About the Trust
The Port Bannatyne Development Trust was created in December 2020 and the Steering Committee was formed on 16th January 2021.
The committee is made up of a cross section of the village with long term residents and newcomers all taking an active role and using their skills and knowledge to further the development of the Community Hub.
Jenny O'Hagan
Chair
I have owned a flat in Port Bannatyne since 2015 and now live here permanently. I am affectionately known locally as “The Port Mermaid” due to my regular wild swimming in the Port waters.
I work in Glasgow and have worked for Glasgow City Council for over 30 years in a variety of roles, mostly financial, but currently as Operations Director for frontline services.
I am treasurer of the Bute Wheelers Cycling Club and was a founder member of Port Bannatyne Development Trust and have worked behind the bar as a volunteer since The Anchor opened. I love the Community spirit of Port Bannatyne and look forward to assisting the Community with my talents in any way I can.
Jude Ahearn
Co-opted
I joined the volunteer parties tasked with getting the Anchor Tavern ready for re-opening in 2022 and met lots of like-minded people. Following the successful launch, I was elected to the Management Committee and took on the role of Secretary to engage further in the future development of the community project.
It has been an exciting year, enabling me to gain much more insight into the membership of PBDT Ltd as I have responsibility for issuing share certificates and maintaining the shareholder register ensuring we maintain a minimum holding of 51% Port Bannatyne Residents. Working alongside the Treasurer, I produced detailed analysis regarding daily sales takings and comparisons for a wide range of events we have held over the past year.
I have coordinated the subcommittee focusing on the development of No.35 (previously Lindens) and again enabled me to have a greater understanding of the work of both an architect and a structural engineer to identify ways to ensure the building is structurally safe and ready for further development.
I’ve enjoyed the past year and hope to continue with the roles mentioned above.
Peter Niven
Treasurer
I have family connections with Bute going back to the 19th century and most of my living relatives are here. I spent all school holidays and two years of primary schooling on the Island and returned permanently on retirement in 2014 to the place I have always regarded as 'home'.
Now retired I spent most of my working life in accounting/administrative roles and latterly ran two cafes in Western Australia, discovering I had a liking for catering!!
My involvement in the formation of the National Policy for Student Funding in Scotland in the late 90s resulted from an appointment at Inverness College (later part of UHI) and expanded my experience of officialdom which has stood me in good stead since. (I note with a little pride that the current Policy still contains many familiar phrases!)
Over the years my community activities have involved the treasury and chair of a primary school board, membership and treasury of Inverness West community Council and I currently serve as treasurer of the Port Gala Group. I am a founder member of the PBDT Management Committee
Serving as treasurer for the Trust from the outset has been an unplanned but nevertheless interesting and rewarding experience and I am happy to see out my term of office. Thereafter, some ten years into “retirement” I may be persuaded to hang up my calculator for good!
Garry Charnock
I am a founder member of the PBDT Management Committee and was the chair for the first three years as we obtained the grants and shareholder funds needed to help us buy and upgrade The Anchor Tavern. I now focus on managing the newsletter and communications with local press and national media.
I’ve lived in Port Bannatyne since 2017 with my wife Anne. I’m an engineer and journalist by background and ran my own technical publishing business for 30 years in Cheshire. Just over 18 years ago I instigated the Ashton Hayes Going Carbon Neutral project in my Cheshire village. The residents voted to try to become England’s first carbon neutral community. Since then, the community has worked together to lower its carbon footprint and be more sustainable. The village has been very successful, and now has a community owned energy company, shop and recreation field. It is in the process of buying the village pub.
My volunteering has led to me being given an honorary Doctor of Science by Chester University for community engagement. I still work remotely 3 days a week for the RSK Group - an environmental consultancy and technical services company.
David McNee
I am a mining engineer, originally born and raised in Wemyss Bay and schooled in Gourock and Glasgow. I have spent thirty two years overseas, mainly in Africa, with a number of different mining companies, and for the last twenty years have managed the operations of a number of gold, copper and zinc mines in seven different countries, and also managed the construction of two gold mines.
I returned permanently to Scotland in early 2021, and moved to Ardbeg in June 2021
I was co-opted onto the committee in June 2022, predominantly to assist in the management of the building works, and the operation of the pub and hub. In September 2022 the Management Committee nominated me to be Chairman and have worked with both staff and members of the committee on all aspects of the further development of PBDT Ltd.
