Our board of trustees meet formally every 6 months and informally as required, providing governance for the charity and limited company Millgate Arts Centre against our stated objectives.
Principal objectives of Millgate Arts Centre
The key objectives of the charity are:-
• to advance public education in the Arts and to present plays of high quality and in a variety of periods and styles.
• to manage the Millgate Arts Centre, Delph as a cultural and social amenity for Saddleworth.
• to promote an interest in drama by any appropriate means.
To further these objectives, the Charity
• fosters the use of the Millgate Arts Centre as a cultural, social and educational amenity for all people in Saddleworth and as a community centre for all people in Delph and in Saddleworth in general.
• protects and preserves the Millgate Arts Centre as a building of architectural and historic importance.
• fosters and preserves the name of “Saddleworth Players” in the presentation of plays. The charity acquired the assets, but subject to the liabilities, of the charity known as Saddleworth Players. The new company has the same charitable objectives as Saddleworth Players and the name “Saddleworth Players” has been preserved for play productions.
Millgate Arts Centre Board of Trustees
There are 12 Trustees drawn from a broad range of experiences in Saddleworth
Adrian Barass (Saddleworth Film Society)
Sandy Dixie OBE (Secretary)
Roger Hinchcliffe (Saddleworth Concerts Society)
Duncan Jackson (Treasurer)
Mirriam Lawton
Andrew Mann (Chair)
Verity Mann
David Plowright
Ian Shepherd
Phillida Shipp ( Delph Community Association)
John Tanner
Anne Wright (President)
Our Trustee Director’s profiles



Adrian Barrass
Adrian was educated at Saddleworth School and went on to gain a master’s degree in engineering from Sheffield University. Whilst regarding himself a proud member of the Saddleworth community, he has been fortunate to live and work in Europe and North America. His engineering qualifications have enabled him to work in the chemical, oil, steel, consumer goods and pharmaceutical business in senior leadership roles covering engineering design, construction and project management. Through the latter part of his career, Adrian worked in pharmaceutical manufacture and supply chain teams, focusing particularly on the design and deployment of global IT systems. Adrian is a MAC Director as chair of Saddleworth Film Society in which he has been actively involved in many forms for 25+ years. He supports MAC in a wider context by volunteering for front of house and bar roles. Adrian uses his depth of engineering, IT and project management skills to support the longer-term building improvements ensuring alignment with MAC objectives.
Sandy Dixie
Sandy Dixie OBE (now Hawkins) has spent her life in primary education. Having graduated with an education degree, she worked as teacher, then Headteacher in areas of social deprivation. Her substantive school had outstanding status, and she became a National Leader of
Education in 2006 working in school improvement, developing excellence within the North
West. She also was an Ofsted Inspector. In 2008, Sandy was awarded an OBE for services to Education. She created and led the Harmony Academy Trust in 2012, which grew to 5 schools within 2 years. Sandy continues to work as an education consultant, focusing on raising standards. She is currently on the Board of trustees of a Bury Academy trust.
Sandy was a Trustee of a professional theatre company for eight years. She has been involved with Millgate Arts Centre for eight years, and acts as company secretary and subscriber’s secretary.
She has a passion for the Arts – in theatre, painting and music. This was mirrored in her professional life in schools and in her personal life. She wrote and directed plays in school and ran a steel band for ten years. She also plays the piano, keyboard and percussion. She is preparing for her first painting exhibition!
Duncan Jackson
I worked as a Chartered Accountant for over 24 years at a variety of organisations, including FSTE 100, SMEs, and non-for-profit organisations.
I gained a range of experience across financial planning, regulatory compliance, internal / external audit and change management.
I have been Company Treasurer at Millgate Arts Centre for around 5 years.
As well as managing the day-to-day accounting, I look after our financial controls, budgeting, cashflow forecasting and the production of the annual statutory accounts.



Roger Hinchcliffe
Retired commercial and property solicitor of 50 years standing.
