At the heart of our mission
The Mayday Saxonvale Board is at the heart of our mission to deliver a visionary, community-led development for Saxonvale, one that reflects the needs, values, and character of our town.
Proud to be Frome-led and Frome-focused. Our Board ensures that our town’s voice drives every step of the journey, because Saxonvale should be shaped by those who live, work, and care about this place we call home.
Our Board of Directors
Our Board oversees key decisions and ensures transparency and accountability at every stage, providing the strategic leadership and governance necessary to turn our beliefs into action.
With a wealth of professional experience and deep local knowledge, our Board members work collaboratively to realise a development that puts affordable homes, sustainable jobs, and accessible public spaces at Mayday Saxonvale’s core.
Operational Directors
Holly Lawton, Director
Being born and raised in Frome, I’m extremely proud be part of a project that’s putting power, ownership and long-term value back into the hands of our community.
My background in communications and community engagement helps me turn complex ideas into shared understanding, building trust and collective action.
At Mayday Saxonvale, I lead communications, engagement and work to ensure decision-making remains transparent, accessible and rooted in the community, while supporting strong governance and delivery across the organisation.
Growing up here, I’ve seen first-hand how land, assets and distant decisions can have a lasting impact on a town. I’m excited to help shift that balance, empowering ours and other communities to drive real change.
Paul Oster, Director
I’m proud to be helping lead what is set to become the UK’s largest community-led town centre development. I bring a background in management consulting, commercial strategy, and technology, including co-founding a software company serving the London insurance market.
At Mayday Saxonvale, I’ve helped shape the development vision, lead fundraising strategy, and design governance structures that protect local ownership while enabling professional delivery. I’m passionate about the potential of social enterprise to deliver far greater long-term value than conventional models, while operating with the same commercial rigour and professional standards as the best of the private sector.
I live in Frome with my family and believe Saxonvale offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a town centre that’s ambitious, inclusive, and genuinely owned by the people it’s built for.
Non-Executive Directors
Brigid Clarke, Chair of the Board
Non-Executive Director
Environmental Design & Project Management Consultant, Chartered Accountant ICAEW
Having originally qualified as a Chartered Accountant and worked in many different business environments, I have a good understanding of finance, project management, funding and corporate governance. With a Master of Architecture focussing on sustainable building design and renewable energy, I have managed commercial and residential development projects, with extensive community consultation and stakeholder engagement.
As a founder member of Repowering London, I successfully delivered the UK’s first community-led and community-funded urban solar renewable project – Repowering London. As a Frome resident, I strongly believe that the vision and plans outlined in the successful Mayday bid for the site have the potential to not only enhance the centre of Frome but transform the lives of many who will have the opportunity to live in, work in and simply enjoy the new spaces created. I hope that I can use my experience to support the many phases of the project, ensuring that each reflects the priorities of the local community, building on that vision and delivering something that Frome can be proud of.
Ross Hughes
Non-Executive Directortext
Regeneration Manager, Stevenage Borough Council
I’m really proud to be working with Mayday Saxonvale – a project that genuinely puts the community at its heart. Over the past 10 years, I’ve worked in regeneration and development, always with a focus on listening to and working with local people. I care deeply about creating places that grow from within the community, not over it.
What excites me about Mayday is that it’s led by Frome – by the people who live, work and care about this town. That’s rare, and it’s exactly the kind of work I believe in. I’m bringing my experience to help support that vision, and to make sure the development reflects the character and creativity that makes Frome so special.
Anita Collier
Non-Executive Director
Frome Town Councillor
“Age belies energy!” I’m passionate about my life. I’ve always been driven by a desire to fill every day with something positive. My career spans over sixty years, touching banking, advertising, tour guiding, event management, people engagement, and local politics. I have two wonderful sons, each of whom has a delightful wife and two beautiful children. Both are based in Frome, so I’m fortunate I’m well supported by my amazing partner and, when he’s not playing bowls and I’m not tied up with my Council work, we enjoy a varied and enjoyable social life.
I remember well the days when the Saxonvale site was alive with the bustle of industry, creating a community that made its presence felt throughout the town. It’s my dream to be a part of bringing this wonderful site back to life, and I can’t wait to start working with my colleagues to ensure we create a fabulous space that will help to fulfil the needs of the town I love.
Kerry Smith
Non-Executive Director
Head of Fundraising and Partnerships at IAPB
Growing up in Frome, I am proud of our small, friendly town and its tradition of doing things differently. That’s why I am excited by the Mayday Saxonvale development — a not-for-profit, community-led project that truly reflects Frome’s spirit. With my wider family here and my own children growing up in the town, I am invested in its future, having seen firsthand both the positive changes and the challenges we face.
For lasting impact, change must be sustainable and locally driven. With over 20 years’ experience in the charity sector, supporting marginalised groups in the UK and overseas, I am passionate about social justice, inclusion, and amplifying diverse voices. I am committed to bringing strategic leadership and accountability to help Mayday Saxonvale realise its transformational vision. I want to ensure Frome’s voice remains central, and that the development meets the needs of our whole community.
Peter McGuinness
Non-Executive Director
CEO, Bluestone Investment Holdings
I am a recently arrived resident of Frome and keen to actively contribute to this important community project. Living close to the development, it is evident what a significant opportunity the Mayday Saxonvale development represents for the future prosperity of the town, and the passion that has gone into taking the project to its current stage.
The vision established by the founding executive team is clear and ambitious and I look forward to bringing my 30 years of experience gained in the financial services and property sectors to assist the Saxonvale board and management in delivering on that vision, whilst maintaining a high standard of governance and protecting the interests of the community stakeholders.
Hannah Stopford
Non-Executive Director
Engagement Manager, Frome Town Council
A long-time Frome resident and an experienced community builder, with a passion for making sure local voices shape change. As Engagement Lead at Frome Town Council, I’ve led a range of projects from grassroots to large-scale consultations, always with a focus on inclusion and collaboration.
Supporting the Saxonvale vision from the start, I’m excited to bring my experience in governance, funding, and strategic partnerships, with my ability to connect people and ideas, to the Mayday Board.
I look forward to helping deliver a development that truly reflects Frome’s diverse and unique spirit. For me, it’s about creating something lasting for everyone in the town, and for my own children to grow up and be proud of.
Caroline Wajsblum
Non-Executive DIrector
Director, Frome Field 2 Fork
I’m proud to join Mayday Saxonvale as a Non-Executive Director because this project is about more than bricks and mortar – it’s about reclaiming Frome’s future. Saxonvale should be developed for the benefit of all the people who live here, not just for profit. As a neighbour to the site and someone living in social housing, I understand firsthand how vital it is that this development meets real local needs, particularly in terms of affordability, inclusion, and access to meaningful opportunities.
I bring 17 years of experience in environmental and social projects – from being a founding member of Incredible Edible Frome, Frome Field 2 Fork CIC, and the Frome Food Network, to my current role supporting the Green & Healthy Frome: Healthy Homes programme at Frome Town Council. My work has focused on valuing nature, promoting mental health and wellbeing, creating regenerative food systems, genuinely affordable housing, energy equality, and sustainability. I bring skills in permaculture design, project management, community engagement, and communications. I’ll be championing long-term thinking, genuine collaboration, and solutions that prioritise people and the planet. A truly community-led approach to housing, enterprise, green space, and culture is long overdue, and I’m excited to help make this vision a reality.