Villiers Park Director of Programmes, Deborah Richardson, retires after 34 years with the charity

February 26, 2024

Deborah Richardson who has been a key member of Villiers Park’s team for over 30 years has announced her retirement this summer.



Deborah started working for Villiers Park in 1990 and has supported tens of thousands of young people over an exceptional 34 years. Deborah managed hundreds of residentials at the charity’s residential centre in Foxton and most recently has led the Programmes team at Villiers Park, overseeing the Future Leaders Programme and working closely with colleagues from the World Wildlife Fund and Founders4Schools to launch a new green careers initiative, Sustainable Futures.

Deborah said "During my time at Villiers Park, I am proud to have been involved with so many residential courses and different projects, both at Foxton and with university partners which have raised aspirations and broadened horizons for young people from across the UK. It has been a great pleasure to work with dedicated colleagues who all share my passion for supporting young people to discover their ambitions and the pathways to them. It has also been a privilege to have worked with so many inspiring young people who have gone on to achieve brilliant things. My hope is that Villiers Park will continue to reach more young people in our hubs and beyond in the coming years."

We recently held this year's oracy project in Swindon with 12 of our Future Leaders from Lawn Manor Academy and Lydiard Park Academy. Students worked hard on their Level 2 Certificate in Speech to hone their skills in public speaking with practice interviews and telephone calls. Students also developed valuable employability skills by creating their own CVs and presentations. Gaby Sumner, Villiers Park CEO said:

"The course develops young people’s communication and presentation skills as well as providing practical support with sessions on CVs, job applications and interviews. We ran the course for the first time in 2023 and the feedback was amazing. Students told us that the course increased their confidence, allowed their creativity to shine and helped them to mentally prepare for the future. They also told us how proud they were to present on subjects that they are personally passionate about."

Chief Executive, Gaby Sumner, said “It is with huge admiration that I thank Deborah for her dedication to Villiers Park. Deborah’s unwavering commitment and passion for supporting young people to achieve their potential inspires all of us who work with her. We regularly hear from people who took part in a course that Deborah ran, often many years before, who tell us what a life-changing experience it was. Deborah is a brilliant colleague, who always put others first, and she has been a great support to me and to all the team.”

Chair of Trustees, Adrian Ball, added “Deborah has made a remarkable contribution to Villiers Park. She has been a crucial member of the team whose impact on the charity and the young people we support will be enduring. On behalf of current and former trustees, our heartfelt thanks and warmest wishes for the future”.



Deborah will retire at the end of July and more details about the recruitment of a new Director of Programmes will be published shortly.