Jon Sear
I'm an ecologist by training but for the past 20 years most of my work has been around setting up or project managing community-led projects. These have included a new community centre on a council estate with no facilities, a community-led new build eco-housing scheme with a workshop/events space element in a refurbished Mill building, and a village hydro energy scheme funded by a £1.4M community share issue. All the projects have had a strong environmental ethos, and in between I've had various environmental policy roles.
I came to the Port in 2015 and have a small property letting business here (including bringing three flats that were completely derelict back into use in the village). I also have some ongoing work down in Lancaster, including managing the University's Bus Partnership, and I work for a small UK charity researching/assessing potential beneficiaries. I am a founder member of the PBDT Management Committee.
Duncan Lyon
I have lived on Bute most of my life. On leaving school I went home to work on the family farms Drumachloy, Kildavanan and Auchavouliag. My father retired in 1984 and myself and my brother took to running the farms up until 1991 when we split the business. I took on Drumachloy milking 150 cows. Along the way I have always enjoyed getting involved in organisations. I was on the committee of the Bute Agricultural Society and went on to become the Chair. I also chaired the local National Farmers Union. Whilst being involved with them I worked closely with Sepa to help clean Ettrick Bay and achieve blue flag status. In 2016 I sold the dairy cows and in 2019 I came out of the farm to “retire“.
I now do different jobs including green keeper and labourer. I am heavily involved with Butefest where I joined the committee in 2017 and became apprentice site manager in 2018. I am now the site manager which involves hiring all equipment to build the festival, building it and taking it down and leasing the land and storage.
Carissa Neill
Although I don't live full time on the island, around 7 years ago I purchased a flat in the Port, which my husband and I visit as often as we can. We have been involved in bringing benefit to the community by supporting the annual Port Gala Day and the switch on of the Port Christmas Lights.
I am a founding member of the PBDT and over the last year I have supported in the area of Events and Marketing. I love the community spirit in the Port and I am glad that there is a pub now open in the village!
I have worked as a secondary school technologies teacher for 16 years. Previously I was teaching at a large mainstream school and after deciding that I needed to support children develop life skills I now work in an ASN High School in Falkirk. This is both challenging and rewarding in equal measures! Currently I am involved with our school fundraising committee as well as being our schools Enterprise Ambassador. Recently we were awarded Scotland's Most Enterprising School by SES.
In my spare time I enjoy walking, socialising with friends and family and going to gigs, musicals and art events.
Anne Fairman
I have lived on the Isle of Bute on and off since I was a teenager. Throughout the years, in between
projects, I have run my own business on the island and was heavily involved with e.g. The Sailing Club
where I was appointed Treasurer.
My working life started with Royal Mail and I progressed onto the role of Computer Manager for Scotland and Northern Ireland for Parcel Force. I then branched out on my own and Project Managed SAP real time Systems Training for many large companies including Amoco Oil, Kraft Jacobs Suchard, British Gas, Anglia Water to name a few.
My heart however has always been with Archaeological Research and 15 years ago I took the step towards my ultimate goal in life and began my passion as an Independent Archaeological Researcher, travelling and living in various countries around the globe, specialising in Global Connective Stonework which I have funded myself by working in various roles/jobs in each country.
I am now home for good but still heavily involved in research albeit remotely.
Andy Francis-Mackie
I was born in 1964 in Crayford, Kent and educated at the London Nautical School in Waterloo. I worked in retail management for 6 years before joining the police. Based in London throughout my 30 year career, I was primarily a detective with a brief return to uniform on promotion. I retired as a detective sergeant in 2015. Since then I have worked as a chauffeur and still drive courtesy cars at major golf, rugby and tennis tournaments. Whilst still in Kent, I co-ordinated a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme and was also chair of my local branch of the Kent Referees Association.
My Ayrshire born wife wished to return home so in 2018 we moved to New Cumnock and then to Rothesay in 2019. During the pandemic, I was involved with the Bute Resilience Team, shopping and collecting meds for those shielding and also helped apply for grants and funding. I joined the bar staff at the Anchor Tavern in July 2022, which has given me the chance to work with a committed team, meet many locals and welcome visitors to our community pub.
I’m a keen motorcyclist and also enjoy the never ending repairs to our historic VW Campervan.