The team
Trustees:
Andrew Coleman
Andrew Coleman is an environmental planner from Brighton. He’s been surfing since the early 1980s and was a director and local representative for Surfers Against Sewage in the 90s.
Andrew provides environmental and planning advice to the Museum. He is involved in the Green Party and loves cycling, Fulham FC and real ale.
Most of his spare time is spent with his wife and young daughter.
Kevin Cook
‘Cookie’ made his first surfboard whilst at school in 1968, and has been surfing ever since. He was a teacher of PE, Languages and ICT for over 30 years at Ilfracombe Arts College and was awarded a Sir Winston Churchill travelling fellowship the visit the USA to check out the beaches & lifeguarding techniques and equipment.
Kevin has played a big part in lifesaving at a national level, and at his home beach of Woolacombe in North Devon. He developed & monitored the surf coaching scheme at the former British Surfing Association.
He feels particularly proud to have been in the middle of the North Devon surfing scene when board development was at its peak in the 1970s & 80s. As a Trustee & Treasurer, Cookie plans to bring some “ancient background knowledge” to the Museum of British Surfing as it moves into an exciting new phase.
Richard Gregory
Richard Gregory is a founding sponsor of the Museum of British Surfing and contributed design and strategic support from the first exhibition in 2004 until he was made Chairman of Trustees in 2009.
Richard runs a company called Kind Design with his partner Zoe and is also establishing wavedreamer as a portal for his own quirky video portraits of surfing in the UK. He has been a director of Surfers Against Sewage since 1998.
Also a passionate gardener, Richard believes that growing food is a political activity and is Chairperson of Woolacombe Allotments and Garden Association.
Kind Design, Wavedreamer, Woolacombe Allotments
Adam Powell
Adam Powell lives in North Devon and loves to surf! He has a wide range of business and charity skills at a senior level – experience that will be invaluable in his new role as a Trustee & Treasurer for the Museum of British Surfing.
He was General Manager at the local charity Dartington Hall, before taking a leading role at the TTS charity group providing employment, training and services to the long term disadvantaged and unemployed.
Hugo Tagholm, Director, SAS
Hugo Tagholm took over as Director of Surfers Against Sewage at the end of 2008, having previously been on the voluntary board of directors for 5 years. Surfing and the environment are his two big passions.
During his career Hugo has worked for a number of charities, big and small, including the Stop Climate Chaos coalition and the Wildlife Trusts. For a number of years he worked with the former Prime Minister’s wife, Sarah Brown, running her charity PiggyBankKids.
Hugo says he is delighted to be on the Board of Trustees at the Museum of British Surfing to help steer this important project to success.
Staff
Director
Peter Robinson
Pete Robinson is the founder and director of the Museum of British Surfing, and an award winning former ITV news reporter & senior manager for the national television broadcaster.
With a passion for investigation and surfing history he has uncovered remarkable evidence of Britain’s love affair with surfing dating back as far as 1769.
He has donated his massive surf heritage collection to the charity “as a gift for future generations to enjoy”.
Supported by his wife Bianca, Pete began researching British surfing history in 1997 and started the surf museum in 2003. He established it as a Registered Charity in 2009, with a strong environmental and educational focus.
Commercial Officer
Howard Cobb
Howie surfed his first wave on Manly Beach in the 1960s, so describes himself as a museum piece! Back in England he resumed surfing in the mid 80s, travelling to Croyde and Woolacombe as a ‘weekend warrior’.
Now long-time resident of Braunton, he will be applying his commercial development skills to help the Museum grow and then sustain that growth – drawing on his 25 year experience as a marketing and advertising consultant.
He is also passionate about his family, music, photography and art, and can often be found painting our beautiful region alongside the North Devon ‘plein air’ outdoor painting group.
Management Committee
Alison Mills, AMA – curatorial adviser
Alison Mills is an experienced Museum Professional who has lived and worked in North Devon for twenty years. As Museums Development Officer for North Devon and Torridge districts, she has guided many independent museums through the rigours of Museum Accreditation, as well as supporting major developments at museums in Braunton, Ilfracombe, Bideford and most recently Combe Martin.
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon has, under her leadership, been shortlisted for the Gulbenkian Prize for Museum of the Year, and rides high in the government’s Place Survey tables for local people’s usage and satisfaction with council services.
Alison is excited about the Museum of British Surfing’s potential to demonstrate how culture can benefit the local economy and well-being, and keen to continue educational work around surfing that has included Barnstaple Museum’s award-winning “North Devon Surf History” DVD.
Volunteers
We are always interested in hearing from people who would like to offer their time, skills and knowledge to help with the development of the Museum of British Surfing.