EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Lee has been the Durham Executive Officer since Jan 2023 and works five weeks a year for the Link. His role is to offer support and a degree of accountability, typically visiting the Link in Maseru twice a year and keeping in regular contact online with Joseph, the EO in Lesotho. Lee also works on a 0.8 contract for Rock UK (a Christian charity operating 4 outdoor centres in the UK) as their technical director, having been the Centre Director at their Whithaugh Park Centre since 2010. Prior to that he spent 15 years working for GEC Marconi in the telecoms industry. He lives in the Scottish Borders with his wife Claire, and two children.

CHAIR

Elisabeth works as a nurse practitioner in general practice and when she was first asked to join the Trustees 13 years ago, her interest in health education may have been a factor. There are many public health challenges shared by Lesotho and the North East of England and developing a partnership of learning is just one of the gifts we can exchange. She has had experience as a school governor, is a member of the PCC of St Peter’s Monkseaton and is their safeguarding lead.

Outside work she enjoys gardening, grandchildren and environmental activism.

TRUSTEE

Nick served as Archdeacon of Auckland and Parish Priest of Holy Trinity, Darlington, from 2007 to 2017. When Team Rector in Kidderminster he had many contacts with the church in East Africa. When he came to Durham he was asked to become a DLL Trustee. He has been to Lesotho three times, in 2011, 2023 and 2024. Katherine, his wife, went in 2015.  He is currently trying to write a short history of the Link to help people know what has happened since the Link started in 1986. Nick and Katherine had four children, and have five grandchildren. In the Diocese he chairs the DAC and writes the monthly diocesan prayer diary. He has also followed the family tradition of beekeeping for about thirty-five years!

TRUSTEE

Susan was born, and has always lived and worked, within a few miles of Durham City. She taught mathematics and computer science for 35 years. She helped plan school visits to the Lesotho Link in Maseru while teaching and then visited herself with a group in July 2007. She became a trustee 2017, then treasurer in 2018. After retiring she took on various voluntary roles at Durham Cathedral and Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens. She volunteers at both venues regularly and enjoys meeting visitors as well as working with their Learning and Engagement teams. Susan worships at St Edmund’s, Bearpark.

SECRETARY

Andrea is our secretary. She studied Anthropology at UCL and has over 40 years' experience working as a volunteer in the UK and abroad - predominantly on conservation projects and supporting children's education & health/community programmes. Professionally, her background is in nursing; her first job was administering to physically and mentally disabled children.

She is married to a Merchant Navy officer (now retired) and has travelled worldwide on board ship. They have a daughter and a son.

Andrea first visited Lesotho 2015, became a trustee in 2016 and has been our secretary since 2022. She is actively involved in mission and ministry of St George's, Fatfield and particularly enjoys wildlife, walking and gardening.

TRUSTEE

Ruth is a retired social work manager. She first visited Lesotho in 2007 with Bishop John Pritchard and has been back 7 times with various groups and for a holiday with her husband Edwin.

Ruth has been a Trustee since 2008 and worships at St Peter's Church Stockton on Tees where there has been strong support for the Link for 30 years .

Ruth has been impressed by the huge progress in Lesotho since she first visited in 2007. Both in the country as a whole (proliferation of smart phones, internet etc and reduced impact of HIV/AIDS) and specifically at the Link with enhanced facilities improving the financial sustainability of the charity.

TRUSTEE

Alex….