Skipton Bid has a BID Manager who is supported by a number of dedicated voluntary Directors, who represent the different business sectors within Skipton.

Andrew Mear

Chairman

“I have been a property owner in Skipton since the early 90s and feel like a constant in the town. Having the interests of many different tenants, the help given by Skipton BID since its inception has been beneficial and by promoting Skipton as a better place. Over recent years beside the keen desire to make Skipton the place to be, charities have also become an important part of my life, most importantly developing a fundraising strategy to help Parkinsons Uk.”

Sarah Howsen

BID Manager

Sarah went to school in Skipton before leaving for University and then to travel and lived in Australia for one year. She then returned to University and studied for a Masters Degree in Responsible Tourism Management at the University of Greenwich. She has worked in destination management for 15 years across various cities in Yorkshire. Sarah is passionate about high street regeneration and the success of Skipton. 

Ivan Le Roux

Audit Committee

Baxters Food Group

Ivan worked in Skipton for over a decade and is Group Risk and Insurance Manager for Baxters Food Group.  Ivan is also the President of the Skipton Chamber of Trade and Commerce and represents their interest on the Board.

Fred Maier

Events Committee

Kooky Nightclub

Hi I’m Fred Maier, I’m the Town Manager for Kooky & Pop Skipton. With over 10 years management experience in the hospitality trade, I aim to help put my expertise to use in driving Skipton forward with BID. In my free time you’ll probably catch me on Skipton Moor or any other fell I can get to run to with my trusted collie Bailey.

David Caulfield

North Yorkshire Council

Liz Bailey

Committee Strategic Development

Teddy Boutique

Liz has worked in various senior roles within the corporate world including marketing, project implementation and international strategy.  Taking a step back from the corporate world, Liz (aka Bettie Bailey) has owned Teddy Boutique in Skipton for the past two years and is passionate and dedicated about using her past experience to help make a difference to Skipton and the businesses located here.

Louise Close

Events Development Committee

Skipton Town Council

Louise Close is Chief Officer at Skipton Town Council. She has 15 years’ experience of working in Local Government and is ILCA and CILCA qualified in local government and a principle member of the Society of Local Councils. She has completed Level 3 of Leadership and Management, as well as Traffic management for road closures. Louise has lived in the Dales for 18 years and enjoys hiking and open water swimming in her spare time.

Louise Ackerman

Events Development Committee

Craven Court

Julian Hotchkiss

Marketing Committee

Benjamin's Opticians

Julian is an active member of the local business community. He is Managing Director of Dales Radio, the local radio station for the Yorkshire Dales and Practice Manager of Benjamin Opticians, a well-respected independent Skipton practice. Julian is former President of Skipton Chamber of Trade and was Chairman of Skipton Renaissance Partnership. His career, spanning 35 years, has taken him around the UK and worldwide as a broadcast media consultant and business owner, with market-leading radio stations. He has a wealth of experience in leadership, team development, sales and marketing. Julian is a member of Skipton Rotary Club and La Compagnon du Beaujolais. He settled in Skipton 15 years ago and brings to the BID Board years of knowledge and a hands-on approach to business management.

Rebecca Elsworth

Events Development Committee

Elsworth Kitchen

Rebecca alongside her husband owns the award-winning restaurant, Elsworth Kitchen in Skipton. Rebecca has long been an ambassador of Skipton, and brings a wealth of hospitality and business experience with her.  She has managed at the multi-award winning Devonshire Arms in Bolton Abbey and helped establish the Ilkley ‘Friends of Ham’. Her other roles include; Restaurant operational manager at Keelham Farm Shop, general manager of the four-star Craven Heifer in Addingham and general manager of the highly regarded five-star Ashmount Country House in Howarth. Along with her passion for Skipton and hospitality, Rebecca has a love for business and connecting with other local businesses. This started the idea for ‘Skipton Business Social’ and alongside Benjamin Opticians, SBC marketing and Dales Radio.

Jade Banham

Marketing Committee

Kibble Bakery & Coffee Shop

  

Jade alongside her Mum  owns the multi award-winning coffee shop + dog groomers, Kibble Bakery in Skipton + Hebden Bridge. Jade has a long background in education and worked as a Senior Leader + Director of Post-16 in Secondary education for over 7 years, supporting young people across Yorkshire to understand and develop their love and skills for business and entrepreneurship.

 Alongside her teaching background Jade has a huge passion for the growth of social media marketing and always keen to learn and develop her skills to improve her understanding of SEO and influencer marketing. 

Anita Lall

Anita Lall

Craven College

Anita is the Interim Principal & CEO of Craven College and is passionate about creating an excellent learning environment for every student attending the college. Anita started her career as a research scientist specialising in childhood cancers and made the move into teaching at a FE College over 20 years ago. She saw this as an opportunity to use her experience as a scientist to encourage and inspire students and has never regretted this move.

The past 17 years of Anita’s career have been spent in the Further Education sector at a management level leading diverse, multi-disciplinary team. The quality-focused teams that Anita has led have won awards for innovation in teaching, learning and assessment and employer engagement. Anita is a firm believer in the power of education to make a difference in the lives of the people and communities the college serves. 

Joanne Briggs

Events Development Committee

Yorkshire Building Society

Jo has worked in Skipton as a branch manager for the Yorkshire Building society since 2018. Prior to this she spent 15 years at the YBS head office in Bradford, initially as a contact centre agent on the telephones, then as a team manager in the contact centre. Since 2020 she has also managed the Keighley branch of YBS. Since working in Skipton she has fallen in love with the town, and managed to relocate from Bradford . She is a very keen equestrian in her spare time, and she currently sits on the committee for Silsden riding club.