Our People

Therapeutic Lead & CEO
Pip Chapman
Pip co-founded The Windmill Trust and brings over 20 years’ experience working with children affected by trauma. She spent many years working in schools, young offenders' institutes and prisons using applied theatre and completed her Master’s in Dramatherapy in 2011. She has since specialised in trauma, dissociation and attachment-based practice. As CEO and Therapeutic Lead, Pip oversees the charity's therapeutic delivery while supporting partnerships, service development and long-term sustainability. She is a full member of the British Association of Dramatherapists, HCPC-registered and passionate about using creative and relational approaches to help children heal, grow and thrive.

Charity Manager
Jill Richardson
Jill joined The Windmill Trust in 2023 and brings a background in both primary teaching and business development. As Charity Manager, she oversees the operational and organisational development of the charity, including finance, fundraising, governance, HR and communications. Jill plays a key role in supporting the charity's sustainability, driving organisational development and helping to shape its future growth. Having lived in in Cumbria all her life and seen first-hand the growing challenges facing children and young people's mental health, Jill is committed to helping local families access effective support within their community.

Chair of Trustees
Tony Nicholls
Tony is an Organisation Development (OD) practitioner and consultant with an MSc in People and Organisation Development through the Roffey Park Institute. He has been a faculty member for Masters-level People and Organisation Development programmes and has held executive-level OD, HR and L&D roles in both corporate and SME contexts. Tony is the author of Managing Change in Organizations, published by Kogan Page.

Trustee
Deborah Bishop
Deborah has been a secondary school music teacher for over 20 years. During that time she has been both a head of department and is currently a head of year in one of the county’s biggest secondary schools. Deborah is also a musician who performs regularly all over the county. Over this time, she has seen the transformative power of music in action especially in regard to the mental health and wellbeing of our young people and the work that the Windmill Trust is doing is a vital part of this.

Trustee
Andy Adamson Reynolds
Andy is a qualified Barrister and currently serves as a Legal Manager in the Magistrates’ Courts across the North East. He is pursuing a PhD in Law, with a particular focus on legal history. Andy brings a strong legal perspective, academic insight, and a dynamic, positive approach to his role as a trustee, contributing actively to areas such as social media and community engagement. Previously, Andy founded, managed, and successfully sold a business in Newcastle, which was known for its strong commitment to mental health initiatives. He has worked closely with several charitable organisations, including the Salvation Army, Hope Carlisle, and Give a Day. In early 2025, Andy travelled around Europe, and he recently celebrated another major milestone -his marriage in May 2025.

Trustee
Peter Ovens
Peter has worked as headteacher in five schools over a prolonged career in education. He has also worked as a School Improvement Officer in North Cumbria, responsible for the Leading Teacher Programme. More recently, he has worked independently training aspiring leaders for National Professional Qualifications. He has been dedicated to developing the highest standards of teaching and leadership with colleagues and supporting the needs of every child. His schools included many pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and pupils with additional needs where he worked to make a difference to young people’s lives, particularly the vulnerable, developing nuture spaces and providing expert staffing and special needs facilities. Later in his career, he took a particular interest in supporting mental health. Now retired, he is enthusiastic about The Windmill Trust in their mission to “alleviate children’s distress and ward against long term mental health issues.”

Trustee
Tiffany Solender
Tiffany Solender is an experienced strategic partnerships and business development leader with over 20 years' experience working across government, business and higher education. Throughout her career, she has brought together organisations from industry, academia and the public sector to develop partnerships, foster collaboration and create opportunities that deliver lasting social and economic impact. She has extensive experience working with senior leaders, boards and stakeholders, helping organisations build relationships, navigate change and develop effective partnerships. Tiffany brings a strategic perspective, strong networks and a collaborative approach, with a particular interest in connecting people and organisations around a shared purpose.

Trustee
Rob Higgins
Rob is a retired lawyer and engineer who has wide experience of corporate governance issues in UK industry and the Third Sector, where he is the Chair of Trustees at Kirkgate Arts and Heritage. He is committed to improving the provision of mental health services to children and young adults in Cumbria where there are definite immediate and long-term needs. The Windmill Trust can make a significant contribution to meeting these needs.
