Meet the Trustees

Neil King

Neil is a Director of CERT CIC, End Energy Poverty CIC and CERT Consultancy Ltd. He has been helping social enterprises to start and thrive for over 30 years, offering support with business and strategic planning, social investment and social return on investment, social housing and renewable energy. Neil writes for the Bartonian and volunteers on a community canal boat.

Cheryl Leaning

Cheryl has been a volunteer at the the Ropewalk since 2007. She is a keen supporter and consumer of creative arts, having been involved with the running of comedy clubs, creative writing groups and music festivals for the past 20 years. She regularly attends theatre in Hull where she works and wider afield. Visitors to the Ropewalk will often see her behind the ticket desk, the bar or the craft gallery counter. She is a director of a legal firm and has been involved with many organisations from setting up an out of school kids club and school governor when her son was small to being a board member of the largest social housing provider in North Lincolnshire, a national marine conservation charity and a number of regional arts event charities. She has recently learned to Scuba dive and enjoys anything water related from swimming to identifying and recording sightings of seabirds and cetaceans. She was born in South Ferriby and despite her thirst for travel, now lives as far away as Winterton.

Victoria Bissett

Originally studied Fine Art at Humberside University in the 1990s, Victoria is a freelance consultant with over 20 years experience of working in the arts sector, and currently completing her PhD at the University of Hull.

Ann Wallis - Chair

‘Ann has always held a deep interest in the ways that culture - in its many forms - intertwines with people and places. This interest led to an MA in European Cultural Planning, and leadership roles at Arts Council England, in local government, and the third sector. Her career also included being an Academician with the Academy of Urbanism for ten years, which gave Ann opportunities as an assessor on inter-disciplinary teams for the Academy’s awards programme for European cities, and UK towns and neighbourhoods. Ann’s early training as a designer-maker still inspires her own creativity!’

Jane Avison

Jane has worked in the museums and cultural sector for over 25 years and is currently Head of Hull Museums and Ferens Art Gallery. She is passionate about the role that culture, heritage and creativity can play in bringing communities together and making places vibrant and welcoming. Having lived in the area for many years, Jane has a particular affection for Barton and The Ropewalk. She is delighted to be a trustee and hopes to bring her experience of cultural leadership, strategy, audience development and business planning to support The Ropewalk’s continued development as a creative and community hub.