Our Judges for the Community Transport Awards 2019

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We’re excited to announce the judging panel for this year’s Community Transport Awards. The awards are taking place as part of CT ’19, CTA’s two-day event for the community transport sector this November, and will recognise achievements within community transport, highlighting the stories of the organisations and individuals who make a difference in their communities. You can find out more about the awards here.

Our panel of judges bring with them a wide range of expertise both from community transport and the wider transport sector, as well as a great understanding of how accessible and inclusive transport can transform the lives of people living in communities all across the UK. A huge thank you to all our judges for being willing to give up their time to take part in the judging process for the awards. Find out more about our judges below:

Our judges are:

Catherine Perez, Policy Lead, Buses & Taxis: Community Transport, Department for Transport

Catherine Perez joined the Buses and Taxis Division at the Department for Transport in January 2019 and leads on a number of policies to encourage more people to travel by buses. She has been asked to carry out a review of the domestic permit regime to achieve the right balance for the community transport sector and enable operators to continue to provide vital services to the communities that they serve. She previously worked at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on a two year project to enable UK scientists and businesses to continue developing advances in science and innovation with their European counterparts through Horizon 2020, the European Research and Innovation programme; one of the programme’s priorities being research and innovation into smart, green and integrated transport. Catherine recently visited CTA and Easy Go Community Transport – read about her visit here.

Harriet English, Head of Engagement, Plunkett Foundation

Harriet was appointed Head of Engagement in March 2017 at Plunkett Foundation, an organisation that helps rural communities to tackle the issues they face through supporting community businesses. She leads the Engagement Team to deliver their membership, events, communications and marketing activity. Harriet joined Plunkett in December 2008 as support to the Rural Community Shops Projects. Since joining Plunkett, Harriet has led on a range of campaigns and events as well as leading the development of membership for all Plunkett’s supporters and community businesses. Having been brought up in rural West Oxfordshire she has always had a keen interest in the countryside. Harriet graduated from the University of Exeter in 2006 with a BA in Human Geography.

Peter Biddle, Training Agent, P & R Training

Peter Biddle is a long standing Training Agent, currently with P & R Training. He is passionate about community transport and MiDAS, in particular the standards that MiDAS can promote. Peter is dedicated to excellent driver education and believes that MiDAS has been a conduit for improving standards for many years and will continue to do so for many years to come. As an ex-police driver, Peter also volunteers for the London Ambulance emergency responder scheme, driving marked ambulance cars to emergency 999 calls. This means that as well as ensuring that others receive the best possible driver training, he also continues to ensure that his driving meets the best standards possible. Peter is proud to be part of these worthy awards.

Stephen Joseph, Transport Policy Consultant

Stephen Joseph is a transport policy consultant and visiting professor at the University of Hertfordshire. He chairs the editorial board of Bauer media’s Smart Transport programme and is a trustee of the Foundation for Integrated Transport. He stepped down last year as Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport, having been in that role since 1988.

Stephen was a member of the Commission for Integrated Transport from 1999-2005, having been one of the panel of external advisers on the Transport White Paper 1997-8, and was a member of the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment during its inquiry on transport and the economy. He was also on the steering group for the Government’s road user charging feasibility study 2003-4, and was a member of challenge panels or advisory groups for Government plans on high-speed rail, eco-towns, transport appraisal and the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. He was awarded the OBE in 1996 for services to transport and the environment, and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Hertfordshire in November 2010.

Keri Whaley, Senior Sales Manager, Q’Straint

Keri is the Senior Sales Manager at Q’Straint and supports converters, installers and transport providers in the UK and Ireland to choose and test the best wheelchair occupant restraint systems for their vehicles and promotes best practice in accessibility, wheelchair securement and passenger safety.  Keri worked for many years for a wheelchair accessible vehicle converter before moving to Q’Straint to concentrate on wheelchair and passenger securement systems.  Accessibility for all is important to her, knowing that there are community transport providers all over the country working tirelessly to make this happen is the reason why she wholeheartedly supports the CT sector and why Q’Straint is proud to be the headline sponsor for CT ‘19.