Council Members

Margo Payne

Margo became a Parish Councillor in January 2022.  She has previously been a Newbury Town Councillor, and Mayor of Newbury.

Margo is a past President of Newbury Lions Club, which raises many thousands of pounds each year for local charities, and organises the Racecourse fireworks display and Speen Village Fete.  She is also currently the Chair of the Fair Close Centre/Age Concern Newbury.

Liam Anderson

Liam became a Parish Councillor on 19 November 2025.

Liam is an accomplished secondary school teacher and education leader. He has been teaching since 2015 and is currently a middle leader at Trinity School, Chair of Governors at The Winchcombe School and runs a West Berkshire secondary teacher network.

Holding advanced qualifications in senior leadership and teacher development, Liam drives innovation and standards to improve outcomes for young people in the local community. He is recognised nationally for contributions to professional learning, mentoring and strategic leadership, supporting schools, universities and professional bodies to strengthen teaching, leadership and educational practice.

Liam grew up in Donnington and knows the area very well. He says, “I think the fact that I am still living in the area and involved with both schools I attended as a child, is testament to the enjoyment of living in the area and all it has to offer the community. I have always been passionate about developing myself and others and excited to be part of the Parish Council to help make our community even better and a place that everyone is proud of.”

Stephanie Bovell

Stephanie became a Parish Councillor on 19 November 2025; she has lived in the West Berkshire area since 1993 and moved to Shaw Valley in 2023. She has strong local roots and a longstanding commitment to community service.

Stephanie is an active member of several community‑focused organisations. She serves as Assistant Secretary for a local Reading‑based charity that supports the Barbadian community and friends. In this role, she helps organise community activities, promotes health and wellbeing, and supports fundraising initiatives, including donations to young people to help develop their talents and funding support for a named school.

She is also a member of a Heritage Project group, focused on fundraising to secure a dedicated community centre for the Caribbean community in Reading.

In addition, Stephanie is a member of a Windrush group that has been involved in community commemorations, including the planting of trees and the renaming of a roundabout to recognise Windrush heritage.

Stephanie also sits as a panel member for a statutory group whose focus is to improve the safety of children across the West Berkshire area through awareness‑raising and targeted campaigns.

Stephanie is keen to serve on the Parish Council to help maintain and enhance the strong sense of community that makes Shaw‑cum‑Donnington a great and safe place to live.

Ian Miller

Ian Miller moved to Donnington in 2008 with his family following a job relocation for himself and his wife.  He was brought up in the North East and spent most of his adult life in the North West, working at a senior level in the automotive industry. He retrained as a physics teacher and worked at Park House as Head of Physics and Director of STEM, staying there until his retirement in 2022.

Post retirement Ian wanted something to do other than gardening, so volunteered to join the Parish Council at the end of 2022. Ian says ‘I really enjoy giving back to my community and  using some of my skills, keeping my mind   active. I feel well informed about what is going on locally and hopefully have made some difference for the better’.

Ian is a stalwart of the Community Speedwatch team, organising the sessions with our volunteers.  He also did a sterling job  getting quotes and overseeing the refurbishment of the car parking area at Donnington Recreation Ground.

Richard Almond

Richard is a retired solicitor and moved to Donnington Heights in September 2022 from Pinner, North-West London, where he had been a borough councillor from 2014-2022. He is a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and is keen to encourage residents of the new development where he lives, and at Shaw Valley on the opposite side of the A339, to get involved in Shaw-cum-Donnington Parish life.

Paul Bryant

Paul has been a Parish Councillor for many years.  His main responsibility on the Council is Planning; he formerly spent many years as the Chair of the Western Area Planning Committee on West Berkshire Council.

Paul regularly litter picks St Mary’s Churchyard and likes to see the parish looking good.

Mary Carter

Mary has been a Parish Councillor for many years.  She is also on the Village Hall Committee and is currently working hard on the project to enlarge and improve the village hall.

Mary is a member of the Community Speed Watch group and regularly examines the statistics from the Parish Council’s two Speed Indicator Devices, which she was instrumental in having installed.

Glyn Thomas

Glyn has lived in West Berkshire for nearly 30 years, and he and his family have been residents of Shaw-cum-Donnington since 2005. He is married to Helen; they have three children and two young grandsons. Having taught Modern Languages for 35 years, Glyn is now retired but likes to keep busy. He has been a Parish Councillor since 2017 and a Governor at Shaw-cum-Donnington Primary School in Love Lane since 2021. He has recently become the ScD Flood Warden. He compiles the Parish Council’s welcome booklet which is given to all new residents of Donnington Heights and Shaw Valley when they move in.

Glyn plays the clarinet in the South Berks Concert Band and is a keen orienteer and a member of Berkshire Orienteers. He is often seen locally walking the family’s three rescued dogs (two greyhounds and a lurcher). He was born in Watford and has been a lifelong supporter of the Hornets, as well as the Welsh national football and rugby teams. Apart from English, he speaks Welsh, German, Swedish, French and Dutch. His favourite achievement (so far) as a Parish Councillor was being responsible for the “Donnington Castle” play equipment being installed at Donnington Rec.

Colin Yates

Colin has been a member of the Parish Council since September 2017.

He moved to Donnington in 2015. With his wife, and daughters who attend local schools, they love being part of this community. Originally from Glasgow, Colin relocated to Berkshire over 21 years ago for work. He currently serves as the Customer Experience Director for a local medical device company, where he has        worked since moving south.

Outside of work, Colin’s life is busy with family activities, exploring the countryside, and going for runs.  Weekends are often filled with taking his daughters to their various extracurricular activities.

Colin joined the Parish Council to become more involved in the local community and contribute positively to the area. Meeting local residents and helping to improve our parish has been a really rewarding experience for him. While he continues to work full-time, he always does his best to lend a hand and support the work the Parish Council does.  Colin says  “I encourage everyone to attend our Parish Council meetings. They’re a great way to stay informed about the issues affecting our community and to have your voice heard. Whether you want to learn about ongoing projects or raise concerns, the meetings are a valuable opportunity to engage and contribute to the development of Shaw, Donnington and Long Lane.”

Gillian Durrant

Gillian has been the Parish Clerk since August 2021 – and was the locum clerk before that for seven months.

Gillian qualified as a Parish Clerk when working at Newbury Town Council as their Responsible Financial Officer, and also spent 4 years working at West Berkshire Council.  Additionally Gillian was a Newbury Town Councillor from 1997 to 2007; in her final year she was Mayor of Newbury.

Gillian has worked and volunteered at many organisations in and around Newbury, and is currently the Vice Chair of the Newbury Community Resource Centre (Community Furniture Project), Treasurer of Newbury Art Group, Chair of Art on the Park and committee member of the Newbury Twin Town Association.