President: The Right Honourable the Earl of Powis
Vice Presidents: Stuart Sim OBE, Mrs Pat Wilson
Council of Management
The Society is a registered charity and limited company, run by a council of management. The council and society as a whole is run entirely by volunteers. The trustees forming the council are:
David Carter (Chair)
David started canal restoration on the Peak Forest Canal in the sixties. He has worked with the Society on the Montgomery Canal restoration for 24 years, the last nine of which as project manager. He is a retired Chartered Engineer having previously worked in the construction industry and academia.
Steve Clews (Vice Chair)
Steve Clews is a Chartered Marine Engineer who finished his career working in Oil and Gas industry Engineering Standards. He has experience of working for a volunteer-led charity through involvement in the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway and is a director of four companies.
Tom Fulda (Restoration Project Manager)
Tom joined Council in 2021. He coordinated the pre-construction activities and now project manages the Society’s next restoration phase of the Montgomery Canal at Crickheath, which started in 2023. He has a background in manufacturing operations, logistics and business consulting. He lives on the Montgomery Canal in Pant.
Pat Tolster (Health & Safety)
Before retirement, Pat was a Health, Safety and Environmental manager for a large multinational engineering company. He joined the Society in 2014 as a trustee with the responsibility for health, safety and environmental advice, guidance and documentation. He lives with his wife near Ironbridge and has travelled extensively on the canal network for over 20 years.
Ian Hendley
Ian joined the Society as an active boater in 2002 and became a trustee in 2004. He has been involved with most aspects of Society activity from restoration and enhancement work parties to lockwinds and boat rallies. He has served as the Membership Secretary, Secretary and Treasurer.
Sue Ball (Secretary)
Whilst not on the Big Dig of 1968, Sue started work on the Monty not long after (1972), at Welshpool Town Lock. With husband Graham, working parties, council meetings, fundraising, editing Cuttings and boat rallies became a way of life – not to mention the boating holidays. Now retired from teaching and the magistracy, she’s ‘trying again,’ clearly not having done it properly the first time round, reincarnated as Secretary and Trustee in 2023.
Clive Robertson (Treasurer and Fundraising)
Clive retired from his position as MD of a diversified farming business in 2015 and has been a volunteer and trustee for SUCS from 2016. He has been a narrowboater for thirty years and is a keen gardener and DIYer. He is our treasurer, leads fundraising and is now developing an interest in local history.
Richard Feeney (Membership Secretary)
Richard lives in London and is retired, having previously had a career in IT. He’s been a restoration volunteer since 2015 and membership secretary since 2019. Having had a long-standing interest in the Montgomery canal from afar, he decided to attend a work party as a one-off and forgot to stop coming.
Chris Hesketh
Chris joined SUCS in 2012, started volunteering on the Montgomery restoration in 2015 and became a trustee in 2021. He is particularly involved with surveying of the restoration works and supports planning for the next phase. He and his wife particularly enjoy walking the canal towpaths and cycling on the quiet lanes of Shropshire.
Other contacts
Other volunteers performing roles for the Society:
