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Meet the team

Branch Officers and Trustees

Andy Grieves,

Trustee

Andy joined CPRE Berkshire as a trustee in 2024. He has lived near the Surrey / Berkshire border for 35 years. He had a career in pharmaceutical manufacturing with roles in the UK, South Africa and Australia. Andy is particularly interested in sustainability including the adoption of renewable energy sources. He is also motivated to build collaborations with Higher Education to attract new members to CPRE Berkshire from among students and academics, and to access academic research which will help solve some of the challenges we face to protect the beautiful county of Berkshire.

Patrick Griffin,
Trustee

Patrick has been a trustee of CPRE Berkshire for 12 years and lives in Sunningdale, attracted to the area 35 years ago by its green and leafy character. He had a career in sales and marketing in the information technology industry. Patrick has a particular interest in planning, a subject which is so important to the future of Berkshire. He is a committee member of the Society for the Protection of Ascot & Environs (SPAE).

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David Over,
Trustee

David has been a Trustee of CPRE Berkshire since 1998. He lives in Cholsey and is a retired Solicitor. He takes a particular interest in Planning, Transport (having been a member of the former Rail Passengers Committee for Western England) and the protection and maintenance of Public Rights of Way. 

Leo Walters,

Trustee

Leo Walters has been actively involved with CPRE Berkshire for more than 20 years. Now retired, he is a qualified Chartered Surveyor and a non-practising Barrister-at-law. Leo is a long-serving Councillor on Windsor & Maidenhead Borough Council (WMBC) representing the village of Bray, and is a member of Bray Parish Council. Within WMBC he is Vice-Chair for the Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Panel and attends the Royal Borough Development Management Panel.

Gloria Keene MBE,
Branch Secretary

Gloria has had a longstanding involvement with CPRE Berkshire, starting off in our local Newbury & Hungerford group, and afterwards becoming Branch Secretary for Berkshire as well as the Secretary of CPRE South East Region. Over the years she took on many different roles in Berkshire Branch, making use of the skills she had acquired during her working life. Gloria was awarded the MBE for her services to the countryside (including her role as a Parish Clerk in the North Wessex Downs) and the Countryside Medal for services to CPRE. Gloria can be contacted at the Branch Office or by email at cpreberkshire@btopenworld.com.

Andy Smith,
Media & Communications Officer

Andy is an experienced journalist and countryside campaigner who has been involved with CPRE for three decades and was Director of CPRE Surrey Branch for 12 years before joining our team in Berkshire. He is also the Secretary of the London Green Belt Council and a trustee of several charities. Andy is the principal point of contact in CPRE Berkshire for all PR and communications, and is the Editor of our branch magazine Berkshire Voice. You can reach Andy on mobile 07737 271676, via the Branch office on 0118 930 6756 or by email at cpreberkshiremedia@gmail.com.

Penny Desmond,
Administrator

Penny has been a member of CPRE for many years and in recognition of her longstanding commitment she has been awarded the CPRE Countryside Medal, and, in 2023, the National CPRE ‘Special Contribution’ Award. Having completed a secretarial course at school and having always worked in offices, now that she is retired Penny likes to keep up her office and secretarial skills by helping Gloria with mailshots, typing, filing, and helping to run the Dorothy Morley Conservation Awards for Schools, as well as fundraising activities such as the 500 Club.

Rajiv Chelani,
Projects Officer

Rajiv has more than 30 years of commercial, corporate and community project management experience, most recently with Transition Town Maidenhead.​ He joined the CPRE Berkshire branch team in 2023 and believes that protecting our green spaces and natural environment is essential for people’s health and wellbeing, and that future generations will be thankful to us for keeping our nature and countryside safe and thriving. Rajiv can be contacted by email at cpreberkshireprojects@gmail.com.