gates’ career, amongst other things, has involved particle physics research, jet engine development, the production of training books and videos, management development at the BBC, and then running the operations and IT at several tv stations.  He states that his mother distributed orange juice to young mothers at the village hall, his father joined the conservation volunteers, 'so I was carrying on the family tradition by volunteering for FiSH in 2002’.  He began by responding to requests for help with practical odd jobs and went on to help with IT in the FiSH office.  He has migrated FiSH emails to the ‘cloud’ and is now developing systems that will provide the evermore detailed quantative and qualitative data required by funders. His two daughters were brought up in Sheen where he has lived since 1980. He is now ‘kept sharp’ by five grandchildren which, he says, helps with his work of providing IT support for companies and charities.  He became a Trustee Director of FiSH in 2014. 

Peter Marsden is the former Head of World Heritage at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport where he also worked on policy for Free Access to the National Museums and Galleries, Historic Ships Policy for the UK and liaison with the Royal Household on ceremonial issues.  During his Civil Service career, Peter held posts at the Tate, Imperial War Museum, Treasury and Customs and Excise and now runs an independent heritage consultancy.  Peter has lived in Barnes since 1988 and became involved with FiSH in 2011 following retirement from the public sector, initially as a volunteer driver and subsequently as a Director/Trustee serving on the Executive and Transport Committees.  Peter is also a Trustee of ICOMOS-UK, an independent charity with a UK wide and international mission to promote and support best practice in the conservation, care and understanding of cultural heritage in the UK and worldwide.

Nigel Newby began working for RaKAT (Richmond and Kingston Accessible Transport) in 1997 and is currently the Chief Executive Officer.  He works closely with all of the local voluntary care groups.

Rev Stephen Stavrou became Vicar of St Michael & All Angels, Barnes in 2016. Previously he was Minor Canon Succentor at Southwark Cathedral and a Chaplain of King's College, London, and before that a curate in Chiswick. Stephen was brought up in north London and was educated at the Latymer School, Edmonton, and St John's College and Peterhouse in Cambridge (BA and MA in theology respectively). St Michael's as a church has a close association with FiSH and regularly hosts the Retro Cafe in the St Michael's Community Centre and he is pleased to build on this connection. As a trustee, Stephen looks forward to representing the churches of the local area, and liaising with Churches Together in Barnes and other ecumenical groups. He believes that caring for older people is one of the greatest privileges and challenges that faces our society today, and is honoured to be serving an organisation such as FiSH which meets crucial needs in the community. He became a trustee in 2017. 

Brian Timbrell has lived locally, in Barnes and Mortlake, for over 40 years and was elected as a Trustee - Director of FiSH in 2013.  During his spare time Brian has been involved in a wide range of local activities on a voluntary basis, including leading a recent appeal and project to raise monies and restore the Tudor tower of Mortlake Parish Church and to invest in local community projects.  Having completed studies in Economics and Economic History, Brian spent some 25 years working in the City before moving on to a career in Local Government.  He is now working independently as an HR Consultant on a part-time basis.  As a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development Brian will be taking a lead role in the development of FiSH’s employment policies and procedures, together with responsibility for Quality Assurance to meet standards endorsed by the Charity Commission.  It is also intended that he will work on strengthening FiSH’s links with the Mortlake Community Association.

Liz Wall first volunteered for FiSH in 2001 when her children were still at school. She then began a second career as a charity fundraiser and worked across several sectors including palliative care, environmental protection, education and heritage.  As well as raising money for core work and new projects, Liz ran a variety of events, conferences and various forums where professionals could network and share information. Liz has lived in East Sheen with her husband and three daughters for 30 years, apart from 2011-2013 when she lived in the UAE.  She started volunteering for FiSH again in August 2016 and was appointed as a Trustee in 2017.  Liz enjoys gardening, upholstery, walking the dog, and spending time with family and friends, which includes regular trips back to Wales.