The board of directors oversees our work, monitors our performance at quarterly meetings and helps us to set our long-term strategy and yearly plans and budgets. Each director has a duty and responsibility to protect the interests of Explore and ensure the organisation is well run. The board has 9 members: 3 community directors elected by the community members of Explore, 1 staff director elected by Explore staff, 3 non-executive directors elected by the Board for their specific skills, 1 director nominated by City of York Council, and the Chief Executive. Board members are volunteers and give their time for free.

Helen Apsey - a blonde woman with glasses

Helen Apsey

Non-executive Director

Helen’s skills include strategy development and implementation, policy and public affairs, marketing and communications, engagement, and building relationships. Helen believes that culture can support people’s wellbeing throughout their lives, and as community hubs and places that draw people together, libraries have a vital role to play in this.

    Rosemary has short dark hair and is wearing a black t-shirt and glasses

    Rosemary Cook

    Community Director
    Vice-Chair

    Rosemary has a background in healthcare and has been a not-for-profit sector CEO for 17 years. She also has experience on Boards as Trustee and Director. Rosemary is an award-winning author, writing books about historical true crime with nursing and medical connections. She researches and gives talks about local history and historical crimes.

      A smiling, fair-haired woman wearing a white sweater and pink scarf

      Rebecca Craven

      Community Director

      Rebecca works as a tutor for apprentices following careers into marketing and fundraising. She is a qualified teacher but spent a lot of her career in marketing roles across various Yorkshire museums.  Rebecca has experience in community development and believes in the central role libraries play in where we live and how they contribute to wellbeing and feeling connected. She would like to support Explore with building a sustainable future through getting more people involved in their work, through volunteering and fundraising.
        Chris Edwards

        Chris Edwards

        Director Nominated by City of York Council
        Chair

        Chris trained as a physics and mathematics teacher and was part of the education team that established the new City of York Council. He subsequently became Director of Learning and Leisure before moving to Leeds as Chief Executive of Education Leeds. Since leaving Leeds, Chris has continued to work on leadership and culture in organisations, curriculum development and school improvement.

        Chris reads a lot, sings a little and is passionate about teaching and learning, culture and the arts and hopes we can further develop the libraries as community spaces and a vibrant, inclusive and exciting part of the rich artistic and cultural landscape in this great city of ours.

        Joe Fricker

        Non-executive Director

        Joe advises banks and retailers on strategic outsourcing programmes. After 11 years at a national law firm in Leeds, Joe spent 7 years as General Counsel of Ventura in Leeds before starting consulting in 2012. Joe struggled with reading until diagnosed dyslexic aged 10. The TV mysteriously broke, Joe buried his head in library books and had a reading breakthrough a year later. York Library was home for Joe for three successive Easter breaks back from Uni and he is now a constant user of Explore, especially the eLibrary and reading cafes. Joe is keen to support Explore’s relationship with City of York Council and its commercial activities.

          Richard Jones

          Non-executive Director

          Richard has been a Finance Director for several large companies and is experienced in corporate restructuring, business acquisitions and sales. He has run a commercial finance brokering company since 2012 specialising in raising debt finance for SMEs and property developers. Alongside this Richard has continued to be a part time Finance Director for clients and a Non-executive Director for a number of social enterprise support organisations, social enterprises and charities.  With over 30 years of finance experience Richard will help blend the commercial and charitable aims of Explore ensuring a sustainable future.

            A dark-haired woman wearing a grey checked jacket, white top and necklace. She is smiling

            Jenny Layfield

            Chief Executive

            Jenny is the Chief Executive for Explore. Her role is to provide strategic leadership to the Explore team; providing vision, leadership and future direction, ensures the culture of Explore reflects its vision, values and objectives.

            Jenny has worked in a variety of roles within the cultural and heritage sector including Museum Director at the National Coal Mining Museum for England and General Manager for Nostell in Wakefield. Jenny is also a Chartered Member of the CIPD and has over 15-year experience working as a HR specialist.

            A blue-eyed man wearing a blue shirt and dark jacket

            Stephen Lewis

            Community Director

            Stephen Lewis retired recently after 28 years as a journalist with the York Press newspaper. For much of that time he was the newspaper’s chief feature writer and leader writer. He has served as an elected governor of York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and as a Trustee of York Civic Trust. In 2018, Stephen co-wrote a book – ‘The Streets of York: Four Centuries of Change’ – with Ron Cooke, Darrell Buttery and Chris Shepherd. Sales of the book raised £70,000 for local charities, including York Against Cancer. Stephen is a cancer survivor.

              Holly Waughman

              Staff Director

              Holly started working as an Archivist for Explore in 2022. In her current role, she is responsible for looking after Explore’s physical archive collections, helping York’s communities and international researchers to access 850 years of York’s history. As Staff Director, she represents the voice of all staff from across Explore.
              With an academic background in History, Holly has been working as an archive professional since 2015. She has experience working across the archive sector, including previous roles at the Bank of England and the University of Birmingham.