The Cotswold Listener is a charity run by volunteers, led by a group of trustees and an admin team. Find out more about the trustees and members of the admin team below:
June D M Little – Chair of Trustees
Trustee since June 2019
Re-elected September 2025
Term of office – one year
Role(s) held – Chair of Trustees
I retired as an HR Consultant owning my own company specialising in mergers and acquisitions. I have held various positions including HR Director, Programme Director and Lead Consultant on major change programmes. Most of my experience has been in the financial sector but I have also worked in the Utilities and IT world. I have been a school governor for eight years in both Primary and Senior schools and worked with the Local Authority in schools that have been in ‘Special Measures’.
I joined The Cotswold Listener as Administration Manager in October 2018.
Nicki Goldsby – Secretary to the Trustees
Trustee since September 2021
Re-elected – September 2025
Term of office – one year
Role(s) held – Secretary to the Trustees; Admin Manager; News Reader
I am originally from Cheltenham and apart from a couple of years in Hong Kong in the 70s I was educated at Pate’s Grammar (then for Girls). After a year in the Cheltenham library I commenced a Librarianship Degree at Brighton Polytechnic followed by 10 years working in various administration roles in London. Returning to Cheltenham in the late 80’s for the last 25 years I was working in Contract and Programme Management roles in the Aerospace sector. Now recently retired, I am pursuing my love for the written and spoken word by extending my voluntary work with the Cotswold Listener as a Reader by taking on the roles of Administration Manager, and more recently the role of Secretary to the the Trustees, and contributing recordings to the TNF Soundings Website.
My interests as well as Theatre and the Arts are attempting to keep old age at bay by running, circuit and strength training and pilates. I live in Charlton Kings with my husband and, when around, our 21 year old son who is trying to achieve a Business Degree at UWE.
Anne Beech – Treasurer
Trustee since April 2025
Re-elected – September 2025
Term of office – one year
Role(s) held – Treasurer
Adrian Holford – Trustee
Trustee since September
Re-elected – September 2025
Term of office – one year
Role(s) held – Volunteer Representative; News Reader; News Editor
I was born in Stroud but have lived in Cheltenham for over 35 years and I am married with one son.
I left the Insurance industry in 2022, after 40+ years, and joined a large local Charity in a Health and Safety capacity, where I still currently work part time.
I became involved with The Cotswold Listener early in 2024 and I am also a volunteer for Cotswold Hospital Radio, where I write, present and produce the “Sounds (Not Necessarily Hits!) From the 70s” show.
Margaret Threadgold – Trustee
Trustee since September 2020
Re-elected September 2025
Term of office – one year
Role(s) held – Quality & Training; News Reader
My involvement with the visually impaired began at the age of 13 when my mother lost her sight. Being close to my mother, her traumatic adjustment In life was a steep learning curve for me also.
I read for Kent Talking Newspapers, for over 30 years. Other reading included a county magazine for the blind, an internet radio play and recording children’s books.
I was an Audio Describer of theatre productions for 16 years. In this role, I broadcast live commentary to the visually impaired audience via their headsets. Pantomime was a challenge where anything could happen, and it did! Additionally, I gave ‘Touch Tours’ enabling them to ‘feel’ the costumes, ‘touch’ various items on stage and describe the scenery, before performance.
As a Coastguard, I regularly broadcasted to shipping in The English Channel.
I enjoyed various secondary types of employment but retired from my main one as a professional soprano in 2016. I am married and we have, one daughter and one granddaughter and moved to Cheltenham 2 years ago.
Susan Liptrot – Trustee
Trustee since September 2020
Re-elected September 2025
Term of office – one year
Role(s) held – Recordings Content; News Editor; Reader
My interest in the Talking Newspaper movement was sparked fifty years ago by one of my lecturers at university – Ronald Sturt, who founded the Talking Newspaper in the UK. However, I only began as a Reader after retirement.
