People & Planet Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is the team of people who oversee all the work that the People & Planet does and tries to keep the organisation working in the best interests of the network.
This is your portal to finding out all about the Board of Trustees (also known as the BoT) — who we are, what we’re currently doing, and how you can get involved. Check here regularly, and watch out for announcements, to find out about which consultations we’re currently running on our work, so that you, as part of the network, can continue to be involved in how People & Planet is run.
- Find out more about how the BoT is democratically involved in the network.
- Read the Meetings Minutes And Papers for past and upcoming meetings.
Student trustee elections
Elected student representatives make up over half our Board of Trustees. Elections take place every year in February. Nominations to be a student trustee are open all year round.
Current Trustees
People & Planet's trustees in random order.
Beth Bhargava
I'm a second-year undergraduate in History, and have been involved in Cambridge Zero Carbon's campaign for divestment since my first year. As a member of ZC, I've helped lobby university management, plan marches and rallies, and have written numerous articles publicising the campaign.
Claire Kelly
Claire has many years experience working in the not for profit sector campaigning on social justice, environmental and human rights issues. She worked for Campaign Against Arms Trade from 2008 – 2019 responsible for financial reporting, office management and HR matters. She was also a Steering Committee member during this time involved in organisational decisions that guide the campaign, reviewing policies and procedures and addressing issues of long-term strategy planning. Claire now works for Abianda, a not for profit organisation that works to improve the wellbeing of marginalised young women who have been exposed to violence and sexual exploitation through gang culture, by offering one-to-one, group work and employment opportunities.
Lara Bloch
Nick Werren
Hello! I'm Nick Werren, I'm a PhD student researching quantum physics at the University of Surrey. I'm involved with a lot of environmental and housing activist groups, and I think People & Planet is a fantastic bedrock for creative, radical, and progressive politics.
Annie Pickering
Emma Carter
Emily Adams
Hello Everyone! I'm Emily, currently a final year Marine Biology student at Plymouth. Activism has always been close to my heart. I've been a Regional Organiser for 2 years, and active People & Planet committee member at Uni for the last 3 years, so I'm really looking forward to being more involved.
Anna Windsor
Ruth Taylor
Ruth is a campaigner and public engagement strategist, with specific interest in youth mobilisation. Previously at Restless Development and Amnesty International UK, Ruth now works with a range of organisations as a consultant. She loves disruptive education, storytelling and people-led campaigns. Ruth graduated from the LSE with a Masters in Human Rights and is currently studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Media, Campaigning and Social Change at the University of Westminster.
Papatya O'Reilly
Papatya has recently graduated from the University of Bristol (UoB) with a BA in English and Philosophy. She has been involved with People & Planet since joining UoB’s Fossil Free society in 2016, and became President in her final year. Since then, she has been active within the network as a Regional Organiser for the South West (of England) and Wales and, currently, as a Regional Co-ordinator for the South-East. Outside People & Planet, Papatya has been involved both in organisations like Shakespeare’s Globe and The Hackney Pirates, and in campaigns like ‘Support our Services’, a student-led mental health campaign. She is also an avid herbal tea-drinker, cat-lover and cyclist.
Conor Haslem
Hi, I'm Conor, I've been involved in People & Planet for two years through my University's Environment Society, engaging in their campaigns at my campus and becoming a Regional Organiser in my final year. I am passionate that students will lead the way to real, progressive change in the world!
Trustees: How We Work
Our Jobs
The Board of Trustees has a lot of responsibility for making sure People & Planet is fulfilling its aims: it approves our accounts and annual budgets, and comments on and approves staff plans, ensuring that the office is working on the best projects to support your campaigning.
It’s also involved democratically with the network: student members are elected every year to represent the student network on the Board of Trustees, and it works to be open with the network about the work it’s doing — both keeping the network informed about the decisions being made and providing spaces for the network to be involved in decision-making.
Our Membership
The Board of Trustees is made up of democratically elected student members and also non-student members drawn from other organisations such as Oxfam, Friends of the Earth or ActionAid, who are chosen for their areas of expertise. The elected student members always make up more than half of the Board of Trustees, and meetings are chaired by the student members in rotation.
Our Processes
The Board of Trustees currently meets four times a year, and all members try to attend. Office staff are also invited along to meetings in an advisory capacity when needed. You can find summaries of our meetings and important information about what we’re discussing below.