The Trustees

Melissa Kay

I am Jonathan’s youngest sister.  I enjoy fly fishing and trekking abroad and was encouraged by board members to participate alongside students in both the Scottish and Alpine courses to experience first hand what we offer.  My only ascent has been with Andrew Don (fellow Trustee), guides and students on Aigue de Tour. It was a wonderful experience.  My children have all climbed both rock and alpine routes.  As my father grew elderly he mentored me in becoming a Trustee with all the responsibilites that entails.  I am the Treasurer, do fundraising with Katrina, and manage the website with much needed guidance from past particpant Phil Ewels.

 

Charles Lesser

I am a recently retired 52 year old man who spent 33 years in commodities mainly trading coffee and cocoa.  I was at school with Katrina and Melissa and knew both their parents well, so have a lot of history with the Convilles.  I have walked and scrambled through many parts of the UK and know the mountain ranges quite well and have also climbed Kilimanjaro.  I have been a Trustee of quite a few charities and like to think that I know a bit about Balance Sheets and Budgets.

Chris Dodd

I am Relationship Manager with Sport England, the national development agency for sport, in the North West.  Between 1981 – 1988, I was Training Officer with the British Mountaineering Council.  Not surprisingly, I am a keen mountaineer.  I have completed all the Munros, and am making an impression on the Corbetts. I have also climbed half the 4,000ers in the Alps.  I love music, and enjoy playing the cello in my spare time.

David Conville OBE

I am Jonathan’s uncle, and founded the Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust alongside Andrew Don and David Tidmarsh in 1981, with the approval and support of Jonathan’s parents, Michael and Anne.  I have never climbed mountains, but am a keen hill walker.  I was awarded the OBE for services to the theatre, and still write and act today.

 

David Draper

I retired some 5 years ago as estate manager at a holiday park in the Lake District where I have workedf for thr last 20 years.  Before that I was employed for 25 years in outdoor education, specialising in teaching climbing and caving.  I was on the 1966 Munjan expedition to the Hindu Kush in North Eastern Afghanistan and was also a member of the 1971 Anglo Welsh expedition to Western Nepal.  I was chairman of Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation for 6 years in the late 70′s/80′s.  Shortly after Jonathan’s death on the Mattehorn I met David Tidmarsh when we were both working at the same outdoor centre.  I was involved with the Trust from its inception through my contact with David and served on the selection committee for many years before becoming a Trustee.

 

Katrina Taee

I am Jonathan’s younger sister.  I am an accredited counsellor and work with the dying and their bereaved families at Thames Hospicecare in Windsor.  I also have a private counselling practice.  Our uncle started the Trust in 1980, along with the support of my parents who were very keen that the family were well represented on the Board and so I was ‘bought into the fold’ to start attending meetings.  Later on I became more involved and eventually took over as the Chair in 2003.  We, Jonathan’s family are so lucky with our Trustees. They give of their time voluntarily and having two of Jonathan’s friends created a strong bond, united in our purpose and focus as a group and we continue to flourish as we look into the future with the health and heart of our charity always at the centre of what we do.

 

 

KATH ROSEDALE

I met Melissa and Katrina after my brother, Rupert, died in an avalanche on Ben Nevis in December 2009. He was an aspirant guide, head of outdoor activities at Marlborough College and died nearly 30 years to the day after Jonathan Conville. As a family we subsequently raised money for the JCMT and fully support the aims and ethos of the Trust. I did the Conville course as a student and it gave me confidence to carry on Scottish and Alpine mountaineering, which I continue to do. I feel honoured to be involved with such a worthwhile Trust.I am an Anaesthetic doctor living in Sheffield. I am stretching out my training by medical expeditions (Arctic, Nepal) and have spent 18 months practising emergency medicine in South Africa. I am combining medicine with the outdoors doing a Diploma in Mountain Medicine.  I love most outdoor activities but am a particularly keen fell runner and skier.