All my working life was spent in public libraries, with my final job being a librarian in a women’s prison – quite an education for me.
I very much prefer outdoor activities, as can be seen from the photo, taken earlier in the summer on a walking holiday by Derwentwater; and my husband and I (normally) volunteer with outdoor work for the National Trust in Gloucestershire. I also have 3 children, who between them have our 7 grandchildren, aged from 2 up to 17.
Julie Rogers – Listener Trustee
Trustee since September 2021
Re–elected September 2025
Term of office – one year
Role(s) held – Listener Trustee
I was born in Cheltenham and have always lived and worked within Gloucestershire. I was in the St John Ambulance for many years rising up through the ranks to be a first aid trainer and Divisional Nursing officer for Stroud Division.
I trained to become a nurse at Cheltenham General Hospital in the 1970’s where I went on to work in the Accident and Emergency department until 1985. I had a brief spell at Standish hospital until I moved on again to be a School nurse at Rendcomb College. This was a boarding school where as part of the community I undertook a variety of jobs. I was primarily there to run the medical centre. I taught First Aid to both staff and pupils. I also taught Health Education to all the year groups there from nursery age 3 to the students up to age 18. My non nursing duties involved running a second hand uniform shop, doing boarding house duties and even the cricket teas! I became the “wardrobe mistress” and designed and made the costumes for the college productions.
I worked at Rendcomb for 28 years. I took early retirement as l began to lose my vision and eventually was registered with severe sight impairment. I was introduced to the Cotswold Listener talking newspaper by a friend. I have been a listener for a few years and really enjoy my weekly edition.
Annie White – Admin Assistant
Appointed – January 2020
Role(s) held – Admin Assistant; Reader
It’s hard to believe that it’s been just over 50 years since I came to Cheltenham from Yorkshire to take up a job I can’t tell you anything about. I spent almost 40 years doing it, enjoyably until latterly when the ethos changed, and as the prospect of leaving it behind grew ever more appealing, I decided I must look around for something to replace it.
I have always enjoyed reading aloud, and somebody pointed me in the direction of Leckhampton Court Hospice and Insight Gloucestershire (or, as it was then, GCAB – the Gloucestershire County Association for the Blind) as organisations which might be able to use my services. I was a VIP visitor with GCAB for many years, and my volunteering with the Hospice continued until halted – temporarily, I hope – by Covid-19, but I was never called upon to read aloud until somebody told me about TCL, and the rest is history.
I started as a newsreader in the spring of 2012, and some 7 years later was persuaded to join Mag Team 2. I was warned before I signed up that as a magazine contributor I would never read anything in the same way again, and so it has proved! I’m now enjoying making my own recordings from home, though the assistance of one of our expert recordists is still very much needed to eliminate all my fluffs and stumbles.
Just before Lockdown 1 I embarked on a new role as an administrative assistant, managing just a couple of introductory sessions in the studio before everything shut down, but it meant I could hit the ground at least walking, if not actually running, once we were able to start up our operations again. So now you know who opens all your returned pouches…
The photograph was taken on my trip to Antarctica in December 2019. If it does turn out to have been the final instalment of my extensive globe-trotting over the past 15 years, then what a finale it was!
Alison Palmer – Office Admin
Appointed – March 2023
Role(s) held – Office Admin
After watching my Dad struggling with very little eyesight for many years, unable to read or watch television, receiving the Cotswold Listener each week kept him connected to what was going on locally in his home town. I wanted to help in some way, to give back a little to this wonderful resource, which really helped my Dad. Hence, I now happily help with administration to ensure the weekly recording gets out to our Listeners.
John Lehane – Copying Technician
Appointed – July 2021
Role(s) held – Copying Technician
I grew up in Birmingham. Following school I worked in engineering, nursing and the civil service. Finally returning to nursing for the last twenty years of a fifty-year career.
I am married and have one daughter, who has recently had her own daughter. My grand-daughter, Erin, and I are in the photograph.