The Trustees of Ely Museum form the governing body of the charity.

Hilary Burke (Chair)

Hilary joined the Museum as Trustee Treasurer in March 2024 after a 30-year career in secondary school education in Shropshire. She began her teaching life as a Physics teacher with the last 12 years as Headteacher of a large secondary school in Shrewsbury. Hilary was also Chair of the Trust Board of a local Multi Academy Trust.

Hilary and her husband moved to Soham in 2023 and are loving being closer to their family and being part of the local community

Pip Gardner (Vice Chair)

Dr Pip Jamie Gardner (they/them) became a trustee of Ely Museum in 2023. Pip works across the youth, community heritage and arts sectors through roles with Woodcraft Folk and Curious By Nature. They were the Chief Executive of the Kite Trust – an LGBTQ+ youth organisation based in Ely and covering all of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough. 

Pip completed a PhD in cultural geography at the University of Sheffield examining the role of curiosity, creativity and innovation in the making of museum spaces and worked collaboratively with Museums Sheffield on the project. They have also previously worked for Woburn Abbey, University of Cambridge Museums and Hull 2017, UK City of Culture.

Vickie Jameson (Secretary)

Born in Ely and a descendant of the Cross Family, Vickie (she/her) has been a Trustee since December 2021. She is an experienced HR Manager with over 20 years’ service in local government and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Married with two children, Vickie is passionate about learning, growth and enrichment, and is delighted to support Ely Museum in sharing the heritage of Ely and the stories of the people of the Fens.

Richard Taylor

Born and bought up in the Fens, Richard is a graduate of UEA and a UK qualified chartered accountant who spent most of his career working in the Agritech industry. For the last 25 years he and his family lived in France and Switzerland but in 2024 he retired and he and his wife returned to the UK, now living in nearby Wilburton.

Richard became a trustee of Ely Museum in July 2025. He is also on the Board of NIAB (the National Institute of Agricultural Botany).

Jane Greaves

Jane became a trustee in 2023 and was chair from 2024 to 2025. Jane is an experienced civil servant specialising in policy, currently working in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Prior to her roles in the civil service, Jane worked in marketing and PR including for the Natural History Museum and National Army Museum. She has an MA in Art Gallery and Museum Studies and has undertaken voluntary work at a range of museums in England and America in a range of roles from collections to front of house.

Originally from Bolton, Jane moved to Cambridgeshire in 2017 (with a brief stint in London) and has been fascinated by the fens ever since. 

Lee Gilpin-Davies

Lee joined the board of trustees in 2023. He is a senior civil servant at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, where he leads for the UK government on climate adaptation and rural communities. He has worked in the civil service for over 20 years, both as a policy professional and a social researcher. He is a member of the Government Social Research Service. 

Before joining the civil service, Lee gained a PhD in Linguistics, specialising in child language psychology. He has lived in Ely for the last 20 years and is passionate about the city, the fenland landscape and our cultural heritage. 

Ella Ponton-Hewitt

Ella is the Individual Giving Manager for the Royal Air Force Museum and has over a decade of experience working in museums. She has previously worked for the National Trust and small museums like the Museum of the Order of St John.

Ella joined the board in September 2023, whilst on maternity leave with her first daughter. As a trustee she is excited to support the Museum in their fundraising journey.

Samantha Bjorkengren

Samantha (she/her) is a civil servant at the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, and has been a member of the Government Project Delivery Profession since joining the civil service nearly a decade ago.

Samantha joined the Board of Trustees in 2025, after starting a family. She has a keen interest in museums and the heritage sector, and is excited to support the Museum to be as inclusive and family-friendly as possible in her role as trustee.

Caoimhe Ni Dhonaill (City Council Representative)

Caoimhe (she/her) is City of Ely Council’s representative on the board of trustees, a role she took up in 2024. Caoimhe became a councillor for Ely North in 2023.

Originally from Ireland, where she studied medieval history in Trinity College, Dublin, Caoimhe moved to the UK in 2014 and to Ely in 2019 where she has now made her home. Professionally, she works as a Business Change Leader in Cambridge University Press and Assessment, after an earlier career in publishing, where at one point she was the production editor of a number of history journals.