Our boards give local people:
- a voice in developing and improving their waterways
- a chance to connect with their waterside communities
- an opportunity to help guide our decisions and strategies
- the ability to support and champion the waterways in this region
Find out about opportunities to join the East Midlands advisory board
Meet our regional advisory board members
Anil Majithia, chair
Anil is experienced chair, non-executive director and trustee with significant board level experience. He currently holds portfolio of board positions, including being non executive director at George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, chair of GEH Charity, vice chair of The Air Ambulance Service, non executive director at LLEP, as well as vice chair at North Warwickshire & South Leicestershire College. He also brings with him more than 30 years leadership experience at senior levels within commercial environments accountable for delivering major technology and business change transformations for international clients in numerous different industry sectors (Utilities, Banking, Insurance, Consumer Goods, Transport and Public Sector).
Ahtesham Mahmood
Ahtesham is a business development professional with a strong focus in the Higher Education sector. With 10 years of experience, he has championed the student voice throughout the development of projects and strategies at a local, national and international level in the capacity of President and Chair of De Montfort Students' Union and NUS Extra Direction and Oversight Board Member. Ahtesham currently works for the University of Leicester as a Commercial advisor, a role embedded in the development of a portfolio of commercial income-generating partnerships. He fits well with the RAB's well-being and community, youth and diversity engagement aspirations and ambitions.
Andy Oughton
Andy retired from running a successful print & graphic design company to devote time to his passion for paddling and touring the waterways. He has always spent time working with youth, and assesses many Duke of Edinburgh paddling expeditions. Andy organises a 100-mile Canoe Test for youth (now in its 57th year). Until recently he was chair of a successful and busy paddlesport club and has worked as an outdoor instructor. He is the East Midlands Regional Coaching Representative for British Canoeing based in Leicester. In 2017 he paddled the largest circumnavigation of the inland waterways, the 862m Bliss Canoe Trail.
Terry Cavender
Born in Bournemouth, Terry lives on the outskirts of Buckingham. After training in electronics and software, Terry works as senior global project manager for Pitney Bowes where having 40 years' experience he matrix manages teams in India, Europe and USA. For the past 12 years, Terry has been working with the Buckingham Canal Society, now as the executive officer, driving their restoration activities in the far south of the East Midlands region. Additionally, he sits on the National IWA Hub which is a national restoration forum jointly formed by IWA and the Canal & River Trust.
Nigel Cooke
Nigel is an active voluntary trustee of several charities and voluntary organisations. He is the chair of ChalleNGe – the Nottingham Cultural Education Partnership, a trustee of the Young Creatives Nottingham and the Nottingham Music Service. Nigel has successfully brought people together in the fields of culture, education, sport and in regeneration and renewal, as well as leading major funding bids and founding numerous agencies and initiatives. Being the director of One Nottingham for over 10 years, Nigel led the delivery of the Nottingham Plan to 2020 and led England's only Sport England City of Football in Nottingham. Most of Nigel's employment career has been in the public sector leading strategy, bid and policy teams, as well as working on Nottingham City Council's commercial services. Currently, Nigel is a freelance consultant in leadership, management, and funding.
Kamla Pattni
Kamla Pattni has held a career in Housing Development (Social Housing Sector) for over three decades and is now pursuing a personal passion through a non-profit she has set up. This focusses on shared human priorities with two overarching themes of Personal Peace and Climate Change. Good practice examples are sought for sharing in these areas as well as food, water, air, good sleep, equality, mental health (building resilience through internal ‘mental wealth') and well-being. Kamla is keen for Celebrate Our Similarities to collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders and encourages businesses and entities to sign the Peace Pledge and the Climate Pledge.
Adrian Honeybill
Adrian is an active Trust volunteer and part of the Braunston Canal Society leadership team (Trust/BCS liaison and heritage advisor). Now retired, his career started in civil engineering before entering the world of information technology. During this period, he qualified as a Government approved project manager. His working life was completed with the Trust, working as a Senior Project Manager in the London and South East region. Adrian fitted out all aspects his 50ft narrowboat in 2016, which he owns and cruises around the East Midlands and Grand Union Canal. Living at the centre of the canal network in Braunston, and volunteering with the local Trust operations, as well as weekly reservoir inspections, ensures appreciation and needs of the local canal system.
Andrew Jee
Andrew has worked in the motor and water industry, served in the RAF Marine Branch and local government. Andrew has worked as Project Manager for the Lincolnshire Waterways Partnership, managing the Lead Local Flood Authority's Infrastructure Programme as well as being Lincolnshire Programme Manager for Water Resources East. Andrew is a keen boat owner, angler and wildlife enthusiast.
