POD has come into being since May 2024, thanks to the many volunteer hours put in by our fabulous team. We didn’t know each other before POD, yet we’ve had a fantastic time getting to know each other and bringing POD into existence. We’ve been helped by many along the way, and we’re deeply grateful to all who have contributed so far!
The POD Manager
Kieran Turner
Manager
Kieran lives in Walsden and is involved in a wide range of community organisations with a focus on social justice, environmental protection, and encouraging diversity. During his career he has been involved in projects as varied as running humanitarian aid projects in emergency settings, through to being a stage manager at the Edinburgh festival. His focus now is on local projects that help the Calder Valley to be as sustainable as possible.
Volunteers
POD is only possible due to the volunteers who are dedicated to providing a low-cost, low-pollution alternative to private car ownership.
If you’d like to volunteer, please get in touch. One day, you may even get your portrait here 😉 (if you want it)!
Meet the POD Directors
All the POD Directors serve as volunteers.
Rose Wheeler
Chair
Rose Wheeler has a First Class Honours degree in Social Policy. From 1974 she worked initially in community development, then in social policy research at York University. She worked for three metropolitan local authorities in senior roles, before becoming in 1996 full-time Director of the Society for Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE). She was seconded to central government for 18 months before joining Calderdale Council from 2001 first as Deputy Chief Executive then as Director of Community Services. She left to become a freelance consultant in 2006. Rose has been active in many voluntary organisations at the grassroots and at Board level, both locally and nationally.
Rebekah Wilinsky
Treasurer
Rebekah has a First Class Honours degree in Law and Accounting and Finance, an MSc in Law and Finance and is a Certified Internal Auditor. She is currently working in internal audit for a building society providing risk-based assurance across a variety of complex risks and working with a range of stakeholders to achieve effective risk management. Rebekah previously worked in peer-to-peer lending supporting new lending platforms to establish their strategies and business plans. This also involved managing client bank accounts and assessing cash flows to ensure financial stability.
Dr James Furlong
Director of Sustainable Transport
Jamie has been an Hour Car member for a number of years. He is a research fellow at the University of Westminster’s Active Travel Academy analysing Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in Greater London. He lives in Hebden Bridge and has been involved in a range of projects and schemes related to sustainable transport. He has conducted research into on-street cycle parking for Hebden Royd Town Council and has supported Cargodale – a local cargo bike delivery service – with grant applications and local activity days.
Hannah Nadim
Secretary
Hannah has a 30-year career in further and higher education, with 15 of these as Quality Manager. She moved into the private sector, specialising in rail engineering projects and bid writing/procurement. Hannah completed the Barefoot Co-op Development Programme and then Co-operatives UK’s Community Shares Practitioner training and is a Licensed Assessor for the Community Shares Standard Mark. She is a Director of 241 Co-operators and for the past four years she has been a co-operative and social enterprise development worker, using her skills, knowledge and experience to work with groups starting up and developing their own co-operatives and social enterprises. She has also held voluntary roles such as a school governor and for ten years was Chair of The Fox and Goose (Hebden Bridge), a community-owned co-operative pub.
Kate Macdonald
The first twenty years of Kate’s career were in the Greater Manchester Probation Service after obtaining a master’s degree in economics and a professional post graduate qualification in social work. Later years were spent in local government roles in Manchester with a focus on homelessness, economic regeneration and including leading on the introduction of a cycle hire scheme. Five years were spent as CEO of a youth homelessness charity and Kate was a founder member of the national End Youth Homelessness initiative. Kate has also held a variety of board and committee roles as a volunteer with a focus on governance. Having moved to Hebden Bridge in 2023, Kate is keen to be involved in the local community and is particularly motivated by environmental issues.
Nick Hudson
Nick has held a number of senior positions across the public sector. The roles have included Director of Children’s Services, Regional Director for Ofsted and Chief Executive of a national multi academy trust. Nick has lived in the Upper Calder Valley for 35 years. His children attended local schools and he served as chair of governors in a school for a number of years. He is an experienced senior leader having worked at regional and national levels.
