Banner photo L-R: Victoria Winters, Chris Maddox and Neil Mitchell

We’re delighted to welcome three new trustees to the ACT board, Victoria Winters, Chris Maddox, and Neil Mitchell. They each bring something unique to the team and we’re really pleased they’ve chosen to support us as we work to deliver our new 2025–2028 strategy.

They’ll help steer our mission to care for Argyll’s environment, empower communities to take climate action, and create more opportunities for everyone to enjoy and benefit from the outdoors. Their knowledge and energy will strengthen our work across nature restoration, climate action, and outdoor learning, health and wellbeing.

Victoria Winters

Victoria brings a brilliant mix of business expertise and creative thinking. With over 30 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical and investment sectors, she’s worked across clinical development, business growth, marketing and organisational change. As co-owner and Senior Advisor at Leader Partners Ltd., she supported clients to build strong customer relationships and navigate complex change with clarity and confidence.

Closer to home, Victoria’s inspired by the beauty of Argyll and enjoys exploring by foot, kayak or sail, camera in hand. She’s passionate about helping local organisations grow and loves connecting with the places and people that make the area so special.

Chris Maddox

Chris has spent the last thirty years living and working in Argyll, with a deep commitment to outdoor learning and community projects. His career began in PR and fundraising, where he played a key role in helping to launch the Kilmartin Museum project in the 1990s. He later retrained as a primary school teacher, working across Mid Argyll and taking on leadership roles, including Head Teacher at Ashfield Primary.

Now teaching part time, Chris uses his spare days to restore native woodland and meadow near Templewood Stone Circle and runs a pop-up campsite for travellers on the national cycle route. He’s also an active veg grower and community organiser in the Kilmartin area.

Neil Mitchell

Neil brings a strong background in governance, risk and developing customer-focused outcomes strategies, built over a long career in financial services. Most recently, he was Head of Customer Outcomes & Vulnerability at TSB Bank, where he led key regulatory programmes to support vulnerable customers and implement the UK’s new Consumer Duty standards. His work helped shape policy and practice at scale, and he’s recognised for his ability to engage widely to deliver objectives as well as his people-centred approach to leadership.

He’s particularly interested in how a clear, community-rooted strategy underpinned by good governance can strengthen ACT’s work and deliver positive outcomes. Neil is a keen hillwalker and leisure cyclist with a long-standing connection to Argyll.

Ross Lilley, ACT Chair, said:

"It’s fantastic to welcome Victoria, Chris and Neil to the Board. Each of them brings something unique to the table, and I know their perspectives will really strengthen ACT’s work. We’re entering an exciting phase as we build on our success and deliver our new strategy. Having trustees with such a strong commitment to Argyll, and such valuable experience, gives us real confidence for the future."

We’re so looking forward to working alongside them as we continue to care for Argyll’s nature, support communities to take action on climate, and make the outdoors a space for everyone to enjoy.

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