Simon Gershon
Director
Simon Gershon has served on the boards of LESS, Morecambe Bay Community Renewables and Lancaster Green Spaces and is a trustee of the Harmony with Nature Charitable Trust.
He is a former owner of retail and manufacturing businesses, and manages several rental properties.
Simon has been refurbishing Victorian buildings in Lancaster and is currently working on the eco-restoration of a large 1860’s house. This includes building a new 8-bedroom extension for refugees.
Peter Wiltshire
Director
Peter Wilshire was born in and grew up in Lancaster, attending Skerton Secondary School, and later working in the music industry. In the 1970s he returned to Lancaster to work in his family’s retail outlets.
He later developed a hobby of renovating properties which grew into a full time business and he formed a company specialising in Barn Conversions and New Build housing between 1988 and 2006. Peter was an NHBC registered developer during this period and at the same time ran his own construction company, called Bay Regeneration. He worked in partnership with Lancaster City Council to create 19 low cost homes in their Conversion for Sale Scheme. In 2006 he moved from construction to property management, and trained as a Commercial Energy Assessor in 2009 and as a Domestic Energy Assessor in 2013.
Peter was appointed Energy Officer for LESS in 2010 a post which he enjoyed until their Home Energy Service closed in early 2016. He has participated in several conferences on Fuel Poverty, has participated in on line debates on Fuel Security, and has twice been invited to participate in all party discussions on Energy Conservation at the House of Commons.
He is the current Chair of Lancaster Vision (Civic Society), Assistant Secretary of the Lancaster Engineering Society and a past president of Lancaster Loyne Rotary Club.
Peter is also company secretary for the North Lancashire Community Land Trust.
Nick Moule
Director
Nick worked in local government for 35 years, many spent in a senior management role responsible for implementing of housing and urban regeneration policy, regeneration partnerships, and land use planning. He has qualifications in Urban and Regional Planning and Housing Management, and is a long-standing Member of the RTPI. Nick sits on the Executive Committee of Lancaster Civic Vision and his interests and work have got him involved in a variety of heritage and community- based projects. He is familiar with how Councils operate and their strengths and limitations, and has been involved in securing a wide range of funding to finance housing, regeneration, environmental and community programmes and schemes.
Nick is a strong believer in local communities being empowered to address issues that matter to them. Local services are vitally important, but they can only do so much. Urban regeneration has to be progressive and transformative. It is vital that as a nation we help empower local communities taking on initiatives which tackle neglected properties and creating pride in their local neighbourhood.
Sarah Shuttleworth
Director
Sarah has a diverse career background in research, education, property management, and energy efficiency. Alongside running an independent energy assessment and property support business in Lancashire, Sarah advises on energy-efficient improvements and retrofit projects, with a particular interest in older and heritage buildings.
With many years of hands-on experience in property maintenance, renovation, and self-build project management, Sarah has developed a strong practical understanding of traditional construction methods, building conservation, and the challenges of improving older properties while protecting their historic character. Her work focuses on helping traditional and heritage buildings remain practical, sustainable, and energy efficient for modern use while respecting their original materials and design.
Oh… and she loves the outdoors!
Matt Cole
Volunteer (Historian, Researcher and Feature Writer)
Matt Cole is an Associate Lecturer at Lancaster University’s Regional Heritage Centre. He has researched, written lectured and broadcast about Lancashire history for over forty years, and recently published histories of Christ Church School and the Gregson Centre in Lancaster.
Matt is exploring and interpreting new evidence of the significance of Ryelands House, its residents and park as assets of the city and its people.
John Freeman
Volunteer (Web Site Co-Editor and Contributor)
John Freeman first arrived in Lancaster in 1978, returning to the city in 1999. A Skerton resident, he published the local listing magazine, On the Beat, in the 1980s, which later became Off the Beat. He joined the team behind virtual-lancaster.net shortly after it was launched and continues to contribute and maintain that site.
His background is in comics and magazine publishing for Marvel Comics and Titan Magazines, and various independent publishers, and was, until 2025, Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival.
Rachael Hamilton
Volunteer (Architectural and professional liaison)
Rachael moved to Lancaster in 2014 having grown up in London and later lived in Sheffield, where she trained as an architect. She worked as an architect in various settings before moving into managing building projects on behalf of local authorities and the department for Education. Having attended a course in building conservation at York University, she became interested in the modern use and adaptation of heritage buildings and will work closely with the architects appointed to develop a scheme for refurbishment of Ryelands House as this work progresses.
Rachael was involved with Lune Valley Community Land Trust in the development of twenty new houses and flats for social rent and shared ownership at Lune Walk in Halton, completed in 2023 which has won several design awards.
Frank Ledwith
Volunteer (Administrative support)
Frank helped the Community Land Trust in its early days, before moving to Scotland. He is now back in Lancaster and applying his career experience as a hospital administrator with the NHS, to this project.
Frank is currently working with Skerton Community Centre to revive their garden, and ia a keen cyclist
Jean O’Neill
Volunteer (Liaison with Park Friends and City councillors)
Jean has been a Skerton resident for fifteen years, and actively involved in the Friends of Ryelands Park for over decade. She is secretary of both this group, and the Friends of Lune Bank Gardens (another local part of Lord Ashton’s legacy).
Jean worked in education for nearly forty years, and as a headteacher was very committed to local community involvement. She volunteered with various community organisations in the 34 years she lived in Manchester.
Jean is also passionate about good quality outdoor space for young people. She’s extremely keen that Ryelands House takes its place again as a valued local asset, from which all local people can benefit.