To contact a board member please write, phone or email the 20,000 Voices office

Peter Carey is a consultant haematologist in Sunderland, and is also an enthusiastic amateur singer. He has sung with the Northern Sinfonia Chorus for many years, is active on the local choral solo circuit and enjoys occasional forays into opera when professional commitments allow. He has been a member of the 20,000 Voices Board since 1998.

Jeremy Cripps has worked in services for children and families for 30 years in voluntary organisations and local authorities in London and the North East. He has been singing even longer in church and school choirs, choral societies and community choirs.

Hilary Elder worked in young people's theatre in the East End of London before returning North (she is from Carlisle) to work in local authority arts in Northumberland. She is now studying for a PhD at Durham University. She plays the viola, and sings alto, because, as a viola player, harmony comes more naturally than tunes!


Penni Blythe Jones was born and raised in Northumberland, and has recently returned to her roots after 37 years discovering ‘the rest of England’.  Singing has been a life time activity, particularly in the folk/ traditional field. She has worked with young people through teaching, curriculum development youth work and coaching, and also worked in the business world. Penni worked with Folkworks & the Folk Arts Network of England on a series of development projects and researched the interest in, need for and feasibility of establishing a Folk Development Agency in Wales which has been successfully running since 1999. Currently Director of the Centre for Creative Change she is one of the most established and successful people in the field of Coaching, Leadership & Human Development working with major Global companies, small businesses and individuals. 

Sue Shaw lives in Durham City and has been an independent writer and researcher for the past 17 years, specialising in community development and rural issues.

Wherever she has lived she has always been a member of a choir since schooldays, and has taken part in several 20000 Voices workshops and events at Brinkburn, as well as the NE Gospel choir. She looks forward to supporting 20000 Voices as a board member.

Sharon Taylor
Currently working as an Arts Development Manager in Northumberland, I have over 20 years of arts development experience in Yorkshire and the North East. I am passionate about the arts across all art forms and social inclusion is central to my practice. The magic of bringing people together through shared creativity and self expression gets me up in the morning, that and my three kids of course.

What can I say about my singing other than it’s best kept to the bath where it sounds surprisingly good. Previous work includes; self employed artist; community development manager for Bradford Festival; day service manager working for adults with a learning disability and regional education officer for Arts Council North East.