Sector: Members' Councillors

Janice Turner

A journalist and campaigner, I am a lifelong member of the party, having been chair of the Young Liberals and the Association of Liberal Democrat Trades Unionists. I am currently vice-chair of the Lib Dem Campaign for Race Equality.

I joined the Club in 1986, serving on the membership committee and wines committee in the ’90s. I have been the Editor of a trade union journal for many years and also the union’s diversity officer. A longstanding pension scheme trustee, I co-founded the Association of Member-Nominated Trustees to campaign in support of Member-Nominated Trustees of pension schemes and for improvements to the pension system.

 

I am also currently the pianist for the Liberal Democrat party conference Glee Club, accompanying the enthusiastic singing of conference delegates.

Sheila McGuirk

After a degree from the LSE and a Masters in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard, I lived in Iran and Egypt working on an English language newspaper and teaching English. The years from 1974 to 1983 were spent in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where I went with my husband, Russell, who is also a Club member. Back in London I worked at Citibank till early retirement more than 20 years ago.

Many months of the year were then spent at an old farmhouse shared with family members in the Drome region of southern France, now sold… which leaves more time for London pursuits including concert and theatre outings. I also became involved in campaigning locally for the Liberal Democrats, serving until recently on the Kensington and Chelsea local party’s Executive Committee.

We have two sons and three beautiful grand-daughters, and Russell and I still walk regularly on pilgrim paths across Europe, well-known as Caminos. (Sheila joined the Club in 2017 and was elected to the Members’ Council in 2023.)

Alex Youel

A business consultant specialising in everything ‘membership’ I’m now mostly retired but still interested in aspects of tourism and heritage (nearly 30 years’ senior experience with the National Trust), the environment (six years at the Peak District
National Park), natural history and bird watching, in particular.

At the NLC, I previously served on the General Committee, chaired the Marketing & Communications Committee, and sat on the Membership and Beer, Wine and Spirits
Committees. After a year away from all that, I’m excited to once again be part of the active life of our Club and keen to help it thrive.

Outside Clubland I’m a baritone with Wimbledon Choral, piano accompanist to the Lantern Arts Choir (based in Raynes Park) and a singer/pianist with the Big Heart Band, singing lustily in care homes in Wimbledon and throughout SW London, whether the residents like it or not.… (they usually do, though). I also chair Pentire, the unofficial association for retired former staff of the National Trust. (Alex joined the Club in 2004, was elected to the General Commmittee from 2019-22
and to its successor, the Members’ Council, in 2023.)

Havard Hughes

My first memories of the NLC are from the 1980s when I can remember being taken there by my mother as she attended Lib Dem committee meetings. Today I’m the founder and CEO of a City consultancy, but I began my career as an adviser to Vince Cable when he was an MP, later becoming Campaign Director at the Electoral Reform. I then joined the Financial Services Authority as a regulator after the financial Crash.

For those like me, without a fixed base in London, the NLC is a haven and a home from home, with huge opportunities to foster an expanded country membership among the burgeoning remote working community.

A local councillor and campaigner, I’m active in my local community in West Wales, living on the family smallholding in Carmarthenshire with my wife, Genevieve, where I practice the fine Gladstonian tradition of tree-felling and tree planting both to keep fit and keep our home carbon neutral. (Havard joined the NLC in 2013 and was elected to the Members’ Council in 2023.)

David de Freitas

The vast range of events and activities available at the NLC is something I relish, especially the many high-quality musical concerts staged at the Club. I also greatly value the cultural diversity of our growing membership.

I am honoured to lead the team who assess how we deal with complaints between members, where my aim will always be to seek mediation and conciliation as the preferred way of resolving disputes.Those duties preclude me seeking any prominent public role in Club life but I will certainly have no qualms about making my voice heard in the Members’ Council and will speak up to protect the crucial independence of our complaints process.

The ability to dance is something I have always admired. I took up latin and ballroom dancing some years ago and would love to develop a ‘Strictly’ Circle at the Club: we certainly have the elegant spaces for it! (David joined the Club in 2016 and was elected to the Members’ Council in 2023)

Nahuel Marisi

I am a freelance software engineer working mainly on mobile apps and web development. I grew up in Argentina before moving to the UK to study History at the University of York and later Computer Science at UCL. I’ve previously lived in London for 10 years and travel there frequently to visit family, friends and, of course, the Club.

I sit on the Membership and the Marketing and Communications Committees and am joint Vice Chair of the latter. I’ve also been a regular contributor to the Reciprocal Clubs Working Group, signing up suitable clubs mainly in Latin America and Spain.

I hope to work on achieving more personalised feedback from members and strongly believe that leads to better decisions. Members’ thoughts and experiences are crucial in understanding what works and what can be improved.

I currently live in picturesque Stockholm with my partner Emma and two sons. (Nahuel joined the Club in 2017 and was elected to the Members’ Council in 2022)