Committees
The Society is managed by an Executive Committee with specialist committees working on Planning, Infrastructure and Environment, Events and Merchandise, Membership and Road Representatives and Communications.
See below for details of each committee.
Executive Committee and Trustees
The Executive Committee members are trustees of the Society and the committee is responsible for ensuring the Society is properly managed in accordance with its objects and rules. It takes decisions on expenditure and all policy changes.
Members
- Chair: Helen Jameson
- Hon Treasurer: Libby Bassett
- Hon Secretary: Anya Nikoulina
- David Blackburn
- Barbara Boehm, MA, MSc Arch, MBA RIBA (retired)
- Kate Bowes
- Nick Bueno de Mesquita
- Carol Woolner DipArch, RIBA (retired)
Nigel Woolner MBE, President, Nick Cowell, Joint Chair, Events & Merchandise Committee and Road Representatives Co-ordinator, Rhoda Avanzado Phillips, Membership Secretary, and Martin Landy, Special Adviser, attend by invitation.
President of the Society
Nigel Woolner MBE, FRCM, FRSA, Dip Arch, RIBA (Retired)
Biographies of our trustees
Libby Bassett
I bought my first house in Chiswick in the late 1990s and joined the Society when I moved to Bedford Park in 2007.
I am a chartered accountant by training and spent my entire working life at KPMG in a variety of business development roles, both in the UK and overseas. Following my retirement from full time work I am enjoying working with some charities alongside a little consulting work. In addition to my Society responsibilities, I am currently the Chair of Governors of a girls prep school in west London Treasurer of Hostage International and support Saidia, a children’s home in Kenya.
I am enjoying getting to know our very special area better – both its history and its people – and being able to bring my financial and events experience to the Society.
I act as Honorary Treasurer and Co-Chair of the Events and Merchandise Committee.
David Blackburn
I have lived in Bedford Park since 1987 and have always been interested in the Society but until recently work and family commitments prevented my involvement. My career in commercial insurance broking involved considerable interaction with people, with a focus on getting things done, and finding the best available solutions to issues.
I joined the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in 2017 and became Chair of it in 2022. I have a wide interest in matters that impact Bedford Park whether it involves traffic, cycling or the general environment. I have a particular interest in trees, which involves regular contact with both broughs. My family has woodland in Wales, so I understand the need to look after and manage trees.
I believe it is important to have a good relationship with local councillors in Ealing and Hounslow and I work, with other Committee members, to maintain a dialogue with them.
Barbara Boehm
I have been a resident in the Bedford Park area since 2003 and became a member of The Bedford Park Society in 2023.
With over 35 years of professional experience in architecture, including qualifications from both Poland and the UK, I have been involved in various projects across residential, educational, commercial and hospitality sectors. My career path has allowed me to develop my knowledge in conservation and sustainability, particularly in refurbishment projects.
My work with organisations such as the BBC, BDP, and SPPARC Architecture has provided me with valuable insights and skills that I am now able to bring to my role as Chair of the Planning Committee for the Society.
Since joining the Society, I have been actively involved in assessing planning applications within both Ealing and Hounslow boroughs. I aim to apply my background in architecture and design management to support the continued preservation and enhancement of the Bedford Park area.
Kate Bowes
I spent my career in corporate and marketing communications with Marks & Spencer, the Stock Exchange, Barclays plc and Australia and New Zealand Bank. I am pleased to be able to use these skills in helping develop and improve the Society’s communications with members and in raising the Society’s profile. I very much enjoy living – and working – in Bedford Park and am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the Society.
I’ve been a resident of Bedford Park for 25 years and a member of the Society for most of that time. I joined the Executive Committee in 2016 and serve on the Society’s Infrastructure Committee and as Chair of Communications. As part of my communications role, I developed and now manage the website, produce the electronic newsletters and edit the Bedford Park Journal and Annual Review. I also edited our Energy Conservation Guide and Beautiful Bedford Park, the 150th anniversary publication.
Nick Bueono de Mesquita
I spent my professional career working for a major European management consulting firm. On my retirement I took a Masters’ degree and subsequently completed a doctoral thesis on early twentieth century architecture at the Courtauld Institute of Art.
We moved as a family to Bedford Park in 1978 and have lived here since then – in two different houses.
I joined the Bedford Park Society Committee in 2008 as Minutes Secretary and was Honorary Secretary from 2013-2024.
I have been active on a range of heritage issues, including recently the project for the restoration of ‘The Tabard’ sign and the planned relaunching of the Bedford Park logbooks. I was the curator of the exhibition The Community at Bedford Park 1875-2025 – Ahead of the World in Everything, leading a team of a dozen local residents who investigated aspects of the history of Bedford Park for its 150th anniversary.
Helen Jameson
I have lived in Bedford Park for 34 years and been an Executive Committee member since 1998. For many years I’ve been actively involved with infrastructure matters, and I became Chair of the Society in 2016. More recently I developed and initiated the idea of the Society’s sub-committee structure which has enabled many more people to become involved with the work of the Society.
