Welcome aboard- Introducing our new trustees and chairman
The North Wales Rivers Trust are pleased to announce the new trustees joining the board and our new chairman for the coming year.
Chairman
In a unanimous decision, Alan Winstone has been reinstated as the Chairman of North Wales Rivers Trust. With an impressive seven-year tenure as the previous chair, Alan brings a wealth of experience to both the board and the dedicated team on the ground. Welcome back to the helm, Alan!
Dr Nigel Milner- Trustee
Dr Nigel Milner
Dr Nigel Milner is a seasoned fisheries scientist with a career spanning since 1975, predominantly in the public sector, notably with Welsh Water pre-privatisation and later with the Environment Agency for England and Wales in North Wales. From 1997 to 2004, he led the EA's National Salmon and Trout Fisheries Centre, contributing significantly to the development of national salmon assessment methods. Nigel joined APEM Ltd in 2004, a consultancy embedded in Bangor University, where he serves as an honorary lecturer in fisheries ecology. A former Trustee of Clwyd and Conwy Rivers Trust, now NWRT, Nigel's consultancy work encompasses river regulation, habitat management, and stock assessment. His primary research focuses on salmon and trout life histories, ecologies, and their responses to environmental pressures, with extensive publications in these areas. Nigel holds key roles in various fisheries organisations, including being a Fellow of the Institute of Fisheries Management, a Council member of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles, and the IFM's observer at NASCO. He has co-chaired the ICES Working Group on Sea Trout and currently chairs the Technical Steering Group of the Missing Salmon Alliance's Likely Suspects Framework, a research project developing decision tools for salmon management. An angler himself, Nigel, as a member of the Cefni Angling Association, maintains a keen interest in the environmental well-being of Ynys Môn's rivers, streams, and lakes.
Philip Ferguson MRICS - Trustee
Philip has dedicated his professional career to working with upland farmers, primarily in Wales. For 25 years, he successfully ran a farm consultancy business based in Hay-on-Wye while raising his two children. A passionate fisherman, Philip found joy in living, breathing, and working on river restoration projects, particularly with the Wye Habitat and Monnow River initiatives. Recently, he moved back to Harlech, allowing him to be closer to home. In his previous role with Agriplan Cymru, Philip served as a farm pollution specialist, working with a significant farmer client base. Now, he aims to contribute his extensive experience and a long-term perspective on countryside and river conservation to our dynamic team.
The trustee team also includes long standing and valued trustees; Chris White as Treasurer and Vice Chairman, Roger Thomas and Rich White as Trustees, and Allan Cuthbert serving as Club Secretary.