Board of Directors

The board of directors is the legally constituted body responsible for overseeing the running of the Chisholme Institute according to its stated aims. The directors meet regularly throughout the year at Chisholme House to discuss all aspects of the Institute including its financing, staffing, maintenance, building projects, household matters, garden, estate and publicity. You can email the directors at directors@chisholme.org

Lesley Abadi

Lesley graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1966 after majoring in printed textile design. She worked as a freelance designer and taught in Winchester School of Art, Croydon College of Art and Bournemouth College of Art. Lesley later taught sixth form art A level students and in adult education centres. She has been a director of the Institute since its beginning and is married with one son.

Colin Bingham

Colin is a Social Sciences graduate and a qualified Further Education teacher. Most of his working life has been spent working with adults and young people who have learning difficulties. Colin is currently undertaking an Advanced Practitioners Course in Substance Misuse as he now works with recovering drug users, helping them to maintain abstinence. In his spare time (!!!) he is a keen organic gardener.

Julia Dry
Julia has been a student, volunteer and guest at Chisholme since 1976. On completing the second 6-month retreat course she then went on to study Fine Art (painting) with philosophy, sociology, history and archaeology. From researching Persian 'paradise gardens' at university through a period of painting, teaching and working in archaeological illustration she followed a love of gardening to study horticulture and then worked as a professional gardener. She has a practical knowledge of accounts, and has worked in the charitable sector.

Paul Finegan

Paul has been a student of the Beshara School for over thirty years. He moved to the Borders in 1996. He now lives in Hawick with his wife and is semi-retired. He works in the Institute in finance and administration and writes and performs narrative verse.

Jonathan Davey

Jonathan studied Human Resource Management at Cardiff University and Safety and Environmental Management at Nottingham Trent University. He has worked as a teacher of English in the Sudan, as a social worker, teacher, owner/manager of a wholesale bakery, College business development manager and latterly as a consultant in safety management systems.

John Hill

John studied geology and social anthropology at Cambridge University and researched in ethnology at Oxford University. This led on naturally to courses at the Beshara School at Chisholme House. He is currently a garden designer and runs a landscaping business. John has been a director of the Chisholme Institute for more ten years and takes particular responsibility for the estate and organic kitchen garden.

Tim Roberts

Tim has been a director since 2004, currently serving as Chairman, and has been involved with the Beshara School for many years. He is a professional musician, mostly as a teacher, privately and in schools, although he is also a founder member of the nearly-famous Vastearth Orchestra. Tim lives with his partner in Worcestershire, where he has a house and two allotments. He has long been interested in environmental issues, and this is the area he is most concerned with as a director.