WHO WE ARE
Meet the team behind Watchet Coastal Community Team.
Jan Ayers
Community Coordinator
Jan has lived in West Somerset for over 30 years. She studied for her degree at Exeter University. Jan has worked as a special educational needs tutor at Bridgwater and Taunton College and Foxes Academy Minehead. She is interested in Archaeology and Environmental issues. Jan joined the WCCT in November 2023.
Martin Stevens
Director
Martin Stevens representing Watchet Boat Owners’ Association.
Retired electrical engineer, lifelong resident of Watchet and passionate about our beautiful town and its people.
John Irven
Director
John retired to Watchet with wife Rachel who grew up here. An industrial technologist, he is visiting professor at Queen Mary, University of London, and has been a Watchet Town Councillor since 2011, and mayor from 2018. He leads WCCT finance and governance & delivered the 7 Esplanade rebuild project.
Peter Murphy
Director
Peter is a founder member of WCCT and leads the community transport programme. He is a Watchet Town councillor where he has served as mayor, as well as being a district councillor for some years. Locally he is also a trustee of the Watchet Market House Museum.
Kate Williams
Director, Leading The Learns Project
I have lived in Watchet for ten years after previously living in various parts of the South East of England. After a career in children and family social care I now work part time as a therapist working with children and adults. I have volunteered and fundraised for a variety of national charities and local good causes over the years. A highlight was trekking with the Masaai in Tanzania and volunteering in an orphanage there.
I have been part of WCCT since July 2022, and am currectly the director leading the Learns project, helping to bring both formal and informal learning opportunities to our community in Watchet.
Bernice Scott-Field
Director<br /> Bernice Scott-Field is a self employed Registered Social Worker now after 25 Years working in Local Authority senior management roles. Her areas of professional specialism include Mental Capacity, Mental Health, Risk and Safeguarding and is now freelancing and runs a national specialist training programme for Local Authorities.<br /> Having moved to Watchet in 2022 with husband Len and doggie Rory, Bernice volunteers as a social worker with the local village agents as well as serving as secretary with 'Watchet Summertime'. She has a passion for social care, as well as cycling, swimming and loves walking the local coastal foot paths. Bernice joined WCCT in December 2023.
Jane Armstrong
Director
I have lived in Watchet since February 2016, following a move from Bridgwater after retiring from the research arm of the NHS owing to ill health.
I started my career as a nurse within the NHS, with a focus on looking after people experiencing kidney problems, which remained my speciality interest throughout my career.
I moved into teaching nurses about managing patients with kidney disease, including spending over five years in the Sultanate of Oman.
I returned to the UK in 1997, and moved into a job doing clinical research in the kidney field and completed a PhD in 2007. I then resumed clinical research activity for the NHS within primary care. Since retiring from the NHS, I have undertaken various volunteer roles, including 4 years as a Public Governor for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. I joined Watchet Coastal Community Team as a Director at the end of 2023, and really enjoy working to support developments locally in Watchet, where I live and understand some of the challenges facing the community in Watchet.
Ian Aldridge
Director
Ian recently joined the WCCT as a director, bringing with him a wealth of experience as a district councillor and local resident.
He has a passion for achieving the best for our local area within West Somerset.