Meet the team

Greg Wilkinson

Chairman

Greg Wilkinson, who lives in Purley on Thames with his wife Sandra, took on the Chairmanship of CPRE Berkshire in 2022. He is an experienced Trustee who knows the Royal County of Berkshire well, and we welcome the strategic skills, diplomacy and passion for the countryside that he brings to the role. On appointment he said: “I relish the opportunity to work with CPRE Berkshire to promote and do what I can to protect the beautiful landscapes we have in our Royal County. We are blessed with the wonderful River Thames and all her tributaries, Metropolitan Green Belt and the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Berkshire also faces huge challenges such as the degradation in its water and air quality, an affordable housing crisis, and a sustainable rural public transport network. It is a privilege to be invited to become Chairman, and I am looking forward to helping CPRE Berkshire step up for our countryside and communities. We have some wonderful opportunities to enjoy our natural surroundings, to look in awe at nature at its best and to thrive on all the healthy and mindful benefits that it offers.”

Greg’s early career was in Policing, including 11 years as a Chief Officer with West Yorkshire Police and 3 years as Director of Professional Development with National Police Training, based at Bramshill in Hampshire. After retirement from the force in 2004 he ran an executive coaching business in Reading, and held other senior executive and trustee roles with the Institute of Directors and the Judicial Appointments Commission as well as chairing local charities such as Berkshire Vision and Accessible Boating Thames. He has also had a long association with Rotary International.

Gloria Keene MBE
Branch Secretary

Gloria’s association with CPRE began when she was invited to join the CPRE Newbury & Hungerford District group, working with Lady Barber, who was campaigning to save 1,000 oak trees in the North Wessex Downs AONB, eventually sacrificed in the building of the new A34 Newbury bypass. She was then asked to take on a more challenging role as Secretary of the SE Region, an area she was familiar with during her earlier career in various government departments. Subsequently, the CPRE Berkshire Branch Chairman, Mike Spence, saw an opportunity locally and asked her to join the Berkshire Branch as Secretary.
As the years progressed Gloria took on more roles as volunteers retired, first as the editor of the newsletter, the branch accounts, the production of the Annual Report, marketing, planning and campaigning, all of which capitalised on the skills acquired during her working life, as well as organising trips for CPRE volunteers, setting up the original branch website and running the biannual conservation Berkshire Schools Award.
During those years she was awarded the CPRE Countryside Medal for services to CPRE. A few years later this led to the rather more significant award of her MBE, for services to the countryside and her role as a Parish Clerk in the North Wessex Downs AONB. Currently Gloria works with Newbury & Hungerford District, is Secretary of the CPRE South East Region and South East Transport group, and Branch Secretary of the Berkshire Branch.
Please do get in contact and share your queries or problems with her about the Berkshire countryside or better still JOIN CPRE and let her know how much you value the countryside.

Andy Smith
Media & Comms Officer

Andy is an experienced countryside campaigner and journalist 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 heritage charities. You can contact Andy on mobile 07737 271676, via the Branch office on 0118 930 6756 or email cpreberkshiremedia@gmail.com.

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Edward Golton
Bradfield District Chairman

I grew up in the countryside so came to have a love of it and protecting it. After moving to West Berkshire, I joined the Parish Council, looking after Public Rights of Way. Soon after, I joined CPRE, and became Chairman of Bradfield District in 1999, which covers parishes east of the A34.
Hedgerow protection was an issue that led to the 1997 Regulations and I organised surveys in several villages, using the CPRE packs. Some interesting finds were that the ends of hedges meeting woodland had more species, and some rarer finds were Buckthorns whose berries were used as a purgative in ancient times, and a Wych Elm with seed pods, something they rarely produce even in southern England.
Light pollution is another concern which I have managed to limit at Planning Appeals. Developments on higher ground cause light from street lights and housing to be seen over a wide area; that we have designated ‘Dark Sky’ areas in the North Wessex AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) is a great help. Another area of unnecessary and wasteful lighting is the increase in those located at gateways. Lighting should just illuminate the ground, not the highway of the sky. The worst are those set in the ground shining up, and more recently those with light coming from the top as well as the bottom.
You can contact me via the main office on 0118 930 6756 or email cpreberkshire@btopenworld.com

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Dr Peter Wilford
Wokingham District Chairman

I have been Chairman of CPRE Wokingham District for some 28 years and prior to that I was Chairman and then President of the local Civic Society, the Wokingham Society.
Wokingham District has probably seen more development than any other similar District in the country – developments such as Lower Earley, Woodley Airfield, Woosehill, Spencers Wood, Shinfield, North Wokingham and South Wokingham – in all tens of thousands of houses. Why has all this happened? Regrettably, Wokingham District has only a small area of Green Belt land in the North of the District; the rest of it is unprotected countryside. There is no AONB or other significant protection and its proximity to Reading town centre and rail connections to London and the airport make it an attractive area for commuters.
For many years CPRE has fought and campaigned to limit the extent of development but faces an uphill battle. CPRE Wokingham opposes all inappropriate development in the Green Belt and believes that agricultural land should be protected because of its great importance to our food security and combating climate change. In the future this country is going to need all the local food production we can get.

CPRE Wokingham will need all the support we can get for the task ahead. If you live in the Wokingham District please lend your support to the Committee who will be working hard to support the countryside for our future generations and for the well-being of those who live in the area by contacting me via the main office on 0118 930 6756 or email cpreberkshire@btopenworld.com
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Penny Desmond
Administrator

Penny has always loved the countryside and has been a member of CPRE for many years. Penny noticed an advertisement for an administration assistant for CPRE Berkshire whose office is in Theale where she lives. In recognition of her long-standing work with CPRE, now some 15 years, Penny was awarded the Countryside Medal by the High Sheriff of the Royal County of Berkshire.
Penny completed a secretarial course at school and has always worked in offices. In retirement, she likes to keep up her office and typing skills, and helps Gloria with mailshots, typing, filing, and the biannual conservation Schools competition.
Her most important fundraising duty is running the 500 Club. More information about this Club will posted on the website soon. In the meantime, if you would like to find out more, please contact Penny at the Branch Office – telephone 0118 930 6756.