5.1 Legal structure
The group legal structure is comprised of the following entities. The operating arrangements for each legal entity are further described in Section 5.
Bala & Ffestiniog Railway Heritage Trust
Bala & Ffestiniog Railway Heritage Trust is registered as a trust with the companies house and is governed by its members who appoint a committee at the annual AGM. This committee then runs the Trust guided by the members decisions at the AGM.
Bala & Ffestiniog Railway Heritage Company Ltd
Bala & Ffestiniog Railway Heritage Company will be the operational company of the trust which will be 100% owned by the Bala & Ffestiniog Railway Heritage Trust and will be managed by a Chief Executive Officer appointed by the committee
Other Companies
Other companies will be formed as required for the operational necessity of the Trust.
5.2 The Committee
The committee members of Bala & Ffestiniog Railway Heritage Trust will retain strategic oversight and management responsibility for the project, overseen by the members of the Trust. Operational responsibility will be delegated to the Subsidiary management teams as appropriate.
The committee of Bala & Ffestiniog Railway Heritage Trust is comprised of (August 2022):
(Update 17/08/22 – Some current members of the committee need to be added to this page)
Shane Barry (Chairman)
Shane is currently employed with South Central Ambulance Service as an Associate Ambulance Practitioner responding to 999 emergency calls on a near
daily basis as part of his shift work. This experience results in a strong ability to manage chaotic emergency situations and delegate tasks to individuals with a view to achieving the overall goals of saving lives and preventing any further injuries.
Prior to that he has had experience of managing a Scout District responsible for 250 adult volunteers and almost 1500 young people. This involved co-ordinating a volunteer management team of 20 individuals and multiple projects ongoing at the same time designed to benefit the young people of the District.
In his spare time Shane is working on developing the Trust and moving the project forward. Shane in addition to being the Chairman continues to organise the Project Management aspect of his role and works very hard to move things forward.
Daniel Newton (Secretary)
Daniel Newton is a qualified casual Lifeguard and is a Volunteer Sales Assistant in Nightingale House Hospice. He is well organised having been to university and gained a degree and Masters in Creative Media. He is good at keeping files and course work in order and at keeping to schedules.
Dale Williams (Environmental)
Dale Williams has spent 17 years working as a retail assistant for Spar (UK) the convenience retail chain owned by the Blakemore family. He has previously volunteered on the Ffestiniog Railway in both Parks & Gardens and as an on train Buffet Steward though he has not been recently due to lack of transport and time. He now volunteers for the Statfold Barn Railway in Tamworth where he is a Signalman, Guard and Photographer.
Steve Richards (Treasurer)
Steve Richards spent 33 years in the Financial Services Industry and a further 10 in a government agency that dealt with grants/support for business. He also volunteers at two other organisations, one of which (Bath Rugby Heritage) he is the team leader and bank signatory. He also volunteers at the Swindon & Cricklade railway where he is training as a fireman and part of the team restoring 6984 Owsden Hall.
Robert Newton (Safety)
Robert Newton is a Full time Maintenance PAT tester Maintenance Electrician 1969 – 2013. His railway experience includes being a permanent Way worker with Llangollen, Bala Lake, Welsh Highland and Tallyn Railway since 1994, a TTI on Llangollen 1996 – 2008 and currently Booking Office Clerk on Bala Light Railway 2016 – Present
The constitution allows the Trust Committee to appoint additional members as and when required until the next AGM.