THE COMMITTEE
The Committee is highly motivated to make the shop a success. We have a range of relevant experience and skills, including successful entrepreneurship, business development, fundraising, financial management, administration, communications, and staff training.
Chair Paul - Martin
Vice-Chair - Mary Elkington
Treasurer - Steve Reynolds
Committee members: Alex Fitton, Stella Llewelyn, Ruth Maker, Stuart Robinson
Meet The Team
Chair - Paul Martin
Paul is a retired teacher with considerable experience in community outreach. Paul has been instrumental in establishing Ogwell Community Hub and the Ogwild biodiversity group. Ogwild has a large number of regular volunteers and has recently won the Devon Local Nature Partnership Wildlife Community of the Year Award. Paul is also a local Parish Councillor for Ogwell.
Vice-Chair Mary Elkington
Mary is a chartered town planning consultant with experience in delivering large scale community infrastructure projects. As principal growth point officer for Teignbridge Mary led on community infrastructure projects and worked with the team delivering multi-million pound renovation of Newton Abbots Public Library and delivery a major transport schemes.
Treasurer - Steve Reynolds
Steve is a retired Business Engineer with after 43 years of experience working for Barclays UK, covering both branch and regional roles. 28 of those years spent as a Relationship Manager/Director and Business Development Director, working with SME businesses across the South West.
Other local roles include:
- Chair of Ogwell Parish Council
- 22 years as Finance Director/Trustee in the Leisure and Charity sectors
Steve remains a Fellow of the London Institute of Banking & Finance
Stuart Robinson
Stella Llewelyn
Ruth Maker
Stuart served in the Royal Navy for nearly 30 years holding operational roles at sea including Command and appointments ashore in the Ministry of Defence. Joining defence industry in 2003, he gained broad experience in commercial practices, sales and programme management before retiring as Director Business Development of Thales UK Underwater Systems in 2021.
Stella is a retired solicitor and former finance partner and head of conveyancing at a large south devon firm. Stella was involved in the setting up of the community shop at Broadhempston Parish (South Devon). She is a former chairman of the Parish council and hall committee and current chairman of the tennis club and church warden.
Ruth has been a company Director of Technique Property Services Ltd for 34 years. The company's work includes an extensive project portfolio, working within the water utilities sector.
Ruth is the Chair of Governors at Canada Hill Primary School and is the chair of the Ogwell Events Committee
Alex Fitton
Interested in Joining Us?
Alex has over 20 years experience working in the food trade across retail, hospitality and education.
Currently Alex is co-founder and Director of Pullo in Exeter. Pullo is a bottleshop, bar and cheesemongers that specialises in natural wines, ciders and British farmhouse cheeses. Made simply by small producers who care for their environment.