BID Board
Mark Derham, Director & Chair
Food & Drink
Mark is the owner of Bridge Coffee, a specialist coffee supplier based on the Whittington Business Park. He is also the current Chair of Oswestry Chamber of Commerce.
He has lived in Oswestry for several years having worked his way up the county from his family roots in Bridgnorth. Passionate about Oswestry and all that it has to offer, Mark sees BID as a catalyst to the future redevelopment and growth of Oswestry and the surrounding area.
Carl Thomas, Director & Deputy Chair
Motor Trade - Whittington Road
Carl has 21 years of experience in the motor trade, carrying out a wide range of roles at Furrows of Oswestry, where he is Senior Site Manager & Aftersales Manager.
He is from a long line of Oswestrians, and has lived in the town his whole life. Carl's extremely passionate about Oswestry and the local community, which he'd like to see grow with care and support. Carl is looking to help build on Oswestry BID’s work to create the best version of Oswestry.
Patrick Evans, Director
Industrial
Managing Director of Evans Enterprises Ltd, owners of Artillery Business Park, Park Hall, along with other commercial premises on the established Oswestry industrial areas. Running a thriving business park on the outskirts of the town, along with The Fort Serviced Offices, Patrick recognises the needs of growing Oswestry businesses in terms of demands for quality property and how this reflects on their business profile.
Artillery Business Park accommodates two award winning Shropshire Businesses and so Patrick hopes his involvement with BID will lead to other Oswestry based businesses of all sizes, alongside their existing valued tenants, getting the best platform to promote themselves, be found and succeed.
Lee Lucks, Director
Tourism
Lee has been involved with Oswestry Borderland Tourism since it was formed in 2003 and with Oswestry Tourism Association before that and she is currently Chairman. Previous experience includes running a family owned hotel for over 20 years and various jobs in Local Government mostly involved with IT or Marketing.
Lee feels that BID is the ideal opportunity for Oswestry to build on the promotion of the town that OBT has been doing and is enthusiastic about the projects and opportunities that will bring more visitors to the town and area.
Graeme Kirkham, Director
Independent/Hospitality
Born and bred in Oswestry, Graeme spent the first 9 years of his career at TNS FC, working his way up from the bottom into the role of Operations Manager, before leaving for Australia. There, he was employed at the International Convention Centre (ICC Sydney) and later contracted with opening a brand new bar for Ardent Leisure Australia.
On returning to the UK in 2018, he opened his own (now three year old) cocktail bar known as Knock & Snitch Oswestry. Graeme is hoping to bring some imaginative ideas to help develop and grow business in Oswestry.
Kevin Griffiths, Director
Trade Counter - Industrial Estate
Kevin and his brother, Paul, run the family business Griffiths Hire Shops with locations in Oswestry, Wrexham and Whichurch, and have traded in the area for over 40 years. The business was originally started in Gobowen, but the current head office has been based on the Maes-y-Clawdd industrial estate since 2000.
Kevin is hands-on working on the trade counter, and was asked by BID to represent the Trade Counter sector on the estate. He and his brother both live in Oswestry and take pride in the area and are always keen to support local events.
Alison Parr, Director
Hospitality, Retail, Manufacturing - Weston
Alison grew up in Oswestry and runs Stonehouse Brewery alongside her husband, Shane. They set up the business in 2007 after settling back in Oswestry with their young children. The business has developed from being a purely family affair and now has almost 30 employees.
Stonehouse has given Alison an insight into the challenges of the hospitality sector as well as being a rural producer. BID is an initiative that can help with these challenges and Alison hopes her experience can be used to encourage more growth in the area.
Dawn Edwards, Director
Independent/Retail
Dawn is co-owner of Covent Garden Fruit & Veg shop in Oswestry with husband Richard Edwards.
Since taking over Covent Garden four years ago, the popular shop has developed its range and services, and now supplies many businesses, in and around the Oswestry area.
Judy Bourne, Director
Independent/Property
Business owner and Director of Monks Estate and Letting Agents, with offices in Oswestry, Shrewsbury and Wem, Judy Bourne is passionate about anything property related, with over 30 years experience working across Shropshire, specialising in new homes, sales and rentals.
Judy acknowledges the shortage of housing, in and around Oswestry, and given the town's growth and incoming businesses, she is keen to work with the BID and local professional services to find ways of facilitating buyers and renters to find secure accommodation.
Jonathan Roberts, Director
Independent/Hospitality
Jonathan is the owner of Milano's Cafe in Old Chapel Court Oswestry. He has lived in Oswestry for 28 years after working across several sectors of the hospitality industry around the UK.
Having witnessed the decline in high street trade over the years, he’s also seen a rise in footfall, supported by BID, and the positive attitude returning among many business owners.
Jonathan joins the BID Board hoping to further increase the positives of Oswestry through his own business and experience.
