Garth and wife Lucy moved from Boyton to Woodbridge in 2011, Lucy having long-standing Suffolk connections. Garth was a partner for many years in a City law firm. In retirement he has served on various boards, including Birkbeck College, Flagship Group, National Youth Choir and Britten Pears Arts. His interests include classical music and hiking since he has retired from motorbiking.
About Us
Objects of the Woodbridge & Melton Society
The Society’s objects are:
- To promote for the benefit of the public the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of Woodbridge, Melton and their environs.
- To advance the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of Woodbridge, Melton and their environs.
Constitution & Policies of the Society
Click below to download copies of the Constitution of the Woodbridge & Melton Society and its Policies. Each document will open as a PDF file in a new browser tab or window, or as a download on your device.
The Tide Mill, Woodbridge
Officers and Committee
The current officers and committee members of the Woodbridge & Melton Society are:
President - position vacant
Garth Pollard - Chair
Kirk Weir - Secretary and Membership Secretary
Kirk and his young family moved from south-east London to Melton in 1987 but he knew the area well before that having first seen Woodbridge from his father's boat. Having now retired as an NHS consultant and moved into central Woodbridge he has sought to play a part in the Society's role in preserving and enhancing the town's attraction.
Lindsay Dann - Treasurer
Lindsay was raised in Suffolk and returned in 2007 after a career in retail banking. In retirement he managed his local almshouses and a charity providing training to the voluntary sector. He currently volunteers for New Horizons in Woodbridge and is the Melton Parish Tree Warden. He was an officer of the Woodbridge Cruising Club for many years.
Tim Cornford
Tim spent most of his career in educational publishing in both private and public sectors. He was also a governor of a number of schools in Buckinghamshire. Since moving to Woodbridge in 2013 he has been active in the Friends of Woodbridge Library, organised the local Shakespeare 400 celebration, and is a member of the Friends of Woodbridge Museum. He edits the Society's newsletter.
Anne Day
Anne has lived in Suffolk since the 1970s and in Woodbridge since 2011. She has worked with a wide range of charitable organisations including MacMillan Cancer Support, Home Start and The Arts Society in Ipswich and across East Anglia. As a co-ordinator with Victim Support for 15 years she was responsible for training volunteers and for organising fundraising events.
Carol Wiseman
Carol has lived in Woodbridge for 70 years and worked for Neal's Auction Department. Her main interests are gardening and history and she has served on several committees of local societies. As well as this Society (for which she works on the production of its Newsletter) she is a member of Friends of Woodbridge Museum, Grundisburgh History Group, Ipswich Society and the Suffolk Local History Society.
Pieter Shipster
Pieter moved to Woodbridge in 2010 where the family had owned a property since 1970. After graduating in history at London University he took up a career in public health mainly in the NHS but also in West Africa and the Middle East. For the last 12 years, he has worked for Noble Caledonia as a freelance Travel Tour Manager. He is a volunteer at Woodbridge Museum and is researching the historic centre of Woodbridge and especially Cumberland St. He leads on the Society's Blue Plaque scheme.
John Saggers
John and his wife Susan moved to Woodbridge in 2015 after 23 years in Little Bealings. John’s career was in commercial property investment and development and, until retirement in 2006, he was a Director of a FTSE 100 property company. After that he was Treasurer of the DYC for some years and, until 2021, a Trustee of a Suffolk Charity, the Kerrison Trust. Currently, his interests include cars and his dog, a Border Collie. He is the chair of the Society's Planning Group.
Other organisations of interest
Below is a list of links to the websites of a number of other local organisations. Some of these are key bodies which are important to the work of the Society or have similar objectives. Others are organisations that share the Society's concern with the quality of life in Woodbridge, Melton and their environment.
