Greg Pickup

Chief Executive

Greg Pickup joined the Churches Conservation Trust as Chief Executive in September 2022. Prior to this, Greg was CEO of Heritage Lincolnshire, one of the largest and most active building preservation trusts in the country. His tenure at Heritage Lincolnshire coincided with the covid pandemic which brought about the biggest transformation in the organisation’s 30-year history and saw it emerging stronger than ever, growing from a headcount of 36 to 65 in under three years. He oversaw the Trust’s successful completion and opening of the Old King’s Head near Boston as a B&B, café and community space, efforts to secure c. £8m of Town Deal funding for the charity’s projects across the county and plans to bring the at-risk and vacant Greyfriars in Lincoln back into use.

Greg’s career in heritage began with nearly six years at the National Lottery Heritage Fund, following which he managed several projects and funding schemes, most recently Nottingham City Council’s Carrington Street Townscape Heritage Scheme and the Other Stories LGBT History Project for the charity Derbyshire LGBT+. He served on the board of trustees of the Arkwright Society, custodians of Richard Arkwright’s Cromford Mills complex in the heart of Derbyshire’s Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and is also on the board and the grants panel of the Architectural Heritage Fund.

T. 0845 303 2760

Sarah Robinson OBE

Director of Conservation and Deputy Chief Executive

After studying engineering at Leicester University Sarah spent six years as a structural engineer in London, working on a number of historic buildings including Hampton Court Palace and Southwell Minster.

In 1991 she won a scholarship with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and spent 9 months gaining hands-on experience of historic building repair and conservation. In 1995 Sarah joined us as a Conservation Manager and became Director of Conservation in 2003. In 2010 Sarah became Deputy Chief Executive.

Currently representing the 5 Amenity Societies on St George’s Chapel, Windsor’s Fabric Advisory Committee, Sarah also chairs their Technical Advisory sub-group.

Sarah was awarded the OBE for services to Heritage in 2021.

T. 0845 303 2760

Judith Patrick

Director of Operations

Judith Patrick joined the Churches Conservation Trust as Operations Manager, North in August 2017 and was Head of Region, North before taking up the role of Interim Director of Operations at the end of March 2023. Prior to this, Judith worked for National Trust for 6 years, managing sites in West Yorkshire and project operations in Cheshire. During this time she led improvements in commercial performance and innovative partnership work on art installations and landscape scale conservation. For 12 years Judith was a civil servant in the Court Service, focusing on facilities management.

Judith has worked in the charity sector since 2002, delivering local and regional grant programmes focused on areas of deprivation in rural and former coalfield communities, aiming to improve the socio economic situation of the people and places within the schemes. She has a strong background in working with volunteers and carries this through into her free time. She established Holmfirth Civic Hall Community Trust to care for and manage Holmfirth Civic Hall in her home town, serving as chair for 7 years and is the cattle secretary and a director for Honley Agricultural Society.

T. 0845 303 2760

Christopher Denmead

Director of Finance and Commercial

Chris joined The Churches Conservation Trust as Director of Finance and Commercial in July 2023.

After studying Accountancy and Finance at The University of Stirling, Chris qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1997, being a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales.

For over 20 years Chris has headed up and run finance departments across a range of industries, including retail and e-commerce, technology and Film and Television Studio facilities management.

In his last role, at Elstree Film Studios, he worked in a wholly owned subsidiary of a Local Authority, where he was seconded from running the finance function to being the Interim Acting Managing Director of the company for the 18 months prior to leaving, and in this role he oversaw the completion of a significant expansion of the site, with funding from the local authority and the local enterprise partnership, as well as undertaking the redesign and re-launch of its hospitality and catering facilities. He instigated a program of refurbishments and upgrades for the site, which was home to many famous film and TV franchises.

T. 0845 303 2760