Who We Are
Letty Bennett, Chair of Trustees
Letty is a Maths Teacher at Caludon Castle School, Coventry. Since completing Teach First in 2014, she has held various positions in schools in Knowsley, Hackney and Coventry including Head of Department and taken a lead on aspects of whole school progress, as well as having completed an MA in Educational Leadership. Prior to this she spent two years in Hong Kong establishing an extra curricular English programme. She graduated from University of Manchester in 2011 with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and spent a year as General Secretary of the Students’ Union.
Amber Merrick-Potter, Vice Chair of Trustees
Amber is an arts and heritage specialist, with over 15 years experience delivering complex projects and productions. Amber produced the flagship #GreenFutures programme a £3.5m project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund for City of Culture 2021-22. Prior to that Amber produced and managed several projects across the heritage and cultural sector - including green space development , public realm strategies and leading heritage and cultural charities. Amber graduated with a BA from Solent and MFA from Bath Spa in Fine Arts. Currently conducting independent research in green access and nature connectedness, Amber is also a Freelance Consultant working with charity clients such as Garden Organic.
Ann Smith, Trustee
After more than thirty years in language teaching and educational management, Ann retired to pursue other interests including genealogy and historical research. She first came to Cotesbach to access some of its thousands of old documents but stayed on as a regular volunteer and is now also the trustee with special responsibility for the Archive.
Emily Nichols, Trustee and Treasurer
Emily has a history in Property Law and is now working in the Accounts department for a Surveyors Company. She graduated from the University of Sheffield with a degree in Law and then went on to receive her postgraduate diploma,LPC, a year later. In 2014 she qualified as a Licensed Conveyancer and worked for a large Midlands Conveyancing firm for 6 years. After becoming a mum, Emily is now working as a bookkeeper for a Surveying and Auctioneers company in Leicester.
Sophy Newton, Honorary Heritage Manager and Founder
Sophy has lived in Cotesbach since 1991 when she, her husband Tom and their young family came to live ‘temporarily’ at the Hall to help her ageing grandfather, Rowley Marriott. Their combined skills and interests merged with the place, resulting in today’s thriving hub, which preserves tangible roots into the past. From the late 90s Sophy drove her vision of an educational focus for heritage, arts and environment which eventually became the CET. Her experience as one of the first students on the V&A/RCA History of Design MA followed by several years in the Royal Collection underpinned her approach, and the cataloguing of documents found in the Hall, now housed in the archive. Sophy becomes increasingly aware of the particular dynamic between man-made and natural heritage which makes Cotesbach unique, yet also of the need for imaginative solutions to adapt to changing times.
Anne Marie Williamson, Trustee
Anne Marie is a professionally qualified Archivist, a member of the Archives and Records Association UK and Ireland and an Associate Fellow of Advance Higher Education. On completing her PhD in 2016, Anne Marie began teaching at the University of Nottingham where she worked until 2020. She has worked with The National Archives, The Linen Hall Library, Senate House Library and The Salvation Army. She first came to Cotesbach in September 2020 as an archive volunteer.