I am thrilled to be taking up the CEO role at Radnorshire Wildlife Trust.  Since accepting the position, many people have been keen to tell me that Radnorshire is one of the ‘stand out’ Trusts with a brilliant and dynamic team.  James Hitchcock leaves big boots to fill.  I aim to maintain his drive and ambition for RWT and hang on to its SMALL BUT MIGHTY reputation.  It is wonderful that Radnorshire has the highest percentage of resident members of all the Wildlife Trusts - what a great starting point.  I would love to grow our membership further and encourage even more people to support nature restoration in this glorious part of Wales.  A wilder landscape bursting with nature with more people, jobs and a buoyant rural economy.  

My background is far from orthodox for a Wildlife Trust CEO.  I do not have a degree in ecology or a background in conservation and I have not worked, full time, in the charitable sector before.  For the last 25 years or so, I have built a career in the financial services industry in London.  My last role was Head of Institutional for Artemis Investment Management – another world!  I hope that my experience, knowledge and skillset will bring a different perspective to the management of the Trust.  

A decade ago, I was a trustee of the Artemis Charitable Foundation for five years.  When I joined the board, very few grants were given to environmental charities.  I set about restructuring the giving programme and by the time my term had ended, the Foundation donated 20% to environmental causes.  During my tenure, I met many non-profits with a mission to restore our natural world, both in the UK and internationally.  This was the launchpad for my growing interest and knowledge of nature restoration.  At the same time, we have evolved the management of our upland hill farm with the aim of creating a mosaic of wilder habitats that will help restore the land and boost wildlife.  Over the last couple of years, I have also run the Wye Valley Wilding Network – an enthusiastic and collaborative group with a shared vision of a wilder, more nature-rich landscape.  

So, why did I decide to make such a radical move?  I have always had a love of the natural world.  Before my family moved to London, I spent my childhood mucking about in ponds, woods and rivers.  It was a huge culture shock to start school in central London aged 11 years, but those early memories never left me.  Post university, I worked hard in finance while juggling a family and managing all the other things that life throws at you.  Since my four boys have grown up, I have had more time to focus on what I really care about – the huge loss of wildlife and the degradation of our planet.  I believe the concept of being ‘a good ancestor’ is very important.  How can I look my children in the eye in the knowledge that the planet has lost 70% of its wildlife in my lifetime and I have done nothing about this existential crisis.   

So, while I may not have a background in conservation, a passion for nature restoration has helped me build my knowledge and life on our farm has given me some hands-on experience.  Importantly, I know that RWT has a wonderful network of hugely knowledgeable ecologists and conservationists, as well as a brilliant staff team, board of trustees, advisors and volunteers.  I’ll be in good hands!  Together we will become even BIGGER AND MIGHTIER in the years ahead.  Radnorshire is an incredibly special place with so much opportunity.  I am looking forward to getting stuck in.  

Written by Victoria Heffer