Town Centre East & Fingerpost Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board
The Neighbourhood Board must oversee the development of a 10-Year Pride in Place Plan and 4-Year Investment Plan, which must be agreed by St Helens Borough Council and subsequently submitted to Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The Pride in Place Plan and 4-Year Investment Plan must be developed in consultation with the local community. To support this activity, funding has been released to the Neighbourhood Board to conduct public consultation.
The Neighbourhood Board brings together residents, business and community leaders to devise and agree a shared vision for the future.
Both the Pride in Place Plan and 4-Year Investment Plan are to be submitted to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government for acceptance.
A Neighbourhood Board of key representation from across the borough has been formed to manage Pride in Place Programme for Town Centre East & Fingerpost. It is led by Managing Director of Stapleton Derby Mike Denning.
Full details of Board membership can be found below.
Meet the Board Members:
Mike Denning - Chair of Town Centre East & Fingerpost Neighbourhood Board
His career has spanned over 30 years across legal services, commercial enterprise and property development. He brings extensive experience operating as Chair, Trustee, and Committee Lead, overseeing regulated organisations, delivering large-scale funded programmes, and representing organisations with government bodies, national governing bodies, funders, commercial partners, and community stakeholders.
Alongside his professional career Mike has been deeply involved with community initiatives for over 25 years including serving as Chair and Trustee of one of the UK's largest and most successful community Rugby League clubs, Thatto Heath Crusaders ARLFC. Chairman of The Steve Prescott Foundation for 10 years and Trustee of St Helens Autism Support as well as an honorary member of the All Parliamentary Rugby League Group.
Marie Rimmer - Member of Parliament for St Helens South and Whiston
Marie became a Labour Councillor in 1978. In 1985, she became the Leader of the Council and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her service to Local Government in 2005. Marie served as the Leader three times between 1985 and 2014.
Marie stood for Parliament in the 2015 General Election as MP for St Helens South & Whiston and has consistently championed the interests of her constituents both local and parliamentary. Playing a leading role in securing land for Willowbrook Hospice, St Helens and Whiston new Hospitals and not least of all, Saints Stadium.
Marie has consistently sought to champion the most vulnerable in society, serving as the Shadow Disabilities Minister in 2017 and a few years later, initiating legislative change to prevent the importing of forcibly harvested organs.
Councillor Sharon Roughley - Deputy Leader of St Helens Borough Council and Ward Councillor for Peasley Cross and Fingerpost
Sharon was born and raised in Peasley Cross and Fingerpost, which has enabled her a real understanding of the challenges people face, and the incredible strength, resilience, and community spirit that exists within our neighbourhoods.
Alongside her role as a Councillor, Sharon has been a business owner for more than 25 years and has dedicated time to volunteering within her community through supporting people living with addiction, serving as a school governor, and volunteering in soup kitchens, helping people experiencing homelessness and hardship.
Sharon is passionate about giving local people a strong voice and is keen to utilise her role on the Neighbourhood Board to raise aspirations, and make sure every resident feels listened to, valued, and supported.
Lisa Harris - Executive Director of Place Services, St Helens Borough Council
Lisa has been instrumental in shaping long term plans for town centre renewal, employment and housing growth, and infrastructure improvement, positioning St Helens as a key contributor to the wider Liverpool City Region economy. Her leadership focuses on creating sustainable, inclusive growth and delivering places that support thriving communities and resilient local economies.
Jon Smith - St Helens Chief Inspector, Merseyside Police
Jon is the Local Policing Chief Inspector for St Helens and will be representing Merseyside Police on the Neighbourhood Board.
Jon is passionate about policing for the public and fostering strong, flexible partnerships in order to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour and support our most vulnerable people within the community. He is committed to providing visible and accessible Neighbourhood Policing for local residents and looks forward to bringing his knowledge and experience to the Neighbourhood Board.
Martin Murray - Community Representative
Martin has previous experience of running a local healthy food business in Fingerpost, giving him first-hand experience of running a local business and understands the importance of supporting thriving, connected communities.
Martin is now Director of Think F.A.S.T Academy, where he works closely with hard-to-reach young people, helping them re-engage with education, their families, and the wider community. Through this role, he has developed a strong understanding of the challenges facing young people and the importance of providing positive opportunities, support and guidance.
He is also well accustomed to governance and board-level responsibilities, having served for many years as a trustee of Parr Sports Community Centre, a registered charity. This experience has given him valuable insight into community organisations, accountability and working collaboratively to deliver positive outcomes.
Martin has longstanding personal and professional connections across St Helens. He has property interests throughout the borough and has a wide network of family, friends and community contacts in the area.
With his background in professional sport, business, youth development and community work, Martin brings a practical, hands-on perspective and a genuine commitment to supporting local people and the communities in which they live.
Simon Skidmore - Community Representative
His passion and experience in community regeneration is evident through his previous experience as a former member of the RENEW Parr Regeneration partnership, with a proven track record in securing grant and Lottery funding since 1998 and previous governance experience as a former Chair of Trustees (Young Christian Workers) and prison chaplain. He has also supported international development as a trained British Council Active Citizens facilitator who managed inspiring bilateral exchange programs across Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Egypt, and Jordan.
Tony Richards - Business Representative
Tony later moved into manufacturing and engineering, progressing into senior commerical leadership. Since October 2023, he has been Sales Director at Esspee Fabrications Ltd, with primary responsibility for major projects and client consultation, customer consultation and developing long-term commercial relationships. He also serves of the Board of Directors and as the Employee Representative Trustee for the company's Employee Ownership Trust, with a continued focus on business growth, people development and continuous improvement.
Angela Metcalfe - Third Sector Representative
Angela has been married for over 40 years and is a proud mum of two and Nanny to four grandchildren.
Ryan Smith - Third Sector Representative
Citizens Advice St Helens is an independent, local charity, providing advice services to the Borough for over 80 years. The organisation belongs to the wider network of Citizens Advice, which aims to ensure people can access the advice they need, reduce inequalities and address the underlying causes of the problems people face.
Prior to becoming Chief Executive, Ryan held a number of advice and management roles within the organisation, giving him extensive experience of supporting local residents with social issues such as debt, welfare and housing problems, in the wider context of poverty, deprivation and cost-of-living pressures.
Ryan brings to the Board the charity's knowledge and experience of working directly with residents, alongside the organisation's involvement as part of St Helens' vibrant VCSE sector. He hopes to use this experience to contribute practical insight and support to the Board's work to improve outcomes for people in Fingerpost and Town Centre East.
Rachel Shuttleworth - Faith Representative
Rachel loves St Helens and is honoured to champion the borough in her role at The Minster, and she is excited to be part of this strategic Board seeking to use this investment to further improve life in the town.
