Meet the Committee
The Committee is elected each year at our AGM. Committee members also act as Trustees for the Society and are listed below in first name alphabetical order.
Athina Beckett – Trustee, Volunteer Leader and Work Party Organiser
Athina was employed for many years at the BBC, starting work for them at Ealing Film Studios. She then moved to work in radio and, after taking a job at Alexandra Palace with the BBC, moved to Milton Keynes with the Open University. Taking very early retirement from the BBC she worked for five years at Canal Craft selling canal boats and also for their sister company Blisworth Tunnel Boats. She has her own narrow-boat, Brown Trout, moored at Pennyland Marina close to where she lives. Athina joined the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) as a conservation volunteer and later became part of BITM Waterway Recovery Group (WRG). Working as a volunteer for WRG meant joining weekend ‘digs’ for various canal societies in different parts of the country. Joining Buckingham Canal Society in 1993 as a volunteer, she became work party leader in 1997. When BCS formed a partnership with BBOWT (Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust) she became a ‘key volunteer’ for them, leading combined work parties for the two organisations. Athina was Chairman of BCS from 2006 until 2014.
Mandy Morley – Trustee
Mandy discovered canals and waterways at an early age through boating holidays and watersports. In her teens she lived not far from the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen Canal and walked various lengths with family and friends. Whilst doing her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Mandy got involved with Waterway Recovery Group, initially as a general volunteer and later as a cook for both Canal Camps and various regional groups. It was on one such Winter Canal Camp that she met her, now, husband, Steve.
Since moving to Milton Keynes in the mid-nineties Mandy has worked as a Primary School Teacher and Teaching Assistant, and for a time was on the BCS Committee and involved in some of the early Canal Festivals. Work and other commitments meant taking a step-away from this, but her membership and involvement with BCS, and WRG and IWA, continued. Whilst physical health restrictions curtail hands-on restoration work, Mandy brings a wealth of canal and community experience to the organisation that she hopes will realise the reality of restoration.
Paul Rodgers – Trustee
Paul has previously help the position of National Chair with the IWA.
Richard Dwight – Trustee and Treasurer
Richard is a trustee and our Treasurer. He has worked for Buckinghamshire County Council for over 40 years in property-related functions, mostly around building maintenance. Richard says “Besides work, I’ve been creating my family tree for a number of years. I like to go out with friends, mainly to London, as there is always such a lot to see and do there. I do visit the Mall Gallery regularly as I like art that doesn’t have to be explained to me, so therefore it should come as no surprise that I am not a Tate Modern person. I enjoy food and cooking. I consider myself young at heart and not quite ready to start listening to Radio 2 just yet.”
Ruth Millard – Trustee
Steve Morley – Trustee
Steve’s first work was in sales but most of his career was in Human Resources. After becoming aware of canals while at university in Birmingham he joined the Calder Navigation Society and spent several years helping operate their trip boat, covering much of the North East canals and rivers. He became interested in practical restoration and had been involved with Waterway Recovery Group on varied projects across the country.
On moving to Milton Keynes Steve became involved with BCS, serving on the committee and participating In work parties, although WRG became a greater attraction. Following retirement he has been keen to join regular BCS working parties and hopes that over 30 years’ experience in canal restoration will benefit progress towards our goal. Steve has interest in all forms of transport, in particular enjoying railway modelling and visiting heritage sites.
Terry Cavender – Executive Officer
Originally trained in electronics engineering and then becoming a computer systems analyst, Terry has worked as a global programme manager and project management practitioner. He has led a varied range of transformational work across health, pharmaceutical, defence, manufacturing and consultancy sectors over the past 40+ years. Currently, Terry lives in Akeley near Buckingham with his wife and has two daughters.
As a former parish councillor, Terry supports the BCS aims by driving partnerships with relevant organisations to enable jointly beneficial outcomes that progress the aims of the Society. Terry is also a member of the Canal and River Trust Regional Advisory Board for the East Midlands as well as being a member of the IWA/CRT High Level Restoration Panel which guides restoration nationally through challenges and opportunities. Additionally, Terry leads BCS planning and ownership activities as well as providing project management for current restoration work. Joining BCS in 2008, Terry became a committee member in 2010 and has been Executive Officer since 2015.