Severn Valley Railway Co. Ltd. (the 'Guarantee' Company)
SVR Company Limited (Company number 00906842) is a Company limited by Guarantee, supported by its membership. It provides the volunteer work force that assist in the operation of the railway.
Diane Malyon
Chairman, Guarantee Board.
Director, Holdings Board.
Trustee, Charitable Trust
Diane joined the Trust board in 2021.
Diane became a director of Guarantee Board in 1993, taking over as chairman in 2020 and becoming a director of the Holdings Board at the same time. She joined the Trust board in 2021.
Diane became a working member at 16 on the Severn Valley Limited and on Bridgnorth based buffet cars in 1978. She moved to the Plant & Machinery Department, assisting with trolley and diesel shunter maintenance, passing out as a shunter driver in 1980, before joining the station staff, concentrating on booking office and station gardens. She also helped found the Severn Valley Venturer dining service and continues as part of its management team and is a regular cook. She was co-ordinator for the vital Santa operation from 1995 to 2019, retiring from the role in January 2020. Diane is chair of the Staffing Committee, which focusses on volunteers, in partnership with the Volunteer Liaison Office and she sits on the Accommodation Forum - a group committed to trying to improve facilities for volunteers on the SVR..
In her "real life", Diane worked as a Primary School teacher for over 30 years and, for the five years before taking early retirement, became an Acting Headteacher raising the attainment of failing schools. She makes use of her professional skills and knowledge in supporting the development of educational and people centred activities.
David Williams
Vice -chairman.
David Williams joined the Severn Valley Railway Society in 1966, seven months after founding. He soon became SVR News Editor, from Issue 3 to date, over 50 years later. A member of the Committee of the Society from 1967 to 1970, he became a director of the newly formed SVR Company in 1972, and its Chairman from 1979 until 2020. He was a director of Severn Valley Railway Holdings from 1977 until 2020. He retains an interest in rolling stock, having been instrumental with colleagues in saving locomotives 43106, 80079 and 75069 from scrap, and assisted in other schemes. He was a locomotive fireman for five years and a driver for nine. He thinks the SVR is the best railway in the country, and has devoted most of his life to it.
Robert Whatton
Director
Robert’s interest in the SVR started with membership of the Junior Club in the late 1980s, followed by Permanent Way Department participation, and continued as a Locomotive Cleaner, and later Passed Cleaner, in Bewdley Motive Power Department.
Additionally, Robert mentors younger Cleaners in that Department, andassists the Volunteer Liaison Office staff with placement of new volunteers.
The VLO work caused Robert to accept an invitation to join the Railway’s Staffing Committee, a position that he finds rewarding, and gives early insight into some of this Board’s activities.
Away from the Railway, Robert is a Technical Sales Advisor in the agricultural tractor industry, which provides useful experience of financial and personnel issues.
Neil Limbrick
Director
Neil was initially a rail enthusiast by proxy through his son’s obsession. As a family, they have been involved with the Paddock Railway at Hampton Loade for the last decade and gradually got more widely involved across the SVR.
Neil’s professional background is in IT, most significantly in the education sector having worked in a number of schools. He is an advisor to the Department for Education and sits on several professional committees and has been a Governor of several schools across Birmingham and Worcestershire. He is also the founder of the Education Collective, which is a network of membership organisations for education professionals and has around 14,000 members.
Martin Creese
Director
Martin is a qualified accountant currently working for Jaguar Land Rover as a Finance Business Partner supporting Inbound and Logistics. Prior to JLR he spent ten years working at Cadbury’s in Finance, Procurement and Operational Roles . His career has given him experience in both practice and industry in businesses in all sizes and sectors.
Martin’s SVR story goes back to a childhood with regular trips to look around Bridgnorth shed and yard. He is a life member, small shareholder and, in more recent times, has become a volunteer at Arley along with his eldest son. He is a volunteer with the Erlestoke Manor Fund too. Martin also organises photographic charters under the 30742 charters banner with his first SVR charter with 3442 and the teak set and, most recently, during Diesel Gala.
Martin joined the Communications Committee earlier on this year.
