About WERN & our Trustees

As the West of England Rural Network, our mission is to work with rural communities, organisations, groups and individuals across the West of England to improve the quality of their lives.

We aim to achieve our mission by:

Supporting and encouraging community-led action and strong local governance
Increasing the long-term sustainability of local community life
Improving the health and wellbeing of people living and working in rural communities
Influencing policy and delivery of local services to achieve equity for rural communities

Trustees

Sam Ross

Sam is very active in her local community in Farmborough, chairing the Parish Council, helping to set up the Repair Cafe and getting EV charging installed at the Memorial Hall. As well as being a WERN trustee Sam sits on the Community Business Membership Panel of The Plunkett Foundation, and was recently part of the advisory panel for ‘We’re Right Here’, a campaign group lobbying government to shift power to local communities.

Georgie Bigg

Georgie is a resident of North Somerset, currently working in the Voluntary sector specialising in Health & Social Care. Georgie is also the chair of Avonside CPRE (and involved at a national level) and is an active Parish Councillor.

Laura Penny

A resident of South Gloucestershire, Laura is an independent consultant specialising in energy innovation and social justice. Laura is also a director of Bristol Energy Network CIC and brings her expertise in energy efficiency and decarbonisation to the board.

Matthew Riddle

Gloucestershire born and bred, Matthew is a farmer by profession. A member of South Gloucestershire Council since 2003, representing the Severn Vale Ward, he served first as the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services and then later as the Leader of the Council for four years. During this time he was instrumental along with the Mayor of Bristol and the Leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council in setting up the new West of England Combined Authority. He is the Chair of the English Severn and Wye Regional Flood and Coastal Committee and the Oldbury (Power Station) Site Stakeholder Group and also serves as the Vice Chair of the Lower Severn Internal Drainage Board and Oldbury-on-Severn Parish Council.

Jane Wildblood

With thirty years working in the environment policy and change arena, including almost twenty as environmental sustainability and climate change policy lead in local government, Jane brings a deep understanding of the strategic challenges, how to develop and deliver action at the local level and how to engage with people at all levels.

Edie Whittingham

Growing up in a rural and isolated community Edie has a first hand knowlwge of the difference support (or lack of) can make for someones life chances. Now working for DEFRA Edie has joined WERN to help address some of these practical challenges for rural communities.