Mablethorpe Sub Group

Chris Baron

Chair of the Board

Born in Skegness, Chris went to the local grammar school before studying Business Studies at Shefield Polytechnic. He went on to qualify as a Chartered Management Accountant working for Fogarty's, Lin Pac and British Fuels before moving to Butlins and settling back in Skegness for the last 30 years. For the last 20 years Chris was the Resort Director for the Skegness Resort. He has been actively involved in promoting the coastal strip and the Visitor Economy for Lincolnshire representing both on the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and as Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire Visitor Economy Board. He is also Vice Chair of the Visit Lincs Coast Destination Business Improvement District, Chair of the Advisory Council of the Skegness Academy and a member of the Coastal Developers Forum.

Claire Draper

Vice Chair of the Board

Claire Draper is the Director of Finance at Fantasy Island in Ingoldmells. Having attended Skegness Grammar School, Claire briefly left the Lincolnshire area to attain a Law Degree at the University of East Anglia and went on to begin her Chartered Accountancy training in Peterborough and London. She later returned to Skegness to work for a local accountancy firm, gaining a huge wealth of knowledge of local businesses and the issues that they face. Now a fellow of the ICAEW, Claire has worked at Fantasy Island for 10 years and is committed to driving economic growth and sustainability for the area. As a keen triathlete, Claire is passionate about the incredible natural landscape our area has to offer and is steadfast in her drive to help the Joint Towns' Deal Board secure investment for Skegness and Mablethorpe with a fully transparent and integrated approach.

Robert Caudwell

Association Drainage Boards - Chairman

Robert Caudwell is a farmer from South Lincolnshire farming land adjacent to the Wash and has been involved with flood defence all his career. He currently Chairs the Association of Drainage Authorities and is President of the European Union of Water Management Associations. Robert also is Chairman of Covenham RYA Sailabilty and works with Navigo providing sailing experience to Navigo members. Robert has experience of local government and government agencies at local, regional and national level.

John Henry Looney

Sustainable Direction - Director

John Henry grew up in Tennessee doing environmental projects since 1975 and teaching mountain rescue to the US Marines. His PhD was on the Island of Rhum, Scotland, and he carried out early climate change research in Canada, before delivering a research project for the UNECE on acid rain at the Natural History Museum. He authored the UK's first Carbon Footprint for a coal fired power station at Bilsthorpe, Notts in 1989. He career has been helping companies and countries engage and reduce their environmental impacts across a wide range of manufacturing, food and energy projects in over 30 countries. He has returned to living in the Lincolnshire Wolds area due the quality of life here and is helping organisations transform their approach and become sustainable. He has also helped many Councils deliver projects and was the technical author of the DECC BIS report on the green economy and well as delivering Innovate UK projects. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham, a Visiting Fellow at the University of Bristol, and recently an Associate Lecturer at the University of Lincoln. He has been on the Boards of several international charities delivering change and has a Diploma and Certificate in Company Direction from the IoD as part of the Chartered Director Qualification.

Victoria Atkins

MP Louth and Horncastle

Victoria was first elected and the Member of Parliament for Louth & Horncastle in 2015 and re-elected in 2017 and 2019. Since Victoria's election to office she has campaigned on a range of issues, including the provision of rural broadband, defence, wind turbines, coastal issues, roads, schools, the health service and the importance of the rural way of life.
In November 2017 Victoria was appointed to the Home Office, as Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability. At the start of 2018, the centenary year of some women gaining the right to vote, Victoria was made Minister for Women in addition to her duties in the Home Office.
Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, Victoria practiced as a criminal barrister specialising in prosecuting serious organised crime.

Janet Stubbs

British Garden Centres - Owner

Initially from a farming back ground, Janet has over 40 years' experience in the leisure industry developing Woodthorpe Leisure Park, Woody's bar and Restaurant, Woodthorpe country cottages and Chapel Sands to their successful position to date. She is also the Founding member of the BID and still working pro-actively within this position. She is a Member of a variety of committees including Skegness chamber of commerce, treasurer of Mablethorpe CCT, Strubby with Woodthorpe parish committee, Lady President of Woodthorpe Hall Golf Club and member of BH&HPA. She also takes an active role and interest in her families enterprises including British garden Centres and Lincs Aquatics Ltd.