I am absolutely committed to the Society’s vital role in preserving and celebrating the character and architectural heritage which makes Bedford Park so special.
I qualified as a chartered accountant, and spent most of my professional career in banking, as a management consultant and as a senior civil servant. In retirement I have held voluntary roles as Chair of Governors at a state primary school in Hounslow, chairing a small cancer fund, and as a Trustee of Cancer 52.
Anya Nikoulina
I moved to Bedford Park in 2020 with my young family and joined the Society at the same time. During the course of our extensive home renovation, I spent a lot of time learning about and appreciating the history and architectural heritage of Bedford Park and getting to know this wonderful community!
Professionally, I am a finance specialist with a background in corporate strategy and operations, currently focusing on corporate real estate at Google. As Honorary Secretary I hope to bring this experience to bear in supporting the Society’s governance and operations, contributing to the role it plays in helping this special neighbourhood continue to flourish.
Carol Woolner
I moved to Bedford Park 46 years ago and have been a member of the Society ever since. I joined the Ealing Conservation Area Advisory Panel in 1995 and took over chairing that small group as well as the Society’s planning committee in 2007. I stood down as Chair of the Panel and the planning committee at the end of 2024 but remain as a committee member of both.
During my career as an Architect, I worked in private practices mainly on housing for Local Authorities in London and Liverpool, Housing Associations in London and Private Developers in France. As a ‘modernist’ designer myself I have always been interested in conservation and the history of Architecture, and its social and cultural influences.
Planning Committee
The Planning Committee considers and comments on planning proposals in the conservation area with the aim of protecting the character of the suburb. It is concerned with the buildings, their setting, maintenance and appropriate development sympathetic to their architectural and historic importance.
Find out about planning in Bedford Park, for advice or to contact a member of our planning team
Members
- Barbara Boehm MA, MSc Arch, MBA RIBA (retired), (Chair)
- Bill Taylor DipArch, MA, RIBA, FRSA
- Charles Wagner BSc DipTP, MA, IHBC, MRTPI, FSA, FRSA
- Carol Woolner DipArch, RIBA (retired)
George Butlin BA Hons, FCSD (retired), Member of the Ealing Panel for Bedford Park
Planning Steering Group
The Planning Steering Group supports the Planning Committee by providing a strategic overview on issues related to listed buildings, planning legislation and conservation in Bedford Park in the context of its unique heritage and the aspirations of its residents.
- Sir Donald Insall CBE (Chair)
- Steven Bee, Principal of Urban Counsel
- Hugh Broughton, Architect
- Peter Murray, Architect (Convenor)
- David Selby, Architect (Retired)
- Nigel Woolner MBE, President, Bedford Park Society
Infrastructure and Environment Committee
The Infrastructure and Environment Committee deals with issues affecting the street scene and quality of the environment in the Bedford Park area, and the services provided to the community by the local authorities, police and other agencies.
Contact us about an issue or read more about the range of issues currently being worked on.
Members
- David Blackburn (Chair)
- Kate Bowes
- Peter Eversden
- Helen Jameson
- Paul Walker
Events and Merchandise
The Events and Merchandise Committee researches and organises a programme of events every year and purchases or commissions items for sale as part of the Society’s fundraising efforts.
Members
- Libby Bassett (Joint Chair)
- Nick Cowell (Joint Chair)
- Simon Baddeley
- Bernadette Barber
- Amanda Chuck
- Hugh Johnson
- Anabela Wilkinson
Communications Committee
- Kate Bowes (Chair)
- Nick Bueno de Mesquita
- Helen Jameson
Membership
Membership Secretary: Rhoda Avanzado Phillips
Membership benefits and how to join the Society
Road Representatives
Road Representatives Co-ordinator: Nick Cowell
The Society’s Road Representatives act as a vital link between the Society and the community.
Information on the role of our Road Representatives and how to contact your Representative.
Our patron
The Society’s Patron, Tim Knox, CVO FSA, joined in September 2025, taking up the role following the retirement of Sir Donald Insall CBE after 24 years of service as Patron.
He is currently Director of The Royal Collection, having been appointed to this role by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2018 and is responsible for running the department of the Royal Household that looks after the art collections of the British Royal family.
He has a wealth of relevant experience and has been involved for many years in conservation, holding prestigious roles as an architectural historian and museum director.”
Tim’s previous roles include Architectural Historian at the National Trust, Director of the Sir John Soane’s Museum and Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
During his time in these roles he was involved in key restoration work, such as the overseeing of the restoration project of Sir John Soane’s Museum. He is a Trustee of Historic Royal Palaces and Patron of the Mausolea & Monuments Trust.
He was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 2025 Birthday Honours.
Special Advisers
- Peter Eversden MBE, Special Adviser, Infrastructure and Environment
- Martin Landy, Special Adviser, Infrastructure and Filming
- Peter Murray, Special Adviser, Architecture, Exhibitions and Publications