MEET THE TEAM
OUR TRUSTEES
The Trustees of the Friends of Jesus Green Lido Charity play a vital role in supporting and safeguarding the long-term future of the Lido for the benefit of the local community. Working as a team, alongside the Friends volunteer group, and with other pool stakeholders, trustees provide strategic oversight, governance, and leadership for the charity, helping to ensure that its activities remain aligned with its charitable aims and values.
Together, the trustees bring a range of professional skills, experience, and local knowledge, contributing their time and expertise to help sustain and enhance this much-loved community asset for current and future generations.
If you have a question about the charity, which you would like to discuss with the Trustees, please send the team an email.
NICKY BLANNING
Nicky Blanning is Head of the Accommodation Service at The University of Cambridge and Chair of Trustees of the Friends of Jesus Green Lido Charity.
She has been involved with the Friends volunteer group since the late 1980’s and, like her co-trustees, is incredibly passionate about the Lido and the need to encourage more users to enjoy its remarkable setting and safeguard its future.
An enthusiastic and dedicated daily swimmer at the pool, she is also Chair of the Jesus Green Association as well as a local River Club.
SIMON BIGGIN
Simon Biggin qualified as a solicitor in 1983 and was a partner with HCR Law (formerly HCR Hewitsons) in Cambridge until retiring in May 2024.
He continues to consult for HCR Law, when he’s not swimming vast lengths at the pool (never knowingly without neoprene).
An accredited mediator in business and personal disputes, he is also a volunteer facilitator to the Neighbourhood Resolution Panel Scheme run by Cambridge City Council.
ANDREW HERBERT
Andrew Herbert is a senior finance professional with more than 40 years’ experience of business and financial management.
A retired fellow of the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants, and long-term CFO of a global FTSE 250 business, he has spent the past decade as a non-executive director and chair of public companies.
He was also a Governor of Cambridge Regional College for many years. Andrew is a lifelong swimmer and swims all year-round in both the Lido and open water.
NATALIE YATES
Natalie is a PR specialist with a track record for delivering impactful communications strategies and campaigns across the UK and international markets.
Combining strategic insight with a hands-on approach, Natalie ensures communications are closely aligned with wider business objectives, helping organisations strengthen their profile, connect with key audiences, and achieve lasting results.
She swam at the Lido as a teenager and rediscovered her love of outdoor swimming after the pandemic.
IAIN SHAW
Iain Shaw is an experienced sales manager with more than twenty years’ experience in the food industry, mainly focused on the development and distribution of branded protein bars and nutritional snacks.
A regular 7:00am Jesus Green swimmer and sauna enthusiast, Iain is passionate about the Lido and the infrastructure improvements that need to be made to ensure it remains a sanctuary for swimmers, for centuries to come.
The friends OF JESUS GREEN LIDO volunteer group
Central to the work of the charity is the volunteer-led community group with the same name. The precursor to the charity, the Friends of Jesus Green Volunteer Group was created in the 1980s to secure the future of the Lido and its special environment – before cold water swimming became as popular as it is today.
In 2018, the Volunteer Group created the Friends of Jesus Green Lido Committee. In doing so, they forged a closer working relationship with Cambridge City Council, which owns the site, and Better (GLL), the social enterprise which manages the pool.
The Friends Committee, alongside trustees, play an active role in shaping and supporting everyday life at the lido. Committee members give generously of their time – channelling their passion and enthusiasm for the Lido and outdoor swimming into practical activities that enhance the pool environment for the enjoyment of the people that swim there.
Together with a wider team of volunteers, the Friends Committee brings Jesus Green Lido swimmers together through social and fundraising events. They undertake enhancements to the pool, including gardening and painting, which make a huge difference to the look and feel of the place. Crucially, they also act as a voice for swimmers – championing ideas and suggestions that have resulted in winter swimming and extended opening hours.
Anyone can become a Friend of Jesus Green Lido. It’s free and there are no commitments on your wallet or time – unless you want to donate to the charity, become a volunteer or email the team to discuss joining the Friends Committee.
By becoming a Friend you’ll be joining a diverse group of lido users. It’s the best way of keeping up to date with news and events, supporting the lido, and having your voice heard.