Meet The Team (Trustees)

Jane has many backgrounds, including policing, teaching swimming and outdoor pursuits, and running a small business and a local charity, having been the manager of Settle Swimming Pool.  Passionate about the outdoors, she has been a successful ultra runner and long distance swimmer and spent many years following her love of caving and climbing, travelling to many countries across the world to pursue her adventurous activities.

Jane always dreamed of winning the lottery and starting a wildlife rescue.  This was expedited when she found her first patient (always a hedgehog), and realised that there were no local facilities.  Jane initially set up a signposting facility for helping folks who have found wildlife in trouble, getting to know many of these after travelling miles to them with things she had found.  During COVID, these places couldn't take in patients, and so with the guidance, training and mentoring from these other rescues, she started doing it herself.  Jane and Penny were introduced and collaborated their knowledge and passion for wildlife to build something quite special, doing this whilst also holding down full time jobs. Jane just needs to achieve the other part of her dream, and buy a lottery ticket!

Penny taught art in schools and colleges for 34 years, working as Director of Creative Arts and Media in Salford including time spent with the British Council in Delhi and on the West Bank in Palestine. She worked with the BBC as an advisor on arts educational programmes and moved to the Settle area in 2013. 

Having spent a lot of her time outdoors on the fells including as a member of Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team she now works full time as an artist, immersed in nature, painting landscapes. Years ago she started taking poorly hedgehogs she found to the nearest rescue, which was in Bingley. As that rescue was always full it was suggested that she meet with another local hedgehog rescuer (Jane) and together Craven Wildlife Rescue was founded.

Alex is a Senior Project Manager at National Highways and our lone male trustee. He copes pretty well with this and fits the Trustee work around his busy home life and young family.

Vanessa joins us with a 25 year background in project management in the scientific sectors.  When not working she spends all her daylight hours outdoors; being an ultra-runner (mostly walker) and a watcher of the local swan population two hobbies which go very well together as her swan patch stretches from Skipton to Barnoldswick!

A move to Gargrave in 2015 meant she could create a very hedgehog (and bird) friendly garden and after a chance encounter with a young swan, Asbo ‘Pie Eater’ Alan, she started immersing herself in the goings on with the swan families and flock along the canal (even creating an excel spreadsheet of swan ring numbers!).  Having already called upon Yorkshire Swan and Wildlife Rescue multiple times over the years, she was able to bring a little swan knowledge to Craven Wildlife Rescue and is now part of the Craven Wildlife ‘SAS’ team, who help local swans in need and work with Yorkshire Swan and Wildlife Rescue to ensure these beautiful enigmatic birds are well looked after and live a long healthy life in the wild.

On top of all this Vanessa loves holidays and visiting pubs of character (two things which are often combined).

Pat is an inventor, podcast host and public speaker with a passion for problem-solving and innovation. As a former Probation Officer and manager in the men's homeless sector she created practical solutions to support mental well-being.

Her podcast 'Invisible Me' gives a voice to those with invisible health issues, sharing real stories to help others.

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When she is not working she can be found outdoors, in her garden or on her allotment.. or watching sci-fi movies!

Jill has over 30 years' experience in PR and communications - for the railway, in the arts, for the BBC and latterly in the international broadcasting industry. She founded London PR company Franklin Rae - twice winner of PR Agency of the Year - and now runs Jill & Co, which works with TV and content companies across the globe. After moving from London to Shetland, she co-founded social enterprise Taste of Shetland to promote Shetland’s exceptional food and drink and also founded Shetlandeli, to use up gluts of local produce.  She is a former Trustee of The Grierson Trust and Shetland Arts.

In 2020, Jill moved to Craven, where she now lives.  She is a passionate advocate for wildlife and, in just a few years, has turned her garden into a haven for all creatures, great and small. She joined Craven Wildlife Rescue in December 2024.

Sarah initially joined the team as a volunteer animal carer, soon finding her Chartered Accountancy skills were also put to good use! She now works with the animals and is our finance person.. and no, she didn't want her photo on here!

Fia qualified in 2009 from the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh. "My years in clinical practice started in the North East of England, the Dales, Preston and finally this little corner of Yorkshire which I love," she says. "Over the years, I have worked in small animal and equine practice, and at times I have assisted zoo vets at Blackpool Zoo."

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"Currently my main focus is my family and the communities in which we live. Through my business, DIYdreamgardens, I am hoping to teach more people how to create wildlife friendly gardens and, with my veterinary skills, I want to support Craven Wildlife Rescue in their mission to help wildlife which sadly have fallen ill or injured. In a very broken world, my aim is to teach, support and encourage people to live in harmony with nature for the benefit of all living creatures."

Meg is a professional ecologist with nearly ten years of experience working on projects for the private and public sector. She holds a degree in Environmental Management and has a passion for sharing her knowledge, making a difference and developing her work within the charity sector.

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Alongside her professional role, Meg is an active conservation volunteer, helping with bat, dormouse, and badger monitoring projects in the north of England. She is also one of our main bat carers. Meg brings valuable experience in project management, wildlife policy and legislation, as well as a strong understanding of species ecology and habitat needs.

When she’s not working or volunteering, Meg loves travelling and enjoys hiking with her husband and their dog, Noah.