Freddie Chambers

Lindum Group - Co-Chairman

Freddie is Co-Chair at the Lindum Group. He is involved across the business, in construction, joint ventures and development. He chairs the waste recycling division and HR department and is passionate about the apprentices and training programme, helping and encouraging more youngsters into construction. Before coming back to Lincolnshire in 2011 Freddie worked as a Chartered Surveyor for a property company in London.

Sandra Williamson

Chief Operating Officer for Lincolnshire East Locality NHS

She is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants And school Governor for Boston West Academy since 2017. In April 2013, she was appointed as Chief Finance Officer for Lincolnshire East Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and enjoyed seven years as an Executive Team and Governing Body member. She has supported local delivery plans designed to improve the health and wellbeing of the population in East Lincolnshire. )
The introduction of the NHS Lincolnshire CCG on 1 April 2020, following the merger of the four CCGs, led to Sandra being appointed Chief Operating Officer for East Locality and Executive Lead for reducing health inequalities.
She is passionate about improving care and better outcomes for people of Lincolnshire building on the great work undertaken so far and recognises the significance of her role in addressing health inequalities, specifically for the East Coast.

Councillor Craig Leyland

East Lindsey District Council - Leader

Craig has been a district councillor since 2007 and was elected leader in 2015 after serving as deputy leader and planning portfolio holder. He has strong family connections with Lincolnshire and have lived here since 1984. Craig is a partner in his family business trading in Woodhall Spa as VOC Antiques since 1986. Lincolnshire is a wonderful place to live and work and he is delighted that Mablethorpe and Skegness have been given the opportunity to be part of the Town Fund initiative. He will work hard to make sure we are successful in securing a great future for both towns.

Adrian Benjamin

Revd Prebendary Adrian Benjamin MA Oxon

I grew up in Sutton-on-Sea staging puppet shows on the beach. my first job was running the dodgems at Mablethorpe. At Alford Queen Elizabeth Grammar School I won a scholarship to Oxford where I directed Terry Jones & Michael Palin & Nigel Rees in various shows & filmed with Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor. I worked as a clergyman in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in the East end & in Friern Barnet where I ran an arts Centre. I was the editor of the ITV Teletext religious pages & appeared on the reality TV show “The Search” wet-rafting down the Amazon etc. After retiring I became Chair of the Sutton-on-Sea Residents Association, a post I held until being elected to the Councils.

Deborah Higton

Environment Agency - Area Coastal Manager

James Brindle

Magna Vitae - Executive Director

Tim Allen

MA FSA, Development Advice Team Leader (North), Historic England

Tim Allen manages Historic England’s Development Advice team covering the north half of the Midlands. Trained as an archaeologist he is the Inspector of Ancient Monuments for the County and a Fellow of Society of Antiquaries. Historic England (the Historic buildings and Monuments Commission for England is Government’s expert advisor on the Historic Environment. Tim has been with Historic England (formerly English Heritage) since 2005. Tim’s team works closely with public, private and third sector bodies on energy and coastal infrastructure, heritage led regeneration, local planning, farming and environmental management. Communities are at the heart of Historic England’s focus on the Lincolnshire Coast, including grant led work in Grimsby on the High Street Heritage Action Zone and other key heritage sites. HE works closely with partners around the coast via Towns Fund / Levelling Up and through directly funded research such as the Lincolnshire County Council’s Inns on the Edge Project looking at the importance and viability of coastal pubs.

Chris Lilley (Revd Canon)

Church of England’s Partnership Dean for East Lindsey

Revd Canon Chris Lilley is the Church of England’s Partnership Dean for East Lindsey. This is a voluntary role that covers the 165 Anglican churches in the East Lindsey District Council area including working alongside the eleven paid clergy and dozens of volunteers. The aim is to grow the number of church members and to grow their faith. He was a member of the Church of England’s General Synod for twenty years and has held numerous roles in Lincoln Diocese including Chair of the House of Clergy and vice chair of the Diocesan Board of Finance.

