Dave Toft, Chairman
Born and brought up in Salford. He first walked on Kinder Scout in 1966, at the age of 12, on a youth club outing, and despite moving south to university and then working in London, he has been on Kinder at least once every year since. In 1996 he moved to Hayfield with his wife and two daughters and has lived in the village ever since. He has written many articles about the significance of the Mass Trespass, in magazines such as ‘Red Pepper’, ‘Trail’ and ‘Lets Go Peak District’. He gives regular talks about the context and continuing relevance of the Trespass and was recently interviewed by both Channel 5 and Sky TV for documentaries involving the events of 1932 and the continuing campaign for access. His poem on the same theme (‘Climbing Kinder – the 1932 Trespass’) has been widely circulated. He has been invited to speak about the Trespass to students at Leicester University, Loughborough University and to address a symposium organised by the Open Spaces Society.
He recently published his first novel, ‘Still Point’, a political thriller set in Manchester, Salford and East London in the early 1990’s.
John Harvey, General Secretary (and Acting Treasurer)
Moved to Hayfield in 1990 to be near the hills. Hill walker, occasional fell runner and mountain biker, scrambling and via ferrata enthusiast. Experience of successfully applying for grants from Lottery and European sources as a Hayfield Parish councillor, 2006 to 2011. Works for Derbyshire County Council as a service manager.
Derek Clarke, General Secretary
Originally from Prestatyn in North Wales I served an apprenticeship as a commercial vehicle builder before going to university where I obtained a BA Degree in History and MSc in Technology and Society. In 2011 i retired after being assistant headteacher at a secondary school and a Divisional Secretary of the National Union of Teachers in Tameside. I am a Trustee for a couple of charities and have worked as a voluntarily as an advisor for a number of social enterprises. I am currently the President of Tameside NUT, Secretary of High Peak and District Co-operative Party and a Parish Councillor. I have a long time interest in local history, hence my involvement in the Mass Trespass Group.
Andy Barker, Committee member.
John Ireland, Committee member.
Josephine Toft, Committee member
Katy McGahan, Committee member
Zena Aris-Sutton, Committee member
Katherine Harvey, Committee member.
I was born in Rochdale and involved with Oldham Mountain Rescue Team, Venture Scouts, Queen’s Scout and D of E Awards when young. This led to a lifelong love of beautiful landscapes, participation and fell running. Qualifications in art and design and worked in art therapy, education, youth & community work and High Peak Community Arts. I’ve since been a mental health social worker with Derbyshire County Council for over 20 years.
Former Committee Members
David Gates, Committee member.
Francesca Klug, Committee member.
Ian Brooke, Minutes Secretary – Born and lives in Macclesfield, Cheshire. Keen walker and outdoor enthusiast. I have spent many years involved in local village cricket clubs and served on general and fund raising committees as well as cricket ground inspection committee for Cheshire cricket league. Self employed printer, I have assisted KVCG in several marketing and printing projects.
Phil Chapman, Committee member. – A regular visitor to the Peak District since the mid-1980s, Phil moved to Hayfield in 1995. Over the years he has served time with several village organisations, including the Civic Trust, May Queen Committee, Country Show & Sheepdog Trials, Cricket Club and Parish Council. Phil was a co-founder of the successful 2014 ‘Hayfest’ music festival.
Phil walks and runs regularly on the hills and trails around Hayfield and the wider Dark Peak.
Mike Crompton, (deceased) – Mike came to Hayfield in 1975. Brought Benny Rothman to the village to give a talk on the Mass Trespass in 1979, after working on an oral history project of the British Volunteers in the Spanish Civil War.
A former chairman and clerk of the Parish Council, former chair of Rural Action Derbyshire and vice-chair of High Peak CVS, he was a senior lecturer in Spanish at Manchester Metropolitan University. Mike was a founder member of HKTG/KVCG, and also a founder member and vice-chair of Sustainable Hayfield.
Anne Clarke – Originally from Norwich I moved to Manchester in the 80’s to undertake teacher training and then worked as a primary school teacher prior to becoming a full time union official for Tameside NUT. Chair of Hayfield & New Mills Labour Party and Women’s Officer for our CLP. I am keen that our education system promotes outdoor education and working class history alongside traditional curriculum content. Currently researching to find out more about the women who took part in the Kinder Trespass.
Jo Kent. – Jo was a founder member of the KVCG/HKTG, and was at times a part time paid administrator for our grant funded projects. Jo also worked as a manager in Visitor Services for the Peak District National Park. Jo later became Treasurer of the group. We also relied heavily on her all round professional, IT, and administrative skills. She Lived in Hayfield for about 15 years, but had to stand down when she left the area in 2016. Jo had a keen interest in the symbolic events of the Kinder Mass Trespass and countryside access and promoting the High Peak area.
Alison Tupman, former Committee Member – Has shared her time between Hayfield and Sheffield for the last 15 years. A keen hill walker, and Peak District and outdoor enthusiast. previously lived, walked and climbed in North Wales and was in Scotland.
Was an English teacher for 12 years and recently retired as HR Manager of a large IT company near Sheffield. Has organised many social and fund raising events for various organisations in the past. Oral History Volunteer with St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield and so far undertaken two oral histories for KVCG.
Andy Cobley, former Treasurer – Retired Software Developer. Hayfield resident since 1988. Served with Kinder Mountain Rescue Team for 10 years, 8 of them as Hon. Treasurer, before ill-health intervened. Climbed and walked extensively throughout the UK.
Nev Kirk, former Committee Member. – Professor of History at Manchester Metropolitan University, Nev was a founder member of the group, our resident history consultant, and adviser to the Parish Council sub committee that succeeded in raising grants to set up a visitor centre in Hayfield in 2011. It was the Trespass history that led to the approval of the grant providers, but a newly elected Parish Council in May 2011 decided to abandon the scheme.
Kate Hurley, Adviser and website contributor. – Originally from Devon, moved to Sheffield in 2005. Keen history enthusiast, studied for a PhD in History specialising in the history of the Mass Trespass and the access movement. Two of her relatives were participants in the Mass Trespass from Sheffield.
Colin Divall, History consultant – Colin has variously lived in and visited Hayfield for over 25 years, and is a professor in the History department of the University of York. He was Head of the Institute of Railway Studies & Transport History, a joint initiative with the National Railway Museum, for 19 years. As well as the history of transport and mobility, his main interests are the history of technology (particularly in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries), museums and heritage, and bringing history into debates about transport policy.