Chairman of Saddleworth Concerts Society which will have been promoting chamber music at the Millgate Arts Centre for 50 years this year.
Mirriam Lawton
Mirriam has been a board member since 2022, and brings a breadth of experience in charity and public sector leadership.
Mirriam cis now retired with grandchildren . Her experience as CEO for Tameside Council and charity sector including Chair of Dr Kershaw’s Hospice and Saddleworth Musical Society brings challenge and rigour.
Andrew Mann
Andrew has long experience as a director with a consistent record of driving commercial success within marketing and brand development in FTSE 100 organisations.
His background includes senior brand marketing roles in Cadbury Schweppes plc. and The Coca- Cola Company, Clubcard Director at Tesco, Insight & Loyalty Director at Sainsbury’s, Customer Director at Coop, VP Insight Pricing & CRM at Asda, and Insight & Loyalty Director at M&S. After almost two decades in retail he is using his experience and network to help NorthBailey clients where he is managing partner.
He has significant experience in the charity sector as a board member at Isobel Hospice, Greenpath Ventures and at Oxfam before being asked to join the board of Trustees at Millgate Arts Centre
He has a long involvement with theatre, meeting his wife in a DUST pantomime , and playing at the Company of Players (in Hertford) / Minack) before joining Saddleworth Players at Millgate Arts Centre.
He has a rare blend of leadership experience in charity sector , fmcg, retail and technology.



Verity Mann
Verity has been involved in community theatre for over two decades and had experience working in other amateur and professional theatre groups before becoming involved in the Millgate Art Centre.
She has seen firsthand how the teamwork involved in putting on a show or managing a venue impacts positively on people’s well being and loves this aspect of volunteers working together, creatively, in a spirit of co-operation, to put on great shows.
Verity graduated from Durham with a BA Hons in English Language and Literature and has always had a love of theatre and performing arts.
She has worked in most aspects of community theatre, from acting, directing, props, stage management, set design and painting to bar work and front of house. She currently runs the Costume Store at the Millgate and is also on the production team for Saddleworth Players.
Verity has a background in fashion, sales and marketing and is a trained negotiator and manager. In her working career, Verity trained as a buyer and merchandiser with the Burton Group before moving to Unilever to work in trade marketing, national account management and category management. She has also worked at Tesco in the local marketing department responsible for new store launches and in the Tesco brand marketing department responsible for the Disney brand and own label.
Verity’s focus as a Millgate director is to ensure that we continue to build the capability in terms of motivated, skilled volunteers that will ensure our success into the future.
David Plowright
David has overall responsibility for the technical aspects of all our shows, aiming to ensure that we have the appropriate technology and, crucially, the skills, in place to support our shows at the highest affordable level of professionalism. As a community theatre, we must cater for a range of needs, from a one-day children’s letting to a professional pantomime with 50 performances. Technological change in professional theatre affects expectations; to date we have invested mainly in technical infrastructure that will be able to support future demands.
He has been involved with theatre since secondary school, mainly in Stage Management and technical roles, but also in performing, directing and writing. Although working mainly in the amateur and educational sectors, he also has experience in professional venues in the West End, Stratford and several large regional theatres.
For more than 20 years in ICI, Zeneca and Astrazeneca, he worked in international Human Resources roles, both in business management team roles and international management and organisational development. He had a lead role in developing and facilitating cross-cultural working, international project management, and performance management in many countries. During AstraZeneca’s merger, as Regional HR Director, he led the staffing process for Presidents and management teams across 10 countries in S.E. Asia.
Ian Shepherd
Ian joined Millgate as a sound engineer for one performance about 45 years ago – and he’s still here. An experienced sound and lighting engineer, he started at the age of 11 in the local youth club before moving to amateur theatre groups, school shows and professional work at Oldham Coliseum He has also done freelance shows around the area for both amateur and professional artists including household names such as Ken Dodd, Prunella Scales and Julian Lloyd Webber.