Chris is a yellow belly born in Grantham. He lived for eleven years in Skegness in the 1980/90’s and returned to the coast on his ostensible retirement thirteen years ago. He is based in the Mablethorpe and Sutton on Sea Groups of Parishes which he loves. He is a trustee, board member or committee member of a number of local groups.

Before his ordination at the age of 33 Chris was a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation. He was a partner in the large Lincolnshire firm of Duncan and Toplis.

Chris is passionate about the Lincolnshire coast and walks his black Labrador for at least five miles on the beach most morning but twice a week Chris runs for 10K whilst the dog walks beside him!. Chris enjoys singing, acting in musicals and directing large scale outdoor Passion Plays and Nativity Plays. He also enjoys being the ship’s Chaplain on cruises!

Councillor Carl Tebbutt

Mablethorpe Town Council

Cllr Carl Tebbutt was born in Loughborough and moved to Mablethorpe in 1975 to start
a Record Shop which expanded into a small chain and independent record label. In
1990 a change of direction saw a move into the Promotional clothing and sportswear
business which Carl still operates from Manby, supplying printed and embroidered
workwear and teamwear to clubs and businesses throughout the country.

He has been a Town Councillor at Mablethorpe & Sutton Town Council for a period
spanning over 30 years and finally in 2019 found time to take on role of Mayor. As well
as this Carl has been an active member of the community having been Chair of
Mablethorpe Carnival throughout the 1980s and serving on many other committees
and local groups. Carl is also a Football Referee, now into his 25th season and also plays Walking Football for Louth Town and a team he founded himself Sutton Sharks. He looks forward to taking part in this exciting new opportunity for the area.

Julie Corden

University of Lincoln, Director or Regional Engagement (Operations and Business)

Julie has worked at the University of Lincoln for over 20 years, with her expertise in marketing, events, project and operational management. She has extensive experience in partnership and relationship management and is committed to supporting and working with regional partners towards a shared endeavour of regional health, wealth and opportunity.
She is currently the Director of Regional Engagement, where she is passionate about ensuring the University meets its civic responsibilities, increasing opportunities and commitment to making a real difference to people’s lives and supporting the region’s prosperity agenda.

She has previously held roles as Project Director and Assistant Director for Communications, Development and Marketing at the university.

She has grown up in Lincolnshire and has a personal passion for the County. With her spare time, she loves nothing more than spending days out with her children exploring and enjoying the coast and countryside on her doorstep.

Tracy Stringfellow

CEO Heritage Lincolnshire

Tracy’s background is in the heritage sector, having worked for Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust for the last eight years and previously for the Royal borough of Greenwich. She has worked in museum education in Birmingham and Lincolnshire and was Museums Manager for North East Lincolnshire Council before moving to the south east and London in 2009. She was born and raised in Grimsby. As well as her extensive experience of working on major projects in the heritage sector, Tracy is a trustee of WSUP, the Woolwich Service Users Project, a charity which supports people at risk of homelessness in south east London.

Gareth Rowland

Fifty years’ experience Running a multi award winning, Holivans Caravan park. Director of British holiday and Home Parks Association (BHHPA) Representing Lincolnshire and the interests of the Parks industry in the UK. Member of Mablethorpe area Partnership and Mablethorpe & Sutton Coastal Communities team. Representative on the Geological disposal facility Community Partnership. (GDF) Member of the Lincolnshire Sand Yacht Club , and the British Ice sailing Team, based in Mablethorpe, actively competing at National and International level.

Recently retired I look forward to using my skills and knowledge for the promotion of a every aspect of the Lincolnshire Coast particularly the future of green tourism.

Naomi Wilkinson-Baker

Director of Operations , Magna Vitae Trust for Leisure & Culture

Naomi is the Director of Operations for Magna Vitae Leisure and Culture Trust.

Lincolnshire born and has worked with ELDC and Magna Vitae Trust for nearly 20 years.

Embracing continuous improvement, as Director of Operations, Naomi has been pivotal in advancing Magna Vitae facilities operations, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.

Her mission is striving to enhance community well-being through leisure and culture.

She prioritises team leadership, ensuring teams grow alongside our local services.

Carl Richardson