PRESS RELEASE: Tom Jones Appointed Chair of Trustees at Bishopsland Educational Trust

Bishopsland thanks outgoing Chair Howard Dellar for eleven years of dedicated leadership

Howard Dellar passes the baton to Tom Jones, new Chair

Bishopsland Educational Trust is proud to announce the appointment of Tom Jones as its new Chair of Trustees. The Trust extends its sincere thanks to outgoing Chair Howard Dellar, who stepped down from the role at the Annual General Meeting held on 4 February 2026, after eleven years of committed and compassionate service. We are also pleased to welcome Peter White as a Trustee.

Founded in 1993, Bishopsland Educational Trust is the only charitable organisation which delivers an intensive ten month residential programme for talented jewellers and silversmiths emerging from full time education or apprenticeships. The immersive 

programme develops advanced hand and technical making skills alongside professional and commercial practice, leveraging its extensive network, whilst supporting participants as they progress into employment or to establish independent businesses. 

Tom Jones is incoming Chair of Bishopsland

The Board is delighted to welcome Tom Jones as the Trust’s new Chair. Tom is currently Chief Executive Officer of the British Allied Trades Federation (BATF) and was previously the CEO of the Aluminium Federation, where he served for over six years. Earlier in his career, he was General Manager at Mitsubishi Metals and has also served as a Board Director at the UK Metals Council. Currently Tom holds positions as a Member of the Jewellery, Silverware and Allied Crafts Roundtable (UK JSAC) and is a Member of Export Partners UK.

In addition, Tom has held numerous voluntary leadership roles across industry and the public sector, including as a Member of the Advisory Board of the Materials Processing Institute, UKRI Circular Economy Group at Brunel University, as Co-Chair of the Rules of Origin Thematic Panel (Aluminium) for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and as a Member of the Materials Industry Liaison Group for the Environment Agency.

As an apprentice trained tool maker himself, Tom’s ethos of people-centric leadership, combined with a strong focus on financial, strategic and operational excellence, as well as his inherent understanding of materials impressed the Board during a highly competitive recruitment process. As Bishopsland continues its capital fundraising campaign to continue the development of its site - expanding capacity for neurodiverse makers and outreach 

Howard Dellar recieves a farewell gift

Commenting on his tenure, Howard said:

“It has been an honour to serve as Chair of Bishopsland and to witness the Trust go from strength to strength. I am constantly in awe of the commitment and perseverance of the emerging silversmiths who join our programme, and of the great strides they make in skill, confidence and professionalism in such a short space of time.”

The Board of Trustees said:

“We will miss Howard and his steely diplomacy, strong sense of fairness but above all his dry wit and affable nature. He has steered the ship admirably, but we understand that after over 11 years at the helm

there are other causes which deserve his full attention. We look forward to working with Tom. He joins at a milestone moment as we have received a £100,000 private donation towards our capital fundraising target of £500,000, for which we are now seeking match funding. Peter White, having already successfully led the first phase of the redevelopment of Hills Yard is a welcome addition to the Board and we know he will continue to contribute robust and thoughtful guidance.”

      Peter White joins as a new Trustee

Bishopsland Trustees and Staff (left to right) : Jo Gregory, Rebecca Kirk, Glenn Hawksbee, CEO Claire Murdoch, Tom Jones, Rebecca van Rooijen, Peter White and Principal Angela Cork. (Trustees Rebecca Knott and Craig Menzies not present)

About Bishopsland Educational Trust

Bishopsland is an internationally recognised charity dedicated to the training and education of emerging makers in the craft of silversmithing in the UK. As a charity, we have nurtured the careers of over 270 silversmiths and jewellers over the last 33 years, over 70% of whom have gone on to develop sustainable businesses in the UK. Our one- or two-year immersive residential training programme provides a much-needed bridge between full-time education and a career as a maker. Today, our Fellows are some of the foremost craftspeople in their field.

In 2025 Bishopsland won College Trophy at the Goldsmiths Craft and Design Awards.

Bishopsland is supported through the generous patronage of our donors and supporters and is continuing its fundraising efforts in order to preserve professional craft skills. By investing in this initiative, donors will play a crucial role in safeguarding the heritage craft of silversmithing for generations to come.

You can support Bishopsland in several ways and you can read more here: www.bishopsland.org.uk