Welcoming our new trustees and executive team member

ChoirBLAST continues to evolve, and we are delighted to welcome new faces to help shape the future of the charity. 

As some of our existing trustees return to operational roles, our new trustees will take up the baton of governance, bringing fresh perspectives, valuable experience, and a shared commitment to our mission.

We are also strengthening our operational team, with Anneliese joining us to help coordinate and support our growing family of community choirs.

Together, these appointments will help ChoirBLAST continue to grow, develop new opportunities, and make the benefits of singing accessible to more people. We are delighted to introduce Naomi Murray, Mark Kerr, and Lucy Laing as our new trustees, alongside Anneliese, who joins our executive team.

Our new trustees

Naomi Murray

Naomi has sung with Godalming Jazz Choir since 2022, where she first met Phoebe. Having sung throughout her life, from musical theatre at school to a succession of choirs, she has found a particularly special sense of community through singing with Godalming Jazz. Seeing Phoebe's work in the community first-hand inspired Naomi to become more involved with ChoirBLAST.

She believes passionately in the power of singing together to build confidence, support people through mental health challenges, and bring people together who might otherwise never meet.

Professionally, Naomi works in partnerships for technology companies, currently at Figma and previously at Trainline. She brings this experience to ChoirBLAST's sponsorship and partnership work. Naomi lives in Chiddingfold and is mum to two young boys.

Mark Kerr

Mark's introduction to ChoirBLAST came through attending the festival as an increasingly amazed audience member over a number of years. Inspired by the sense of community created around the choirs, and the enthusiasm and joy that singing brings, he became a trustee in 2026.

Mark retired after a 40-year career in public affairs and corporate communications, working on public policy issues for a variety of companies across different sectors. He also served as a school governor for a number of years and is involved with a food charity in Guildford, where he and his wife, Deborah, live and brought up their daughters. The family still live close by, with their granddaughter attending school in Godalming.

With, in his own words, less than zero musicality, Mark thinks it highly unlikely that he will ever perform at ChoirBLAST. However, he is reassured that Phoebe has solved more difficult problems!

Lucy Laing

Lucy is passionate about ensuring that everyone, particularly children and young people, has access to the incredible benefits of group singing and music. She believes that singing builds confidence, supports wellbeing, and creates a sense of belonging and community that can have a lasting impact throughout life.

As a senior strategy and policy adviser for the government, specialising in education, Lucy brings her experience to ChoirBLAST, supporting the charity's overall direction and strategic approach as our family of community choirs continues to grow.

Alongside this, Lucy is a parent to two young children, a member of Farncombe Jazz Choir, a yogi, and a painter. Music and creativity are an important part of her life, and she is proud to support ChoirBLAST's mission to make singing accessible, inclusive, and enjoyable for everyone.

Strengthening our executive team

Anneliese Protheroe

Anneliese is responsible for coordinating and managing all of ChoirBLAST's brilliant community choirs, helping the charity fulfil its ambition to provide free, accessible singing opportunities for people who might not otherwise have access. Much of the role involves people and planning, two of her favourite things!

Having fulfilled mainly operational and communications roles throughout her professional life, Anneliese brings the same passion for people and planning to her work with ChoirBLAST. She also has a keen eye for detail, sometimes a little too much detail!

From school musicals to madrigal choirs, singing has always been a big part of Anneliese's life, from her school and university years onwards. After a few years away from singing, she has rediscovered the singer's high thanks to Phoebe and one of her wonderful jazz choirs. She also volunteers weekly at the Moss Lane Songsters Community Choir in Godalming.

When not singing, you will usually find Anneliese running or at the gym, or talking about running and the gym!

We are delighted to welcome Naomi, Mark, Lucy, and Anneliese to the ChoirBLAST team and look forward to working together as the charity continues to grow, develop, and bring people together through singing.