Tim Layton

I have run my own catering business, and provided food and hospitality for the BBC, well-known universities and top football clubs. I already serve on our Board of Directors, seeking to help ensure the cuisine at the NLC, a crucial area of Club life, is among the best in Clubland.

I’d like to see more openness and transparency in the way our Club functions, and I hope we can foster stronger links between the Members’ Council and the Board… working more closely together to keep the club afloat and restore the NLC to
profitability.

I love music and am a former chorister at Salisbury Cathedral and the BBC Symphony Chorus. I’m an active member of our musical partners, the Kettner Society, which stages memorable concerts at our Club. I’ve organised some of these
and would love us to offer a wider range of musical events – from classical to jazz and beyond. Suggestions, please! (Tim joined the Club in 2017 and the Members’s Council in June 2022)

James Brown

After a brief dalliance in high finance, I’ve spent most of my working life in secondary education — teaching History and American Government, and then as Head of a private school. My worst decision: only selecting Frank Lampard for the Under-12s soccer ‘B’ team. He went on to win more than a hundred caps for England.

I’m proud to have helped train more than 2,000 state school teachers to become qualified Mental Health First Aiders… equipping people with the skills they need to support their own and others’ wellbeing. I spoke at COP26 about climate anxiety
among young people.

As Vice Chair of the Club’s Commonwealth Forum, I’ve helped organise highly enjoyable visits to countries including Canada, Cyprus, India and Malta.

You may hear me making the announcements on some London Underground lines: hopefully, I can contribute more in this new role than just advising Club members to “Stand clear of the doors.”  (James first joined the Club in 2008 and was elected to the Members’ Council in
2022)

Cait Hart Dyke

A lifelong LibDem, I am an active member of Wandsworth Liberal Democrats.

With over two decades’ experience in Events and Marketing, my work as a consultant was primarily focused last year on delivering high-end integrated events and marketing strategies for large corporates during the World Economic Forum at Davos.

Within the NLC, I was responsible for redesigning the website and overhauling the NLC News magazine, which I edited from 2017-22. I have recently been elected Chair of the Club’s Marketing and Communications Committee and also sit on three
other committees: Events and Activities, Catering, and Beer Wines and Spirits. I also hope to harness my extensive events knowledge and actively promote the Club for weekend weddings and outside hires to bring in much-needed revenue.

For a total change of scene, literally, I recently played Titania, Queen of the Fairies, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by my husband, Barney, another Club member. We are both Co-Artistic Directors of Putney Arts Theatre and also have our own, occasional, theatre company, The Colour Noise. (Cait joined the Club in 2019 and was elected to the Members’ Council in 2022)

Paul Vesper

My family roots are in the Midlands but I moved to London at 18 to launch my hospitality career as a management trainee with a major hotels group. Since then my varied career has taken me around the globe with periods working in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East.

Much of my professional life was spent building and developing a major hospitality business, the Smart Group Ltd, and I masterminded the Olympic Hospitality Centre for the 2012 Games in London. I’ve led teams that delivered major events including the Chelsea Flower Show, Ryder Cup golf, Henley Regatta, Farnborough and Paris Air Shows, Buckingham Palace Garden Parties, Euro 96 soccer, Royal Ascot, Wimbledon and the Australian Open tennis.

Mentoring has been and remains a huge passion, and I am gratified that many of my protégés have gone on to achieve great success.

I love all sports, both spectating and partaking – where I remain fiercely competitive. Live music is another passion – rock, country, modern and dance. Travelling, dining out and exercise fill my remaining spare time.

I am greatly looking forward to working with both the staff and members of the NLC and sharing my wide-ranging experience to help drive up standards, enhance members’ experience and develop the Club’s considerable potential to attract new business.

Inderjeet Singh Nijhar

I chair the Club’s Political & Economic Circle and am a member of several others.
I have been involved in many community and business start-ups since the 1980s, and have had a diverse professional career as one of the youngest CEOs to lead a housing association, and as Executive Director of the homeless charity, Centrepoint.

