Our Board of Trustees

Lifelong vegetarian, Conn O'Neill, studied Politics at Stirling University. He manages external affairs for a pharmaceutical company. Having previously worked for a national health charity and a leading UK politician, he brings both charity sector and campaigning experience to the table.

Fond of replicating enjoyable restaurant meals at home, Conn especially enjoys Italian and Indian food.

Having worked for a national environmental and sustainability charity previously, Dale Hoyland has developed key skills including staff management, strategic development, project and financial management. He is a member both of the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), and has an MSc in Marine Environmental Management from the University of York.

He now works in the Climate Action Team for Oxfordshire County Council, delivering impactful work to tackle the climate and ecological emergency, helping to secure the future of our fragile planet. Dale has one daughter, is (very almost) a life-long vegetarian and is keen to help others reduce their meat consumption, then support them to become vegetarian / vegan.

Andrew is a lawyer and Company Secretary and works in the water industry, in market systems and water market regulation. Prior to that he has worked in a range of industries, but particularly financial services, in both a legal and an IT and project management capacity and also has experience in starting up and running a small business.

Andrew has been vegetarian since the age of 21 and his wife and three children are all vegans or vegetarians.

Vegetarian since 1984, Michael Harriot is a member of the Co-operative National Members Council. He is also Chair of a Community Book Co-operative, which runs a second-hand bookshop and online store.

He has worked in the charitable sector for 19 years, and set up a local family service charity in 1998. Michael currently works for HMRC in a tax compliance role.

A vegetarian since 2017, Anne has a long career with food, holding senior positions in UK and European manufacturing companies in a number of different disciplines. She then went on to lecture in a wide range of food subjects whilst gaining a Masters Degree in teaching and learning, designing academic courses and mentoring students in Higher Education. Anne is also a qualified meditation teacher and reiki practitioner.

A fundraising professional with over 20 years’ experience, Sophie Randles-Dunkley has developed and delivered fundraising events, campaigns and projects for some of the UK’s most prominent charities.

A relative latecomer to vegetarianism, she wants to help others discover the joy of a veggie lifestyle, and make it easier for everyone to make the switch. She brings skills in fundraising, marketing, volunteer management and charity leadership to further the work of the organisation.

Tobias Azizah is a hospitality professional who has worked in the Food and Beverage sector since 2014, with experience in evaluating food and beverage provisions perks and benefits, specialty dietary needs, as well as international food and cultural trends.

He is a member of Réunion des Gastronomes and holds a BA in Special Events Management from the University of West London, and L4 certification in Principles on Nutrition from the Royal Society of Public Health England (RSPH).

Tobias has been a lifelong vegetarian and committed to a vegan diet in 2014. Born and raised in London, he has spent a number of years living and working across Europe and Asia in food services.

Carmel has a background in sustainable food and land use policy and programmes, having worked on this at various organisations, including WWF and RSPB. She brings to the trustee team a range of skills, including in food policy, campaigns and fundraising.

She has been vegetarian for over ten years and vegan for 3 years. She enjoys vegan cooking and baking and getting out in nature.

Katie is an MSc Society, Environment, and Global Change student and has a (BA) Geography degree from Swansea University. She was awarded the Terry Fenge Prize by the Swansea University Geography department for demonstrating the greatest commitment to social and environmental justice for her research.

Having held various trustee and director roles, Katie is passionate about amplifying young people's voices in education, climate change and sustainability work and has a track record of mobilising young people in sustainability-related campaigns including Food Waste Action Week, Veganuary, and World Refill Day.

Vegetarian since the age of 18 and now vegan, Katie aims to support others in their reduction of consumption of meat in her role as Swansea University VegSoc Secretary.

A lifelong vegetarian, Sima has an MA in Cultural Anthropology and Sociology and worked in the charity sector for over 15 years.

She has taught English in several countries around the world and has a vast array of experience in teaching, fundraising, social research, web design and property management. More recently she has begun working with young people with speech, language and communication needs.

Sima has a passion for trying new vegetarian/vegan recipes and has become a bit of a whizz at making sumptuous eggless cakes to share with friends and family.