Meet the Trustees
Meet the Trustees
Philip Tolhurst
Philip Tolhurst has been involved and successfully managed the Fowler, Smith, and Jones Trusts since 1980.
In 1988 he helped establish and became a founding Trustee of the Norman Garon Trust, and in 1992 conceived and then oversaw the establishment of Garon Park Southend-on-Sea. He is the current Chair of Trustees. Also in 1988 he co-founded the Raleigh Trust which took over the work of Operation Raleigh, and after three years as Managing Trustee was appointed Chair in 1991 a position, he held for a further 14 years.
In 1996 he helped establish and became a Trustee of the Brentwood Cathedral and Choral Trust which he currently chairs.
Having qualified as a Solicitor in 1973, he continues to practice in Chelmsford.
A keen sportsman, he has had many successes as a sailor, and also represented the UK on Sailing’s World Governing authority, chairing both the global Offshore and Oceanic and Constitution committees
Bob Bye
Bob Bye has been involved in the Accountancy profession for over 35 years and is a Qualified Chartered Tax Advisor and until recently a partner in Masons Chartered Accountants before its recent merger with Buckley Watson Ltd, where he now acts as a Consultant.
Bob has been involved with Essex Scouts all his life, both as a Young Person and as an Adult Volunteer for over 40 years, in which position he is currently the Lead Volunteer for Essex Scouts
Richard Furlonger
Richard Furlonger, qualified at the Royal Agricultural College in the 1970's and took a Master Degree in Business Administration before a change of career from farming to property development in the early 1990's.
Although still involved commercially in the property sector, he spends time on charitable work. In addition to his involvement with the Norman Garon Trust, he sits as a Trustee to Fowler Smith & Jones Trust, an Essex based grant making charity, and Success after Stroke, a Suffolk based charity providing support to stroke survivors.
He is a keen golfer and has been on committees at two Golf Clubs in East Anglia and so brings a degree of experience in helping to manage the Garon Park Estate.
Michael Hughes
Michael Hughes is a Chartered Surveyor and auctioneer by day, and a weekend farmer where he combines his twin passions of conservation and diversification.
He supports a number of charities and has served as a Trustee on the Norman Garon Trust for nearly 20 years. He is a former Chairman of the Essex Agricultural Society, President of the Essex Agricultural Valuers and continues as Secretary of the Rochford Hundred Agricultural Society.
Paul Stennett
Paul Stennett is a career banker, having worked for NatWest Bank for 42 years, latterly as the Head of Credit Risk Systems in the Head Office Credit Function, responsible for the management, development and support of a global credit risk system with teams operating across three continents until his retirement at the end of 2019.
Paul has been a lifelong Scout, progressing from being a Cub through to a Venture Scout and eventually an Adult Volunteer Leader and local chair of trustees. He has been Chairman of Essex Scouts since 1996. In addition to being a Trustee of the Garon Trust since 1996, Paul is a Trustee with the Essex Council for Voluntary Youth Services (ECVYS) which exists to support the voluntary youth services in Essex.