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Current Committee
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Dag Saunders- Chair
After growing up in London and working in London, New York and Birmingham, I arrived in Telford in 1962 to set up Telford CVS. I then moved into the NHS until retirement. I served as a magistrate in Telford for over 35 years and am now a member of Telford and Shropshire Health Scrutiny Committee. I have two daughters and a bevy of grandchildren all living and walking locally.
I started walking with the school cadet force, my first “peak” being Bowfell. After that an expedition to the Svartisen Ice Cap in north Sweden, a record time walking the three peaks with two friends, traversing the Pyrenees, treks in Nepal, the Apennine in Italy, Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua in the Andes. The next challenge, a walking trail that followed the boundary of Telford. I was probably the first person to walk all sections of the T50 while checking the directions. My great wish is that the work we have done with the 50 Mile Trail and the 23 Coronation Walks will be carried on by future generations.
I started walking with the school cadet force, my first “peak” being Bowfell. After that an expedition to the Svartisen Ice Cap in north Sweden, a record time walking the three peaks with two friends, traversing the Pyrenees, treks in Nepal, the Apennine in Italy, Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua in the Andes. The next challenge, a walking trail that followed the boundary of Telford. I was probably the first person to walk all sections of the T50 while checking the directions. My great wish is that the work we have done with the 50 Mile Trail and the 23 Coronation Walks will be carried on by future generations.
Naomi Wrighton- Secretary
A retired software engineer and computer science lecturer, I started walking seriously in the 1960s, and have walked the hills in most of the major walking areas of England and Wales, as well as some in Europe and Nepal. I also enjoy running and cycling and used to orienteer. I have been living in Telford since 1985. My son and daughter both walk and run, as do their children. Since retiring, I have tried to give back to walking and serve as secretary of Wellington Walkers are Welcome, as well being a walk leader (and ex chair) of Ramblers Well being walks, Telford and Wrekin. The original email that set off the T50 idea came from me and I have been heavily involved ever since. I am secretary, webmaster and one of the Facebook Admins for the T50/TCW and also represent us on the Local Access Forum.
Malcolm Skelton- Treasurer
Although I had some involvement in the initial creation of the T50, helping with some route planning and installing waymarking posts, I didn’t join the committee until October 2020.
Since then, I have un-officially been the ‘maintenance guy’, clearing blockages where possible and dealing with many waymarking issues, in particular, any that require installation of new posts. In October 2024 I also took on the role of Treasurer.
With regard to the Telford Coronation Walks project, I was actively involved in route planning, liaising with the Telford & Wrekin Rights of Way Officer to confirm route approval, lots more waymarking and post installations, and proof reading the guide books prior to publication.
I represent the T50 at various publicity events that we share with other local walking groups with which we are connected.
Since then, I have un-officially been the ‘maintenance guy’, clearing blockages where possible and dealing with many waymarking issues, in particular, any that require installation of new posts. In October 2024 I also took on the role of Treasurer.
With regard to the Telford Coronation Walks project, I was actively involved in route planning, liaising with the Telford & Wrekin Rights of Way Officer to confirm route approval, lots more waymarking and post installations, and proof reading the guide books prior to publication.
I represent the T50 at various publicity events that we share with other local walking groups with which we are connected.
Anne Suffolk- Publications Secretary
I started exploring my local green spaces walking and cycling with childhood friends around Coventry. Walking, and discovering local history and wildlife while doing so, has been a lifelong passion since. At times this has included some climbing, mountaineering and long distance walking in Nepal, Europe and UK. I am currently trying to tick off all our National Trails.
Like many Telford folk, I am an incomer. I moved to Broseley in 1985 and then to Telford in 2021. Since 1985 I have walked many of Shropshire's paths, and at various times helped to record breeding wild birds
When I retired in 2007, I became an active Ramblers walk leader, footpath volunteer and committee member. I have been the Chair of Telford and East Shropshire Ramblers since 2016. I was a founder member of the Telford T50 committee, helping in working out the details, written directions and waymarking for Stages 1 and 2 of the T50 trail plus some of the South Telford Coronation Walks. My work background in education, broadcast TV at Thames, Central and Carlton and finally in marketing has come in useful in my present role for publicity and promotion for the T50 group. I have researched, written, taken photographs for, and designed our T50 Trail guidebook and the two Coronation Walks guidebooks, plus our leaflets and banners. I helped design our website and am an admin for our all our social media pages. I participate in the planning, and leading walks along our trails, for Get Telford Walking and Telford Walk Week among other Trail events.
Like many Telford folk, I am an incomer. I moved to Broseley in 1985 and then to Telford in 2021. Since 1985 I have walked many of Shropshire's paths, and at various times helped to record breeding wild birds
When I retired in 2007, I became an active Ramblers walk leader, footpath volunteer and committee member. I have been the Chair of Telford and East Shropshire Ramblers since 2016. I was a founder member of the Telford T50 committee, helping in working out the details, written directions and waymarking for Stages 1 and 2 of the T50 trail plus some of the South Telford Coronation Walks. My work background in education, broadcast TV at Thames, Central and Carlton and finally in marketing has come in useful in my present role for publicity and promotion for the T50 group. I have researched, written, taken photographs for, and designed our T50 Trail guidebook and the two Coronation Walks guidebooks, plus our leaflets and banners. I helped design our website and am an admin for our all our social media pages. I participate in the planning, and leading walks along our trails, for Get Telford Walking and Telford Walk Week among other Trail events.
