Meet the Board
Chair
Liam Dougan He/Him
Coming Soon
Founder & Board Member
Jenna Lowry-Hubball She/Her
Born and raised in Brum, I came to Notts to study at University. I am so glad Trent was my Uni of choice, I made forever friends, (eventually) passed my exams got my degree, and found a new home. I have lived in South Manchester for a few years, but somehow Nottingham always feels so familiar and safe to me, it really is my home now.
Treasurer
Russell Jays He/Him
I came out at 18 in 1982 and immediately became Secretary of the University Gaysoc. Several Pride and Protest marches later, I was in the hall in Rugby when Chris Smith came out as the first openly gay MP. Working in IT I was one of the first LGBT people to pass positive vetting after the rules were changed in the 1990s. (Before then, being not hetronormative caused automatic failure of your security check) This meant I went to the Falkland Islands three times. I ended up as IT Manager in a factory in Yorkshire. The credit crunch brought with it redundancy follwed by volunteering. I ended up working part time for a small local charity and Trustee of two others. For two and a half years, I was also the co-ordinator of Outburst a Nottingham based group for LGBTQ+ young people which gave me some insight into the mental health issues that impact on our community. This made me happy to volunteer to help The Spencer Trust as I feel strongly about the issues that we will be supporting.
Board Member
Laura Wood​ She/Her
I live in a small town in Nottinghamshire. I’m a highly driven individual, with a passion for property. In my spare time like to go clay pigeon shooting, eating out and going for long walks in the countryside.​ It was one of the biggest honours to be asked to be a trustee of The Spencer Trust. The Spencer Trust was set up in after the loss of my best friend Duane Spencer. Duane struggled for many years with his mental health, unfortunately there wasn’t any help out there for him, even though he reached out to doctors and sought help from other avenues, in which he found no solace and subsequently ended up taking his own life. My hope for The Spencer Trust is that we are able to raise funds and direct them towards the right places so people, especially people of the LGBTQ+ community can access help when they need it the most. Even if we save one life, it will be worth it. My other vision for TST is for us to host events where people can come and express themselves, to know that they are part of something and know that they are not alone. I want us to build our community up again.
Board Member
Julia Carter They/Them
I’m sure many of you will recognise this now weathered face, and you will know I love a party– but here’s a bit of serious about me; I came to Nottingham in 2002 as an escape for what I thought would be a couple of years. It turns out that this City is addictive, and I made some incredible friends, most of whom I met on the then vibrant LGBTQ+ scene, these friends have supported me through many tough times, including my own challenging mental health issues- they have become my chosen family and are woven into the fabric of my life. As a young lesbian I recall being so excited about attending Pride and going to clubs that were exclusively for our community- they were the one time I could truly be me, I honestly still feel the same. I believe in us celebrating our differences in society, and not trying to dilute them; I feel that our scene has become so diluted that often members of our community feel isolated, lonely and unable to access the support they truly need- that is why I wanted to be involved with The Spencer Trust, so that I could help put into action those feelings. I currently work as a senior caseworker at Nottingham Women’s Centre, which I love-it’s another place that allows me to be me. I am passionate about many things but Art, Music and Dogs are the top three!
Secretary
Alice Bowerman She/Her
I moved to Nottingham in 2006 and never left! Life now revolves around my two sons (and keeping the cat and dog from annoying eachother!) I love going to the theatre, exploring new places, seeing friends and spending time with my family. I've been the chair and trustee of another lgbtq+ charity and I'm now really excited to be part of The Spencer Trust and help build and strengthen our local lgbtq+ community.