Giving time and expertise to deliver Go Underhill
Mumbles Community Association Trustees
All of our Trustees are volunteers, many of whom have been working on the Go Underhill project for a number of years. They are:
Simon Tse
Chair
Simon brings a wealth of experience in leading high profile projects, including those of significant value and involving many stakeholders, to his role as Chair of MCA; skills which have proved invaluable to the team.
As someone who is keen to give back to the local community, Simon carves out time from his challenging working life to lead MCA, a role he has fulfilled since 2015.
Like many of the MCA Trustees, Simon is passionate about sports of all kinds, and delighted by the prospect that MCA can deliver the transformation to desperately needed.
David Wilson
Vice Chair & Lead for planning, design and legal matters
David is a retired Architect and Town Planner, and a creative and resourceful senior manager with extensive experience of managing large multi-disciplinary teams in public organisations through times of change. He has also worked on the audit and inspection of public services. He first became involved in the Underhill project in 2007 when he was asked by a close friend how to go about improving the facilities in the Park.
He has lived in the area for more than 30 years, is interested in most sports and wishes to use his experience and time to help improve the Park so future generations will have much better facilities than were available for his family.
Peter Bray
Treasurer
Peter has been MCA’s Treasurer since the outset. As well as looking after the finances for the charity, Peter uses his eye for detail to help Trustees dot the i’s and cross the t’s correctly. This has been particularly important when putting together grant bids and in MCA’s business planning.
Qualified by experience, Peters claim to fame was VP Controller of the international subsidiary of a $1,000m US corporation. Whilst in the Middle East, Peter was treasurer of the Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union and took the lead in negotiating the Union’s Dubai Rugby 7’s contract with the IRB and title sponsor Emirates Airline.
Married to a Mumbles girl, Peter retired in 2011.
Alex Deeks
Lead for MCA Youth Group; Friends of Mumbles Parks representative
Alex has been a trustee of MCA since 2020 and is a founding member of Friends of Mumbles Parks who, in 2019 oversaw the redevelopment of the playground at Underhill Park. She is a passionate advocate for access for all to outdoor spaces and in providing opportunities for all children to be able to play safely outdoors.
Alex has two children who attend the local primary school and are near permanent fixtures of the local playgrounds and beaches. In her spare time, she enjoys swimming at the local beaches such as Langland.
Fiona Rees
Lead for Communications & Marketing
An experienced communications and marketing professional with her own small business, Fiona uses her expertise to help MCA keep everyone informed by getting relevant messages out in a timely way. She manages the website and also provides the magic pen that takes information and presents it so that it’s right for the audience – whether that’s the community, stakeholders, or grant funding bodies.
Whilst Fiona’s sport is tennis, having been brought up in the area, and knowing the important role Underhill Park has in Mumbles, she has happily given her time to MCA since summer 2019.
Mike Podbielski
Secretary & Lead for Park operational management
The Secretary of Mumbles Rangers Football Club from 2002 to 2021, Mike was a founding member of Underhill 2000, which eventually became Mumbles Community Association. His passion for football and support for the community have led to public recognition, as a finalist in 2013 Grassroots Sports Coach of the Year in the South Wales Evening Post Pride Awards, and in being awarded ‘The Honour of Mumbles’ by Mumbles Community Council in 2016.
Originally from Wiltshire, Mike has lived in Newton with his wife June since 1987. Being from a a sporting family herself, June has not only supported Mike to give time to both the club and MCA, but also helped out with Mumbles Rangers for 20+ years. Their two children and six grandchildren have all enjoyed the delights of Underhill Park.
Chris Parkin MBE
Mumbles Rangers representative
Having actively been involved with Mumbles Rangers Football Club since the early 1980’s, Chris has a long held commitment to seeing improved facilities in Underhill Park. He was one of the founder members of Underhill 2000 and has been with MCA since it was formed. Chris is passionate about delivering facilities which will give current and future generations the opportunities to enable them to achieve the best they can.
Starting out at Mumbles Rangers as coach for the under 6’s, Chris has held many different roles over the years, including Club Chairman, which he has been able to do due to the considerable support given by his wife Judy. Chris derives great pleasure from his family – which includes six grandchildren – football, and sport in general, and is delighted that three of his four grandsons are currently playing for Mumbles Rangers.
Martin Rodwell
Lead for Fundraising; Mumbles Rugby representative
As the lead in attracting sponsors for Mumbles Rugby Club Martin brings his experience to MCA and the challenge to raise significant funds for the Go Underhill project.
Martin was Chairman of the rugby club for 6 years and currently holds the post of Vice Chairman of the club as well as a Trustee of MCA.
Clive Davies
Mumbles Rugby representative
Born and raised in Mumbles, Clive was an accountant who formed a property development and construction company in 1988 with his two business partners before retiring to help look after his six grandchildren.
He captained Mumbles Youth in the 1971/72 season and went on to play for the rugby club for 21 years. Clive has been on the committee at the Club for 30 years and has been either Treasurer or Secretary for the last 20 years. He has been involved with MCA since the outset.
Meirion Howells
Special Adviser for construction
Meirion has been working with the team at MCA since 2018, assisting with matters relating to the design, costing and tendering of the new facilities. His skills and development expertise have been invaluable in helping MCA progress the plans for the Park.
A local who is passionate about his family, rugby, work, and the community, Meirion was formally appointed as a Special Adviser following the awarding of the construction contract in early 2022.
Dennis Cann
Special Adviser for Café & Hub
Dennis has been in catering business since 2006 and formerly owned Café TwoCann in the SA1 development. He has also run a successful outside catering company and initially assisted Go Underhill with the layout and costings for the grant bid for the Community Hub and Café. Having recently retired from the catering business, Dennis has kindly offered to continue to advise us on the project.
Prior to entering the hospitality world, Dennis spent 38 years working for global IT services organisation EDS, and initially came to Swansea heading up the team supporting the DVLA IT services. He lives with his wife Catherine in Mumbles and enjoys walking the dog, dining out and the occasional glass of wine!
Helen Gough
Special Adviser for Volunteering
Helen’s involvement with Underhill dates back to the early 1980s when her husband Jimmy “Crackers” Michael was instrumental in reviving a local rugby 7s tournament at the park. The tournament ran for a number of years until Jimmy’s early death in 1987. A few years after his death the tournament was once again revived and renamed the Cracker Sevens in his memory, and it continues to this day as a popular community event at Underhill.
When Helen took early retirement in 2011 she saw it as an opportunity to do something different, and over the past 10 years has been involved in a range of volunteering roles. She feels honoured to have been invited to help the MCA team with the development of volunteering at this exciting new venture… and we are delighted to have her on board.