Skip to content

Home ❯ Meet the team

Meet the team

Branch Officers and Trustees

Greg Wilkinson,

Branch Chairman

Greg Wilkinson, who lives in Purley on Thames with his wife Sandra, took on the Chairmanship of CPRE Berkshire in 2022. 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 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 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 ranging from editing the newsletter, producing the annual report and setting up the branch website, to a variety of marketing, planning and campaign activities and running our Conservation Awards scheme for Berkshire Schools, 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 & Comms 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. You can contact Andy on mobile 07737 271676, via the Branch office on 0118 930 6756 or email cpreberkshiremedia@gmail.com.

.

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.

Patrick Griffin,
Trustee

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 Conservation Awards for Schools, and fundraising activities such as the 500 Club. Penny can be contacted at the Branch Office, tel. 0118 930 6756.

David Over,
Trustee