Trustee Elections
The results of the Trustee Elections were announced at Butterfly Conservation's AGM on Saturday 9 November 2024. We can confirm that the following three candidates were successfully elected to the Board of Trustees:
- Steve Almond
- Carrie Hume
- Shaun Thomas
The following two candidates were successfully re-elected to the Board of Trustees:
- Dr Elaine King
- Simon Saville
Steve Almond (proposed by Laurence Harwood)
I am very keen to contribute to Butterfly Conservation’s pursuit of its mission and strategy by working as a trustee, if elected. This reflects my broader interest in the environment, my concern for the challenges it faces and my desire to play a part, however small, in addressing the planetary problems that my generation is bequeathing to our children.
I am a member of several comparable organisations such as the RSPB, the Woodland Trust, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and the Hampshire & IoW Wildlife Trust, where I am currently participating as a volunteer in a butterfly survey programme.
I am a chartered accountant and spent most of my career in senior roles in a global professional services firm, culminating in being elected to chair their global board. So I offer expertise in the finance sector and a depth of experience in the boardroom. I am currently a trustee of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. If elected, I believe my experience with each organisation would help me to be more effective with the other.
I identify strongly with Butterfly Conservation’s values (EPIC): I always strive for excellence, I get passionate about what I do, during my career, I believe my colleagues always liked working with me as a leader who is able to inspire but equally a team player who believes everyone should have a voice.
Carrie Hume (proposed by Laurence Harwood)
If I were to be elected on to the Board at Butterfly Conservation, I would bring 20 years of relevant experience in the nature conservation and broader environment field, and a whole of load of passion for making a difference for moths and butterflies. This experience spans many of the areas of strategic significance for butterfly conservation, including landscape scale ecology practices, policy and advocacy with decision makers, establishing effective partnerships for change making and delivery, and how to sell in nature to other agendas like promoting health outcomes. I am currently a development and partnerships director in an environmental charity, and so have credible real-world insights into the challenges that organisations like Butterfly Conservation face, spanning how to have and escalate impact, how to ensure financial sustainability, and how to reach new and diverse audiences.
Busy with a boisterous family in Kent, I’ve been yearly moth trapping with my children since they were babes, building on my own early years experience of moth trapping with my father. It was here my particular (peculiar?) love of hawkmoths developed, and opened my eyes to the infectious wonder of these amazing insects that deserve every bit of our attention and energy to ensure they have a secure future. I do hope you will have me on board.
Dr Elaine King (proposed by Martin Spray)
I am an experienced chief executive with over 25 years in charities and public bodies and a comprehensive knowledge of UK environmental policy and practice. With a scientific background - a Biology degree and PhD on bovine tuberculosis in badgers and cattle - I recognise the importance of using science and evidence to inform policy decisions. This is one of Butterfly Conservation’s strengths and I’m keen to continue as a trustee to support the organisation as we work collectively to reverse the declines in nature, tackle the impacts of climate change, and bring more people closer to nature.
For the past five years, I have led the Chilterns Conservation Board - recently rebranded as the Chilterns National Landscape - and previously served as a Secretary of State appointee on the Board. For eight years I was Chief Executive at Wildlife and Countryside Link, a charity which brings together 83 charities - including Butterfly Conservation - with diverse interests across nature conservation, landscape protection, animal welfare and people’s health and well-being, and which is a valued member.
Butterfly Conservation is a hugely respected voice within the environment sector – amongst charities, the government and the wider scientific community. I am constantly impressed by the professionalism, passion and energy amongst the staff team and Council members and would consider it a privilege to be re-elected as a Council member.
Simon Saville (proposed by Martin Spray)
When I grew up in Dorset, I enjoyed meadows teeming with Marbled Whites and chalk hillsides awash with Blues. This sparked a lifelong passion for butterflies, moths and wildlife in general. I joined Butterfly Conservation in 1985 and am a Life Benefactor. I have been Chair of the Surrey & SW London Branch since 2016, and I have promoted our conservation, recording and outreach activities, and the Branch continues to thrive.
I live in London, where I have been helping to develop our activities, profile and partnerships, including the flagship Big City Butterflies project, now in its final year. I have more recently become involved in other groups that are doing great work to improve our urban spaces for nature.
Most of my career was in public affairs, with a focus on marketing, branding and communications. I served at senior leadership levels in an international company, and managed large teams and budgets, and I am keen to use this experience for the benefit of Butterfly Conservation.
It has been a privilege to use my skills and experience to contribute as a Trustee since 2018, including as Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee. It would be an honour to continue to support Butterfly Conservation in delivering our ambitious strategy.
In 2021, I set off on a 1,200-mile ‘Bike For Butterflies’ ride from Land’s End to John o’Groats, raising £33,000 for Butterfly Conservation. I did another ride last year, and am doing a third in 2024.
Shaun Thomas (proposed by Laurence Harwood)
I am passionate about restoring nature at scale in the UK, working with other people. Having left full-time work, I want to use my time, energy, experience and skills in the cause of nature but in ways that allow me to learn new things and apply what I have learnt to new situations. If elected, becoming a Trustee of Butterfly Conservation fits that bill.
I have spent my professional career working for the statutory nature conservation organisations and for the RSPB, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer responsible for RSPB’s work across the UK. I have experience of helping develop organisations and of working with Government, the conservation sector and many of those who need to act to restore nature. As someone who has setup and chairs a local environmental charity and has also worked closely with Trustees for 20 years, I bring some experience of governance. However, I have a lot to learn in respect of Butterfly Conservation, butterflies and moths but I look forward to doing so, if appointed.
I have been impressed with the people I have met from Butterfly Conservation and with the boldness, scale and ambition of the strategy. I especially like the way it promotes collaboration and a wider landscape scale approach whilst retaining the focus that species recovery requires. I would like to play my part, as a Trustee, in helping ensure that the strategy succeeds and, in doing so, restores our butterflies, moths and the habitats on which they depend.
Applications to become a trustee are now closed.
Butterfly Conservation (BC) is a charitable organisation focused on taking bold, ambitious steps to conserve butterflies and moths. In turn we can also help restore biodiversity, mitigate the climate crisis, and start to rebuild the vital kinship between people and the natural world.
Our vision is to have a world where butterflies and moths thrive and can be enjoyed by everyone, forever. If you are passionate about being part of nature’s recovery, making a meaningful impact, and rebuilding the relationship between people and the natural world, we want you on our team. As a Trustee, you will have the opportunity to influence our strategy and support our expert staff and volunteers in the conservation of butterflies and moths helping them to deliver on our key strategic goals.
We have a dedicated team of up to 10 trustees who are responsible for the purpose and overall strategic direction of the charity, and who provide the governance and accountability framework to ensure we are operating and using our funds in the most effective and efficient way.
To be eligible to stand as a candidate for the position of Trustee, candidates must:
- Be over 18 years of age
- Not be disqualified from acting as a charity trustee
- Have not been convicted of an offence involving deception or dishonesty (or any such conviction is legally regarded as spent)
- Have not been involved in tax fraud
- Not be an undischarged bankrupt or have taken out an Individual Voluntary Arrangement
- Not made compositions or arrangement with your creditors from which you have not been discharged
- Not have been removed from serving as a charity trustee, or been stopped from acting in a management position within a charity
- Not have been disqualified from serving as a Company Director
Candidates must have a keen personal interest in the environment, and be willing to learn the role of being a Trustee.
How to Apply
Applications to become a trustee have now closed.
Our Values
E – we deliver excellence
P – we are passionate
I – we are inspiring
C – we are collaborative