Elected a councillor in 1994, I worked as a civil servant in the PM’s Strategy Unit on formulating national policy under Tony Blair and the Tory-Lib Dem Coalition. I have also held posts at both Capita and PwC. I chaired the national commemoration, based at the House of Lords, of those from the British ‘Empire’ who fought in both World Wars.

I am a passionate foodie, and a big fan of the Italian home-sourced olive oil now available in our Clubhouse! (Inderjeet joined the Club in 2017 and was elected to what is now the Members’ Council in 2020).

Terence Gleed Richards

I joined the Club more than 50 years ago and have served as its Chairman, as a Director of National Liberal Club Ltd, Trustee and Chairman of Club Trustees, as well as chairing the Membership Committee.

I was a Liberal Parliamentary Candidate in 1974 and 1979. My interests include travel, opera, music and the arts, politics and gardening. (Terence joined the Club in 1967 and was Chair between 1991 – 1993)

Nadia Montasser

Originally from Egypt, I have lived in London for more than a decade and consider it home. With degrees in Charity Management and Economics, I have nearly two decades of experience in project management, social media & website management, and events coordination.

I sit on the Board of NLC Ltd and the Club’s Marketing and Communications Committee. The Oscar Wilde Society meets at the Club and, as a committee member, I launched their website and social media channels.

My priority on the Members’ Council will be to work on achieving better communication, leadership, and team working after the manifest divisions and suspicions of recent months. We need to reach out and embrace the views and concerns of all Club members.

I was one of the early animal rights activists in Egypt, managing successful regional campaigns and protests with local and international animal rights organisations, often against entrenched opposition. (Nadia joined the Club in 2018 and was elected to the Members’ Council in 2022)

Charles Gillett

I am a non-political member of the Club and joined specifically to contribute to the preservation of the NLC and, in particular, the building it occupies. Appointed as our Archivist in 2020, I am now responsible for conserving the Club’s archives (which stretch back to its formation in 1882), adding to the collection and making these archives available to legitimate researchers and – through occasional articles in the Club’s magazine – to the membership as well.

A contentedly-retired Lloyd’s insurance broker, I specialised for 20 of my 45 working years in international construction projects. Since joining the Club, I have tried to be as active a member as I can to help ensure it continues to flourish. (Charles joined the Club in 2014)

Gordon Lishman CBE FRSA

Until my retirement, I was the Director General of Age Concern (now merged into Age UK) and Chief Executive of the Age Concern Group. My experience is in the fields of organisational leadership, in employment and in governance as well as campaigning and influencing.

I am a Burnley Borough Councillor, an elected member of the NLC General Committee, Treasurer of the Social Liberal Forum, and Secretary of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidates Association.

As a Director of the NLC Board, I sit on its Staffing Group and also chair the Board’s Governance Group which oversees risk management for the Club. We are also reviewing with the General Committee’s Rules Revision Working Group the future relationship between the Board and the Club.

I have held many senior roles in the Liberals and Liberal Democrats over nearly 60 years and have been a Parliamentary candidate seven times and a European Parliament candidate twice.

With three children and five grandchildren, I take delight in organising family holidays for groups of 13. (Gordon joined the Club in 1978 and has been a Director since 2018).

Phil Reeves

I qualified as a barrister and went into tax advisory work when I was persuaded (perhaps unwisely) to take the chartered accountancy exams, which I passed but not without significant effort. After 30 years in the tax profession, I semi-retired to work on one main client and am also Treasurer of The Cricket Society, which aims to promote cricket in all its spheres – playing, watching, listening and reading.

A member of the NLC for nearly 35 years, I am currently the Club Treasurer, former Vice-Chair of the Beer, Wine & Spirits Committee, and a Board member of NLC Ltd. When not doing this and other work, I travel the world playing golf, watching cricket and trying to reduce my golf handicap – this is a work in progress. (Phil joined the Club in 1987)