Royal Oak Foundation | New & Noteworthy
National Trust Appoints Dame Helen Ghosh DCB as new Director-General
"I have been an admirer of the Trust and its work all my life, and I am thrilled that I have been given the chance to be part of its future," said Dame Helen when the appointment was announced.
Dame Helen joins the Trust from her current role as permanent secretary to the Home Office. Previously, she held a variety of civil service roles including permanent secretary to DEFRA (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) between 2005 and 2010. She will succeed Fiona Reynolds who has been at the Trust's helm for nearly twelve years.
"The Board of Trustees is delighted that Helen will be the Trust's next Director-General. The Trustees' strategy is to widen the Trust's appeal and grow its membership. Helen is a distinguished and energetic public servant. We are convinced she is ideal to lead the organization through what is proving a challenging time. We all look forward to working with her," said Simon Jenkins, Chairman of the Trust.
Fiona Reynolds, who moves on to become Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 2013, remarked: "I am delighted by Helen's appointment. The National Trust is a fantastic organization to work for and I wish her, and the Trust, all the very best for the future."
Royal Oak Welcomes Newest Staff Member - Yvonne Raptis
We are very pleased to welcome Yvonne Raptis, our new Director of Administration and Finance. A native of Jersey (the Channel Island, that is), Yvonne received her postgraduate diploma from the British Institute of Chartered Bankers and held a number of positions in the financial institutions in London before coming to the States 15 years ago. She was the Assistant Director of Financial Operations for the Gene Siskel Film Center at the Art Institute of Chicago for five years and then moved to New York where she was Director of Finance at the Orchestra of St. Luke's. Yvonne is also a professionally trained opera singer. She and her family live in Brooklyn. We are thrilled to welcome Yvonne to the Royal Oak family.
Yvonne may be reached at yraptis@royal-oak.org or 212.480.2889 x206.
Newman's Own Foundation and Royal Oak Support the National Trust's Conservation of Llyndy Isaf in North Wales
The Royal Oak Foundation has received a grant of £50,000 ($82,000) from Newman's Own Foundation to support the National Trust's construction and restoration of public footpaths at Llyndy Isaf in Snowdonia National Park in North Wales.
Royal Oak has also made a special grant from the foundation's capital of $15,000 to the Trust to assist with the purchase of the 614-acre Llyndy Isaf farm in honor of the marriage of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Llyndy Isaf: Natural Splendor in Northwest Wales
Llyndy Isaf, in the Nant Gwynant valley near Beddgelert, is one of the most well-known and environmentally important stretches of countryside in Snowdonia and part of a European-designated Special Area of Conservation.
Extending from the lake of Llyn Dinas and the Afon Glaslyn River, to the summit of Moel y Dyniewyd, the property includes extensive areas of woodland, mire and heath of exceptional conservation value and a range of archaeological sites, including the remains of the Llwyn Du copper mine.
Llyndy Isaf Farm
Sensitive management of the farm has resulted in abundant natural regeneration of rowans, birch and oaks above and beyond the enclosed woodlands which produces a rich succession of upland plant communities, a rare and precious environmental asset in Wales.
The farm is home to some of Snowdonia's endangered choughs as well as precious songbirds like pied flycatchers, redstarts and willow warblers. During the winter months the lake is an important feeding spot for visiting waders, while peregrine falcons depend on the farm's habitats for their prey.
Llyn Dinas is also the mythical birthplace of the red dragon, the Welsh national symbol, and the place where it defeated the white dragon of the Saxons, banishing it to the depths of the lake.
Protecting Llyndy Isaf's Future
The farm's present owner is retiring from farming and is concerned about ensuring that the land continues to be managed in a traditionally sustainable way. The Trust has launched a public appeal for the £1,000,000 required for the acquisition and has raised £800,000 to date. Royal Oak's grant to the acquisition appeal is intended to recognize the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's strong ties to this beautiful and environmentally significant area. If you would like to support the appeal, please contact Sean Sawyer at 212.564.2807 or ssawyer@royal-oak.org.
The Newman's Own Foundation grant will support the construction and restoration of two critical public footpaths utilizing age-old stonework techniques. A new footpath will be constructed around Llyn Dinas to reduce the detrimental effects and erosion caused by informal pathways and to make it a more enjoyable and safe experience for visitors. It will also draw visitors away from highly-sensitive wildlife areas.
Newman's Own Foundation funds will also support the restoration of the footpath up to the Llyn Du copper mine. This is a zig-zag path that tens of thousands of people walk every year. It is a historical path, trodden for centuries, but is badly worn and is in urgent need of repair to reduce erosion. Both projects will utilize traditional stonework techniques methods. All materials and labor would be sourced locally, making this project not only environmentally sustainable but economically sustaining for the local economy.
Newman's Own Foundation
Paul Newman was committed to helping make the world a better place. To carry on his philanthropic legacy, Newman's Own Foundation turns all net profits and royalties from the sale of Newman's Own products into charitable donations. To date, Paul Newman and Newman's Own Foundation have given over $300 million to thousands of charities around the world.