At Millgate he became one of the youngest members of the management committee in the early 1980’s encouraged by then Chairman Ken wright, On the committee he took on responsibility for the building, now including everything from cleaning, maintenance, security, safety, electrical, plumbing and other facilities services. He continued to provide production support with lighting and sound until around 2002 when he then concentrated on the management role. He became Chairman in 2016 and licensee in 2020. Ian sees his biggest achievement at Millgate as the introduction of an internet-based ticket booking system which, combined with various website and social media output has seen a massive growth in footfall and revenue.
Outside Millgate Ian started as a weapons systems engineer working on missile and torpedo guidance for the MOD. He now works as a commercial property manager with responsibility for several large multi-occupancy sites in Oldham. The skill set it complimentary to those at Millgate with similar areas of responsibility. Ian is experienced in property acquisition and development, as well as tendering and negotiations with local authorities. He has extensive knowledge of health and safety, building, planning and fire regulations.



Phillida Shipp
I was a Labour Parish Councillor for Delph and Denshaw ward from May 2004 – May 2008.
During this time Delph Community Association (DCA) was set up, initially to protect Chapel Garden from housing development, and soon afterwards to be a partner with Oldham Libraries in keeping Delph Library open. Phillida represents Delph Community Association on the board of trustees
I was the Volunteer Coordinator for Delph Library from 2004 until August 2024. This role developed into that of a general administrator and included liaising with senior staff at Oldham Libraries and recruiting and supporting volunteer library assistants.
My husband David Shipp was treasurer of Saddleworth Players/MAC from 1996-2019 and so I have always known what was going on!
I trained as a doctor at St Anne’s College Oxford followed by Westminster Medical School. I married David in 1965. Following my House jobs we went to Zambia for three years. David worked for Kitwe City Council and I worked in Kitwe Central Hospital.
Our first child was born in Zambia in 1970 and our second child was born in Oldham in 1972. We have four grandchildren ranging in age from 8 to 21.
I worked in Community Child Health and later in Community Sexual Health for Tameside and Glossop Community NHS Trust from 1977 until
2007, when I retired.
My main hobby until recently has been playing the cello in the Northern Baroque Orchestra (NBO) and other local amateur orchestras. I am still music librarian for the NBO. I am also a keen birdwatcher and am trying to learn to speak German, both thanks to Oldham u3a.
I have been a subscriber to SP/MAC since 1993 and a long time subscriber to the Saddleworth Concerts Society and the Saddleworth Film Society.
John Tanner
I joined the Millgate Arts Centre in 1972 and was a cast member for the opening play in 1973 and since then have acted with the ‘Saddleworth Players’ ever since.
I became a Director of Millgate Arts Centre in 2007 when it was registered as a Limited Company with Charitable status and held the position of Chair of the Directors between 2017 and 2024.
Over the last 30 years I have been involved in raising sponsorship for the theatre and more recently 2 major appeals to renovate both the Auditorium and Foyer during our 50th Anniversary.
Going forward I am involved in our ‘Building the Future’ campaign towards celebrating ‘Saddleworth Players’ centenary in 2027.
I was born in Greenfield/Saddleworth in 1951 and joined my Family Textile Firm in 1972 which at that time specialised in the weaving of industrial fabrics for the automative industry and employed approx. 750 people spread over 3 sites in the Saddleworth/Oldham area.
I became Managing Director in 1982 and have overseen many changes from manufacturing to property letting, warehousing and the selling of disposable medical products.
Over the last 50 years or so I have never failed to be impressed by the number of willing volunteers we have in every aspect of the Performing Arts and I have every confidence that we will be here for at least another 50 years.
Anne Wright MBE
Anne has long experience in theatre and has been a trustee at Millgate Arts Centre for many years.
Anne has performed in plays musicals and sings in local musical societies.
She brings significant experience in theatre from her early years growing up in theatre through to performing still.