Michelle Bevon
Director (Holdings & Guarantee Boards)
Michelle is an SVR volunteer with a wide range of interests in the Railway. Her desire to volunteer at the Railway grew after many happy childhood memories of spending time around Bridgnorth station and many journeys on the SVR, leading to her wedding reception being held on the SVR where they chartered a train.
After this she had a desire to give her time back to the Railway, to ensure the future of Bridgnorth station as a key feature of the town, so she started as a Booking Office Clerk in Bridgnorth. More recently she has also taken on additional responsibilities as platform staff at Bridgnorth station, a role that builds on the skills and knowledge she has gained within the Booking Office, it continues to enable her to be public-facing, ensuring the safety of our passengers, helping with any queries and promoting the Railway. She can also be found at Arley over Christmas since she started as a volunteer; this is a role that she really enjoys, as she feels it isn’t really Christmas until her elf hat has been put on.
Michelle is always keen to find new volunteers and soon recruited her husband to the Bridgnorth Station Maintenance Team (WWCC) and persuaded him to become a Guard.
Outside the SVR Michelle lives in Bridgnorth and is a Senior Management Accountant for a global logistics company; her background in this profession lead to her joining Rob Whattons' Finance Committee, one of four sub-committees set up by the SVR G Board in recent times. She is one of the three Guarantee Company representatives on the Holdings Board
Charlie Wright
Director
Charlie is a chartered accountant, running a small portfolio of businesses as CEO, including manufacturing businesses related to access equipment and spectator seating. As a volunteer on SVR he is a steam fireman and JCB operator, based at Bridgnorth and a member of the SVRG Finance Committee.
Paul Appleton
Director
Paul is passionate about the SVR, having been a member of the SVR since 1973, an active volunteer (as a guard) for the past seven years and, in 2021, achieved his long-standing ambition of moving to Bridgnorth in order to take a more active role at the railway. Currently he is also volunteering twice per week to help with the running of the Railwayman’s Arms during this period of staff shortages.
Paul has a lifetime’s experience running his own businesses including organising and running events, and his current event activities are mainly indoor model railway shows, including the Great British Model Railway Show at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon. Other professional skills include retail management, marketing and publishing. Paul is the publisher of Trackside magazine, of which he is a part owner and also edits various quarterly magazines for other clients.
SVR Company Limited and its functions
The merger of the Severn Valley Company Ltd and the Severn Valley Railway Association means that the SVR Company Ltd is the body that fully represents the interests of the membership and working members.
The Company has adopted and supports all the functions of the Severn Valley Railway Association and has incorporated these in to its governance. The Company has nine Directors who provide a breadth of experience from across the SVR.
The Company has a Committee structure to make sure that it maintains good governance and has a direct dialogue with its working membership.
These committees are:
Staffing Committee:
Chaired by Director Diane Malyon, and including a representative from the Volunteer Liaison Office; the four Zone reps. from Bridgnorth, Intermediate Stations, Bewdley and Kidderminster, along with working members' representation from station, operating and other departments.
The committee provides support for VLO and its activities, as well as monitoring and reviewing processes by which working members' issues can be addressed. It aims to encourage recruitment, training and retention of working members through the development of policy and structures for support and guidance.
Finance Committee:
Chaired by Michelle Bevon, the committee consists of two SVR. Co. Ltd. Directors (one as chairman and one as deputy chairman) and a small team of working members. The Finance Committee is charged with researching, investigating and reporting on all financial matters relating to the Guarantee Company. This includes the 200 Club, raffles, membership rates, shareholding and new fundraising initiatives. An important part of the remit of the committee is monitoring costs such as the SVR News and the progress of projects that have been funded or partially funded by the Company to ensure good financial return and membership support.
Communications Committee:
Chaired by director Rob Whatton, the Committee has a responsibility to support the delivery of communications to volunteers and members of SVR through social media, website, newsletters, SVR News, event stands, presentations, posters, external articles as well as general publicity aimed at new, existing and potential members.
Presentation Committee:
Chaired by Director Alan Davies with a small team of working members. The Presentation Committee seeks to improve the heritage credentials of the SVR through providing guidance and support on authenticity of clothing, literature and period detail.
If you are interested in finding out more or you believe that you have some experience and skill in a relevant field then please email vlo@svrlive.com.