Our Board
Wayne Hemingway MBE
Alongside Gerardine, Wayne built Red or Dead into a globally-celebrated label and, after 21 consecutive seasons on the catwalk, sold it in a multi-million-pound deal. In 1999, fresh from the sale of Red or Dead, Wayne and Gerardine embarked on a new adventure: HemingwayDesign.
Other than his BSc degree in Geography and Town Planning (which, surprisingly, have become very useful!), Wayne spent 6 years as a Design Council Trustee Board and having been with CABE for a decade since its inception (as Chair of Building For Life), has been a Mayors London Leader and currently supports the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan as a Design Advocate. He is an advisor to House of Commons Select Committees on coastal regeneration, got an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list of 2006, is a Professor in The Built Environment Department of Northumbria University, a Doctor of Design at Wolverhampton, Lancaster and Stafford, and an Honorary Fellow of Blackburn College, the University of Cumbria and Regents University.
Wayne is one of the founders of the festival.
Geradine Hemingway MBE
In the 70’s Gerardine immersed herself in the ever-changing fashions of the time and made all of her own clothes. In doing so, she paved the way for one of Britain’s best-loved fashion brands to take flight.
Now, having sold Red or Dead and founded HemingwayDesign, you can see Gerardine’s handiwork across our entire architectural and product portfolio, including The Staiths South Bank, a 750 property mass market housing project on Tyneside for Taylor Wimpey Homes, the much publicised Workplace, and IOD at 123, the new wing for the Institute of Directors, and many, many more.
In June 2006, Gerardine was awarded an MBE for services to design in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, and has a Doctorate from Plymouth Uni, Lancaster Uni, Stafford and Regents University. Not bad for a lass that left school at 15, eh?
Gerardine is one of the founders of the festival.
John C. Struthers
After training in Speech and Drama at Aberdeen University, John moved into theatre. His professional work includes performance and direction for theatre and acting for television.
As Founding Director of Institute of Contemporary Interdisciplinary Arts at the University of Bath, John took the lead in the delivery of The Edge, the £12 million centre for the arts at the University. He is particularly interested in the arts and culture as a tool for regeneration.
John has worked extensively as a consultant and advisor to museums, theatres, arts centres, Arts Council England and government.
Now living back in Scotland, in his spare time John enjoys gardening, photography, furniture restoration.
Nina Byrne
Nina Byrne works with people from all walks of life to deliver executive, life and workplace coaching. She is passionate about supporting individuals and organisations to achieve their goals, fulfil their potential and thrive.
Before retraining as a Coach, Nina spent over 25 years working in the arts and cultural sector. She has held senior arts marketing and communications roles at high-profile northeast based arts and cultural organisations, from National Youth Choirs of Great Britain to Dance City, to mima, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art. She has invaluable experience and insight into the culture, structure, communication, and leadership that leads to effective and successful organisations.
Nina is also a Workplace Coach on the Digital Marketing Degree Apprenticeship, and Associate Lecturer in Organisational Communication and Coaching & Mentoring at Northumbria University and has a Masters in Coaching from Northumbria University (Distinction).
Nina moved to the northeast to study Fine Art at University in 1995, fell in love with the region and continues to live with her two sons near the coast in Whitley Bay.
She is a committed and passionate advocate for Festival of Thrift, championing the positive impact it continues to have on people’s lives, supporting sustainable living and celebrating creativity in all its forms.
Julie Ward
Julie has worked in the cultural sector all her life, at Mid-Pennine Arts and Contact Theatre in Manchester early on in her career, then running festivals in Coventry, Nottingham and Durham as well as becoming the Director of a regional disability arts organisation for the north of England.
In 1986 she co-founded Jack Drum Arts which is now County Durham’s longest-established professional community arts organisation. From 2014 to 2020 Julie was an MEP for the north west of England, becoming Labour’s spokesperson on Education and Culture in the European Parliament.
More recently she curated an online arts programme for the refugee welcome network, City of Sanctuary, and managed an international education cultural exchange programme as part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. She is a board member of Culture Action Europe and a volunteer organiser for Culture Declares Emergency.
