Maggie Scott – Chair of Trustees

Maggie is a former Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator and headteacher. Her interest in working with people who have Down’s Syndrome was sparked by her older brother. Having seen how difficult life can be when services are limited, Maggie was keen to work to provide meaningful work experience and social opportunities for the local Down’s Syndrome community. As a trustee with Peterborough Area Down’s Syndrome group, she, along with other trustees set up, and was instrumental in the fundraising for, T21 and the Birch Tree Café.

Her outside interests include reading, gardening, singing and being with her grandchildren.

Tim Nicol

Tim is a retired Marketing professional and has lived in Easton on the Hill since 1990. He has always taken an active role in village life and has been variously Chairman of the Parish Council, Co-ordinator of the Village Gala Weekend, Trustee of another local charity, and editor of the village e-newsletter, “What’s on the Hill”. He is past Trustee and Chairman of the Board at Lincolnshire Home Independence Association, and a “Village Champion” for Tideswell in the Peak District, as part of a lottery and BBCOne project and programme, “Village SOS”.

Tim has been a Trustee of T-21 since January 2020, and tends to look after Marketing and Communications matters as well as general governance duties and helping out in the café.

In his spare time he enjoys grandparenting, brewing his own beer, swimming, golf, and messing about in his modest classic car.

Miranda Rock DL

Miranda and her husband and four children live at Burghley House, Stamford where her family have lived since it was built in the late sixteenth century. Miranda works for the Burghley House Preservation Trust and oversees the running of the Estate, the opening of the house to visitors and the numerous events that take place throughout the year. Miranda is a Trustee and Patron of numerous local charities in the Stamford area.  Her particular interest is the support of children with learning disabilities post-education and she was instrumental in the founding of T-21 and fundraising for The Birch Tree Café. Her son Cosmo was born with Down’s Syndrome and has been a very capable and enthusiastic Team Member at the café since it started.

Richard James

Richard retired from a career in financial services in 2017. Following a spell working as a management consultant, during which he completed an MBA at City University Business School, Richard became an executive director and COO of a successful asset management business, steering them through several acquisitions and subsequent integration programmes. He and his family have always lived in and around Stamford, and moved to Easton in 2022. He came to know and appreciate the Birch Tree Cafe and the young people initially through volunteering, and became a Trustee in June 2024. Richard’s other interests include golf, skiing and travel.

Julia Heppell

Julia is a Music Teacher and has lived and worked in Peterborough for the past twenty five years. She became involved with the PADSG when her eldest son, Louis was born with Downs Syndrome, and has been involved with the group as a parent, fundraiser and trustee. Julia & Louis are volunteers at the cafe and Julia took on the role of a T-21 trustee in June 2024 as a way of giving something back to the charity. Julia takes an active role in her parish church and assists with the music ministry. She enjoys walking, playing the piano and violin and spending family time with her husband and their three children.