Pam Hill - Champion Organiser
I moved to Telford in 2006 from Lancashire where I had spent most of my adult life in exile from the West Midlands. As a result of transferring my Ramblers Association membership and joining the local walking community, I met Naomi and later was inspired by her vision of creating the Telford 50 mile Trail to celebrate the fiftieth birthday in 2018 of our new town’s inauguration. I regard Telford as home now and never fail to be delighted by the rich diversity of nature and heritage within the town.
In addition to working on stages 3, 4 and 5 of the T50 with Naomi and Eve, I have since helped in the Coronation Walks project of 2023 by devising and formalising the routes at Lightmoor and Horsehay.
My main contribution presently is to coordinate the great team of volunteers who act as the monitors of the 125 miles which make up the T50 and TCWs. The oversight of our Champions ensures that the routes remain accessible and well maintained. In addition to the inhouse support of Malcolm, we rely on the various Friends’ groups across Telford’s Local Nature Reserves and, of course, the Rights of Way team to tackle more significant issues.
Smaller roles involve me in representing the team at Telford Green Spaces Partnership,assisting at publicity events, leading and promoting our routes in local walking festivals, and finally despatching the attractive and informative guidebooks which Anne has compiled to accompany our routes.
In addition to working on stages 3, 4 and 5 of the T50 with Naomi and Eve, I have since helped in the Coronation Walks project of 2023 by devising and formalising the routes at Lightmoor and Horsehay.
My main contribution presently is to coordinate the great team of volunteers who act as the monitors of the 125 miles which make up the T50 and TCWs. The oversight of our Champions ensures that the routes remain accessible and well maintained. In addition to the inhouse support of Malcolm, we rely on the various Friends’ groups across Telford’s Local Nature Reserves and, of course, the Rights of Way team to tackle more significant issues.
Smaller roles involve me in representing the team at Telford Green Spaces Partnership,assisting at publicity events, leading and promoting our routes in local walking festivals, and finally despatching the attractive and informative guidebooks which Anne has compiled to accompany our routes.
Tink Brasenell - Assistant Secretary
Tink joined the committee in 2024, becoming assistant secretary in 2025. . She is also a useful link with the Telford Coronation Group Walks where she is one of the leaders,
Yvonne Chetwood --Minutes Secretary
I’m a frequent walker of the T50 trail, being raised in the town from its conception I never fail to see or learn something new each time I walk the routes. On the committee since 2024, I attend the meetings and produce a summary of what’s been discussed and planned for the future.
Nadine Evans
Nadine acted as project manager for the 2023 Telford Coronation walks project, joining the main committee in 2023, resigning because of personal circumstances in 2024, and rejoining in 2025.
Katrina Baker
Katrina was coopted as treasurer in 2022. She resigned as treasurer in 2024 but has remained on the committee.
Julia Birtles
Julia joined the committee in 2025 as the LDWA representative.. This had been vacant since 2020.
Meet the Friends of the T50 50 Mile Trail committee
Past Committee Members
Click on an image to reveal more information. about the contributions of these people.
The Late Jim Cox
Jim came on board as the LDWA representative. He and Paula walked, described and way-marked Stages 6 & 7. Jim also helped with waymarking on sections 1 & 2. Sadly, Jim died on in March 2020 after collapsing while acting as a marshal at an LDWA event. Jim’s Gate at Muxton was opened in his honour in 2021. See the 2021 News page.
Eve Clevenger
A retired GP, Eve was one of the original group, Eve was active in waymarking, in fact she fixed the first waymark, for sections 1 to 3. She also helped write the descriptions for these sections. She also hosted Kate Ashbrook and a committee dinner the day before the launch. She resigned in 2019.
Paula Doherty
Paula acted as a link with Telford and Wrekin’s Rights of Way department, then teamed up with Jim to walk, describe and way-mark Stages 6 & 7. Her best memory is recovering a marker post that had been thrown onto the bridge-embankment across Redhill Way, and re-locating it near to the entrance to Granville Park. She also proofread the T50 guide. Pressures of other volunteering roles led her to resign from the committee in 2021.
Paul Kalinauckas
Paul founded Shropshire Canicross, the sport of trail running with dogs, in 2015 and subsequently joined the Friends of the Telford T50 50 Mile Trail Committee from 2020 to 2023. He established an Annual Relay Challenge as an inter-team experience for teams of runners to complete the 50 mile route and donated a Trophy for the fastest time. He also liaised with the media studies department at Telford College where students produced a video of the T50 Trail as part of their project work. After finishing his term on the Committee, Paul made a New Year’s Resolution to walk all 23 of the newly waymarked Coronation Walks in 2024 and invited a few friends on social media to join him. Telford Coronation Group Walks subsequently turned into the largest walking group in Shropshire with an average of 50 people, of a wide variety of ages, on each walk and over 1,000 participants per annum
Chas Kay
Chas joined the committee as treasurer at its formal beginning in 2019. He opened the bank account and continued as a very effective treasurer until 2022 , stying on past the AGM until a new treasurer was in place, In addition to this ,we believe he is the person who has walked the complete trail most often - 12 times and counting.
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