OUR TRUSTEES & STAFF
Our board of trustees is ultimately responsible for the organisation's vision, mission, and management as well as the budgeting and monitoring of its projects.
David Woollcoombe Chairman.
David led Peace Child International for 35 years as CEO, directing over 60 major productions and projects around the world. As President, and now as Chairman of the Board, he is intent to use his global contacts to ensure that the organisation moves to a new generation of leadership, equally committed to the central role that young people can play in our world
Rosey Simonds
Rosey has a background in theatre. She was one of the founders of Peace Child co-producing musicals and publications. For the past 15 years her major focus has been developing and running peer to peer educational programmes in UK Schools on sustainability, conflict resolution and building employability skills.
David Gordon
David is a Founder of Peace Child and composer of the music and lyrics that have been at its heart from its inception. A serial entrepreneur, writer and prophet, he launched his brother, Cat Stevens, career as a pop star and sowed the seeds of Peace Child when his oratorio, Alpha Omega, was performed at Coventry Cathedral.
Shannon Paige
Shannon has lived and worked in numerous countries, speaks French and Arabic, holds a M.Phil from Cambridge University and loves theatre. She authored Peace Direct’s advocacy strategy for the US Peacebuilding programme. She has also worked on preventing violence to working female migrants and assisted marginalised people get access to social services, decolonising aid & development.
Josh Lewis - Lead Facilitator
Josh is a writer, musical director and facilitator. He is passionate about supporting the development of confidence, creativity and collaboration in young people. He is focussed on enabling participants to explore the stories and ideas that matter to them, working with a co-intentional reciprocal practice. He is a graduate from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, studying Writing for Performance. Prior to this he trained as a performer first at Sylvia Young Theatre School and then Italia Conti. He works across the theatre industry, including touring the country on both the Bugsy Malone and Lion King UK tours. He has recently founded a theatre company which staged its first production in London in June 2023.
Louise Landman
Louise has supported and volunteered for Peace Child for several years. She originally trained and worked as a nurse, then studied homeopathy, worked as a cook, has run School clubs, produced concerts, and has a passion for music, sailing, the arts, nature and the environment, and interfaith issues. She has worked for and supported a variety of charities, serving as a Trustee for many of them. She has recently added to her credentials by becoming a certified tree-planting trainer. Louise writes: “It has been a pleasure to have worked with Peace Child International over the years. I have relished the chance to collaborate in so many areas and ways that interest me. It was also a privilege to have played a part in putting together the online UN@75 Festival which clearly illustrated the value and global respect that Peace Child commands.”
Nicole Kurzon
Nicole is a chartered accountant, who has worked in financial services in London and the US for over 20 years. She has been a mentor and coach throughout her career and is passionate about ensuring equal opportunities for all young people. Nicole is also an avid rugby and cricket fan.
Louise O'Driscoll
Louise is a Sustainability Communications Specialist working on campaigns and programmes that contribute towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. She has worked across the UK and globally as a Communications Consultant, Videographer and Social Media Manager and supervises our peace and social engagement agenda.
Vid Kuret
Vid is the son of one of Slovenia’s leading diplomats and thus grew up in a variety of capitals, including New York, Stockholm and Moscow. A theatre afficionado, he sees the power of musical theatre to shape diplomatic and political thinking and, though his day job is in finance, he dreams of being able to work in theatre management.
Vinod Tailor - MBE
Vinod Tailor MBE is the former High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and a Deputy Lord Lieutenant. He has a business background and has worked in 32 countries. He is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Bankers and Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments. He arrived in Luton with his family in 1972 as refugees from Uganda and is tireless in his charitable work, dedicated to giving back to society, especially to numerous voluntary organisations in Bedfordshire.