Your Board Members

Chairman & Farmer Board Member

Jim Robertson

Jim farms over 1700 acres of LFA in Langholm Dumfriesshire, running a flock of 950 South Country Cheviots and 50 Texel’s, along with 100 Galloway cows. Over the past few years, Jim has bought white bred Shorthorn bulls and also sells both blue grey and Galloway heifers and steers. Jim breeds his own female replacements, both sheep and cattle, then sells his pedigree Cheviot Rams at the annual SCC sale in October.

The Becks, Langholm, Dumfriesshire, DG13 0LP

Tel: 01387 380457
Mob: 07834 034779
Email: [email protected]

Vice Chairman & Farmer Board Member

Brendan Kelly

Farming in partnership with his two brothers, Brendan runs around 950 breeding ewes, including Mules and Romney’s, as well as 90 suckler cows on over 600 acres of grazing land. As well as being an active member of the UFU’s Beef and lamb committee, Brendan is also a member of the BISCA executive committee and a senior shearing judge as well as an advanced shearer in his own right.

185 Magheralane Road, Co Antrim, BT41 2PH

Mob:     07831 669669
Email:   [email protected]

Farmer Board Member

Alan Derryman

English South Western

Alan, farms 900 New Zealand Romneys and 80 cows in Sibudry in East Devon. He has psent 25 years as a shearing contractorcovering Devon and West Dorest as well as spending time shearing in New Zealand and Australia. Alan is also the senior shearing instructor for Southern England, a role he had held for 30 years and a past Chairman of the National Sheep Association in the South West.

Home Farm, Sidbury, Sidmouth, Devon, EX10 0QE

Tel: 01395 597836   Mob: 07976 624611
Email: [email protected]

Farmer Board Member

Carl Stephenson

English Northern

Carl farms 400 acres (mainly tenanted) of Severely Disadvantaged land in Teesdale, Durham. His farm runs Limousin and Beef Shorthorn suckler cows, along with Swaledale ewes (pure-bred and crossed), Bluefaced Leicesters and North of England Mule Ewes.

Pikestone, Woodland, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham DL13 5RT

Tel: 01833 631318
Email: [email protected]

Farmer Board Member

Huw Evans

In partnership with his wife, Huw farms two holdings in a Severely Disadvantaged Area in Rhyd-y-main, Dolgellau, running two self-contained flocks of Welsh Mountain ewes and a pedigree Welsh Black Cattle herd on land rising up to 2400 ft. Huw is past Chairman of the Welsh Mountain Sheep Society and has represented Merioneth on NFU Cymru’s LFA Board since 2006.

Hengwrt Uchaf, Rhydymain, Dolgellau, Gwynedd, LL40 2AR

Tel: 01341 450252 Mob: 07922 775265
Email: [email protected]

Farmer Board Member

John Davies

Welsh Southern

John runs a beef and sheep farm in partnership with his wife Audrey, and son Bleddyn. The family’s flock of 700 sheep include Beulah, Tregaron Welsh and Aberfield X. John is a past chairman of Ceredigion NFU and currently a county representative on NFU Wales Rural Affairs Board.

Blaenglowon Fawr, Talgarreg, Llandysul, Ceredigion, SA44 4EX

Tel: 01559 364869 Mob: 07816 857504

Independent Board Member

Jonathan Lea FCMA

Jonathan joined the board on 1^st October 2019. He is a Finance Director by profession, was previously the CFO of a FTSE 250 PLC and has wide international experience of business in Europe, Asia and Latin America. He spent 25 years in the global textile industry, including working in Hong Kong and China for 7 years. He also has a deep interest in sustainability and was previously a Director of WRAP, the not-for-profit organisation that developed and runs the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan, a clothing industry-led initiative that uses collective action to transform the environmental impact of our clothes.

He has considerable experience in corporate governance across a number of different sectors and is a Non-Executive Director on several boards, including Crop Health and Protection Ltd (CHAP), a government backed agri-tech centre set up to improve agricultural productivity in the UK.

Email: [email protected]

Board Appointed Member

Jo Taylor

Jo joined the board on 1^st March 2024. A Senior Brand Marketing leader, Board Advisor, and brand strategy transformation expert. With over 20+ years’ experience delivering creative global and UK brand strategies for companies including Virgin, Peloton, Fat Face, Wiggle and various British lifestyle and beauty brands. She also holds a NED role for a Marketing Research company delivering insights in the metaverse.

With family & friends in the Farming community she’s grown up with a keen interest & admiration for farmers. Based on the South Coast, any downtime you’ll find Jo outdoors – donning wellies to walk her lab, mud splattered cycling the South Downs, or salty enjoying being in/on the Solent!

Email: [email protected]

Farmer Board Member

Penny Chantler

English Southern

Penny farms 1500 NZ Romneys with her two sons in Herefordshire. She is very keen to help educate the next generation and is an Ambassador for the NFU Schools Program. Penny has a strong understanding and experience of the Textile Industry that began as a Textile Student at Leeds University.

Hill Farm, Llanigon, Hay-on-wye, Hereford, HR3 5RH

Tel: 01497 820304  Mob:07966 351563

Email: [email protected]

Independent Board Member

Rhys Davies

Rhys joined the board on 1^st October 2019. He has extensive change and transformation experience, predominantly IT led, across a number of business sectors – supermarkets, supply chain, leisure, higher education and health – with some of these programmes leading to world first innovations. Rhys holds a number of non-executive and director roles in West Yorkshire at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, Sovereign Health Care, the University of Huddersfield and Bradford Grammar School and is also working with a start-up educational technology company.

Email: [email protected]

Farmer Board Member

Rosie Keenan

Scottish Northern

Rosie is crofting alongside her partner Henry. They have a flock of Cheviot ewes and Belted Galloway cows. Rosie has extensive shepherding knowledge and experience and in 2023 became the World Wool Handling Champion, an achievement that reflects both her skills and dedication to the craft.

Rosie, previously worked with British Wool as a field officer and depot worker, and more recently as a Brand Ambassador.

Farmer Board Member

Richard Spencer

English Central

Richard is a 4th generation farmer, farming in Derbyshire just south of the Pennines. Richard runs a commercial flock of Lleyn, Meatlinc, Charolais, and Abermax and has been an active member of his farming community for many years including the local parish council, and the NFU.

Richard studied agriculture at university and has twice been a national winner of the National Forage Competition. Amongst Richards many achievements as an advocate of wool and sheep, he was also the founding member working with a group of volunteers organizing the Sheep Fairs in Ashbourne and Uttoxeter.