Founder / Executive director
Since 1996, following a 20-year career in fine art publishing, Joanie has been working in the charity sector: for Children’s Express as development director, and for Theodora Children’s Trust, Rise Phoenix and Yes to Life as executive director. In 2008 she gained a masters degree in the voluntary sector from Cass Business School, London. She is on the board of three charities: Apollo Music Projects, ThePromise and the Carmarthenshire Heritage Regeneration Trust.
Joanie is passionate about the buildings, community and landscape of rural Wales, especially in the Brecon Beacons area, where she and her husband Roger Mears have rebuilt a watermill and its associated buildings. In 2008 her idea of providing affordable housing while saving vernacular buildings grew into the building preservation trust, Adfer Ban a Chwm.