Our Trustees

Churchill Forge is owned by the Churchill Forge Trust Ltd, a registered charity and company limited by guarantee, and exists for the restoration, preservation and upkeep of the water driven forge known as Churchill Forge, for the benefit of persons resident in Churchill near Kidderminster and the public at large, such premises being of historical, industrial architectural and constructional interest.

Currently, the trust is led by six trustees, all of whom bring knowledge, skills and experience to the running and stewardship of the forge, and are supported by a team of dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers who assist with the day to day work and maintenance of the forge and its site.

  • Lee Hale

    Chair of Trustees

    Lee is Director of Winterbourne House & Garden, the University of Birmingham’s botanic garden. He holds a Master of Arts degree in International Heritage Management at the University of Birmingham and a Master of Horticulture degree from the Royal Horticultural Society and is particularly passionate about local, social, and industrial history. He serves on a number of boards including those of the Lapworth Geology Museum, the Virtual Museum of Printing, the Centre for Printing History & Culture and The International Centre for Heritage and is a Fellow of both the Lunar Society and the Royal Society of Arts and a trustee at the Merlin Trust which supports training opportunities for young horticulturists. As a trustee at Churchill Forge Mill Lee is committed to help preserve the site’s unique industrial archaeology and promote the site and its heritage to new audiences.

  • David Bache

    Trustee/Volunteer Coordinator

    Studied maths and computing at Cambridge University. On leaving university worked in IT, first in software development, then later in support for two large computer equipment manufacturers. I retired in 2014 and surprisingly have not missed IT. Got involved with the Forge on seeing an advert in the local paper looking for volunteers at ‘Bache’s Forge’. Since Bache, also my surname, is a very local name I went along to see if there was any family connection. There is nothing obvious so this might be a future winter research project, for when I am less busy!

  • Dave Galley

    Trustee/Volunteer

    My working life was unambitious day to day factory working doing what was asked of me. Fortunately I never had to travel far and could concentrate on my home life and other interests. Volunteering at the forge satisfies some of those interests. It is in Worcestershire countryside (my county), and its energy comes from a watercourse. Rivers and canals are another interest.

    I am drawn to its timeline of history in general but also its strong connection with its village through its connection with one family.

  • Bryony Hayward

    Trustee

    Bryony Hayward is the grand-daughter of Claude Bache and grew up next to the forge. Some of her earliest memories are of her grandfather working on the site. She still lives in Churchill and following on from her parents Geoff and Pauline Hayward, she plays an important role in representing the Bache family on the trust and ensuring the continuity of her grandfather’s wishes for the forge to be preserved for future generations.n goes here

  • Anne Luckett

    Treasurer

    Anne is a retired Financial Director / Company Secretary who started as a Cost Accountant within the Sand, Aluminium and Smelting Foundries. She then moved on to Cold Rolled Mills with CNC Machines and then on to the Engineering Industry including Heavy Plant.

  • Simon Willis

    Trustee

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  • Maree McGovern

    Trustee

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  • Joshua Poole

    Digital Outreach

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Become a Trustee

Churchill Forge Trust Ltd exists to preserve Churchill Forge Mill, a unique heritage site of national importance located near Kidderminster.

We are now seeking trustees to help us develop the asset for future generations.

Churchill Forge Trust Ltd are looking for people who would be interested an opportunity to be involved in the development and preservation of Churchill Forge,a nationally significant heritage site located in the village of Churchill, near Kidderminster in North Worcestershire. Churchill Forge is one of the last working water powered forges in the country and as such a unique example of the small industrial sites that were once commonplace in the area.

We are seeking interested individuals who would be interested in joining the trust as a trustee/director. Candidates should have experience in a relevant field such as:

  • Heritage and Museum management including fund-raising,

  • Marketing and publicity,

  • Business/charity management and administration,

  • Water and water-mill engineering,

  • Blacksmithing,

  • Project Management

We are particularly interested in candidates who may be willing to take on the roles of chair, treasurer or secretary or would be able to act as representatives of the local area of Churchill and Blakedown.

To express an interest and to set up an initial discussion please contact us through the website contact form.

Any successful candidates must be able to confirm that they are not in any way barred from holding a company directorship.

Trustees should have experience in at least one of the areas detailed above and should also be able to collaboratively in a team to enable the delivery of the trust’s objectives. You should also be aware that, as the trust does not have the capacity to employ staff, we are looking for trustees who would be willing to take on a certain amount of ‘hands-on’ responsibility above and beyond any general responsibilities.

The role will be critical in enabling the trust to deliver it’s plans to develop the forge, secure the infrastructure of the site and make it more accessible to a wider and more diverse audience thus maximising the value of this important historical asset.