Our Trustees
The Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees, which sets the strategy for the charity and works to ensure it continues to meet the present and future needs of our service users. Our trustees come from a variety of professional backgrounds and from across Gloucestershire. They volunteer their time free of charge.
Dr Marion McDowell
Marion has worked as a GP in Cam for 28 years and has been a Yercombe Trustee for about 25 of them. She grew up in south London and attended University in Bristol, settling in Coaley where she and her husband raised their three sons.
She enjoys visiting Yercombe and helping to maintain its family atmosphere. She is the CQC lead Trustee, ensuring the staff maintain their great standards of care. Her mother Diana was a very happy Day Centre user, respite user and finally a resident in her last years.
She enjoys long Cotswold walks and gardening.
John Drury
John is a retired chartered accountant. After training and spending his early career in the City of London, he returned to his native Gloucestershire where he was in practice for over twenty years. Although concentrating on the corporate sector, he served a wide range of clients, including many charities and others in the care sector. He has been a trustee at Yercombe since July 1995.
Peter Gilbert
Pete worked in local government as a town planner for 40 years before retiring in 2013 from his role as Planning Strategy Manager at Stroud District Council. His years of public service brought him into contact with many charitable causes and volunteer organisations. He brings an empathy for the work of such organisations, his local knowledge and understanding of property issues and local government to his Trustees role.
In his retirement Pete stays active playing badminton and walking football, enjoys home DIY projects and is a volunteer for the Guide Dogs Association as a ‘puppy raiser’.
Julie Thomas
Julie studied then worked for the NHS for 40 years in a broad variety of roles including as a registered nurse, in general management, public health and workforce development, with the last 10 years being in Board level roles.
She has lived in Gloucestershire since 1998 and since retiring enjoys grandchildren, upholstery, gardening, reading and the arts. She draws on her work and life experience to contribute to the work of Yercombe Lodge
Dr Phil Sprague
Phil is an Engineer who spent his entire working life in the Electricity Industry; latterly as Site Director at Trawsfynydd in Snowdonia and then at Oldbury. Having spent a considerable amount of his working life in management Phil brings his business experience to assist in the running of Yercombe Lodge.
Since retiring in 2014 he spends a lot of time travelling (with children and now grand children in both America and Australia) and has recently taken over as Chair at Dursley Rugby Club.
Vernon Jotcham
Emeritus Trustee
It is with great sadness that we have to announce that Vernon passed away on Wednesday 26th January.
Vernon was a Trustee at Yercombe Lodge for over 30 years. More recently he had taken a well deserved step back. He will be sadly missed by all of us at Yercombe Lodge.
Our Patron - Lady Carolyn Elwes
It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of our patron Lady Carolyn Elwes who passed away on the 22nd December 2022. She has been our patron at Yercombe Lodge for many years and will be very much missed. Our sincere condolences go out to all her family and friends.