Ravneet Kaur
Ravneet is passionate about supporting Festival of Thrift CIC to its next growth stage through their 12 years of experience in business development, government proposal/bid writing, and extended networks. The new research from OnePoll showed that 69% of Britons believe it is a personal responsibility to help reduce their climate footprint, with 63% wanting their energy to come from renewable sources. Ravneet thinks that the festival can support the wider community and enable them to lead better and more sustainable lives.
With 11 years of professional work experience with 8 years in senior management roles, the long-term goal of Ravneet’s is to stimulate innovation and strategic collaboration between sustainable organisations for enhancing the economic and social potential of UK technology and sustainability businesses. Their passion lies in solving social and environmental challenges via implementing innovative solutions with a penchant for digitalisation, information technology, and international commercialisation. Exceptional Talent visa receipt as an emerging leader in the energy and digital sector.
Isabel Nicholls
Isabel grew up in Saltburn-by-the-Sea and has continued to live in the Tees Valley. Her career has included several local authorities in the area, most recently in roles focused on town planning and economic growth, and she is now a Civil Servant.
Isabel has been interested in sustainability and social policy since studying related subjects and has continued these interests through her career. Although she confesses to having very limited artistic talent, Isabel very much enjoys participating in creative activities and she is especially interested in how organisations such as Festival of Thrift can bring people together to further shared visions and goals in a positive and inclusive way.
She is committed to the Tees Valley and loves the opportunities that living here brings for enjoying the seaside and countryside, as well as leisure and entertainment. Alongside her role at Festival of Thrift, Isabel is also a Director of Whitby and District Riding Club, a non profit organisation promoting and supporting participation in amateur sport.
Sue Thiedeman MBE
Sue brings more than 35 years of leadership experience in the culture and heritage sector, with a distinguished career largely rooted in public service. She has a proven track record of driving organisational improvement, championing cultural value, and shaping strategic direction across local and national contexts.
Sue currently serves as an Advisor to the Local Government Association on Culture, Tourism and the Creative Industries, supporting councils across England to harness culture as a catalyst for economic growth, community wellbeing, and place‑making. She is driven by a deep belief that culture and heritage can transform lives—enhancing health, education, and quality of life while contributing meaningfully to local economies.
In the King’s New Year Honours List 2024, Sue was awarded an MBE for services to Culture and Heritage, recognising her longstanding commitment to strengthening the role of culture in civic life.
Scott Barker
Scott is the Sustainability Coordinator at Lancaster University Students’ Union. In this role, he delivers a range of events, workshops and competitions to engage students in sustainability. He has engaged over 6000 people and recruited 750 volunteers in sustainability initiatives over the last 2 years. He also takes a lead on the Student Union’s sustainability strategy, identifying ways to make sure they are sustainable in their operations.
Scott is Co-Founder and Director of Rooted Connections CIC – a non-profit organisation focused on improving the lives of our local community through well-being-centred, nature-based initiatives. Rooted Connections are currently restoring the 249-year-old Walled Garden in Worden Park, Lancashire, transforming a once-closed historic space into a flourishing community hub.
Professor Claire Hind
Claire is a Professor of Contemporary Theatre at York St John University, where she teaches BA Acting (Hons), and is the Postgraduate Research Lead for the School of the Arts. She has been instrumental in the culture of walking arts practice, particularly working with texts, scores and performance, looking at the relationship between walking and creative writing in Ways to Wander with Clare Qualmann that subsequently led them to teach a summer school at Tate Modern.
She is also a performer who tours internationally, leads on Night Tone, (2025) a project that connects walking and creativity with the night sky from twilight into darkness and beyond and is part of a music collaboration with The Long Dead Stars who hold performances on the North York Moors as part of the Dark Skies Festival.
Chloe (Scotty) McGinnis, MSc
Scotty McGinnis grew up in South Shields and has lived across the North East throughout her life. She holds an undergraduate degree in Geoscience from Durham University and a Master’s degree in Sustainability Science from the University of York.
Alongside her academic and professional experience, Scotty has been actively involved in a wide range of community events, courses and creative activities, fostering a strong appreciation for the arts and community engagement.
She now works in the construction industry, and is passionate about applying her interdisciplinary knowledge and practical experience to create positive impacts within communities. Outside of work, Scotty enjoys tending to her collection of houseplants, cooking, and attending cultural and community events.