Peter Gutteridge (Chairman)
Peter has been a solicitor for over 40 years recently retiring as Senior Partner of Hewitsons. He specialised in all the legal aspects of property development with particular expertise in joint venture agreements, options, overage payments, conditional contracts and consortium agreements; acting either for the developer or the landowner. He has worked in both Cambridge and Peterborough and was a founder director of the Greater Peterborough Partnership. He was also a director of Business Link and the old Training and Enterprise Council and is a Past President of the Chamber of Commerce. Peter is a keen sportsman having represented the County at both Cricket and Hockey.
An interview with Peter Gutteridge
Emma Gilbey, intern at CCF, interviewed Peter Gutteridge (Chairman of the CCF Board) about his involvement with CCF.
Peter, why did you get involved with the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation?
I was brought up in Cambridgeshire and have worked here most of my life. Having retired I now have the time to put something back into the local community and the very best way of doing that seemed to be through the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation.
What have you learnt in your time as chair of the board?
I have been surprised how many disadvantaged people there are in what, at first sight, looks like a very prosperous county. I have also learnt that comparatively moderate sums of money can be a great help to small, local community groups. They tend not to have large overheads and because of this often fairly small sums of money can make a considerable difference to what they can do for their local communities or the particular disadvantaged people that they are aiming to support.
What issues in the community are you particularly interested in?
Disabled people, the disadvantaged young and the homeless are ones which I am particularly interested in, but of course there are many other people in our local community that need the support of the foundation.
Which grant have you been pleased to support? Is there one which particularly stands out?
I wouldn’t say that there was any one particular one. I am interested in the young and anything that helps them, which often goes with the issue of homelessness. I think sport can play a part and any project that helps give that opportunity is a valuable one. As far as the homeless are concerned I have been particularly impressed by Cambridge LinkUp. I have visited them and talked to them about their work and that is one particular group that I have been impressed by and delighted to help and ensure that they do get support from the foundation.
Do you have any experience with other community foundations?
The ones I know particularly well are Northamptonshire Community Foundation and Milton Keynes Community Foundation. I have discussed with the chairman of Northamptonshire Community Foundation what we are each doing. As to Milton Keynes I have been to some of their events and discussed with their trustees what they are doing. It’s very useful to compare notes and as we are covering different areas and not in competition everyone in the Foundation movement is very generous in giving the benefit of their experiences as to what works and what does not.
What do you hope the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation will be doing in 10 years time?
I hope we will have substantially expanded and that our grantmaking will be having a real impact on the local community. This, I hope, will mean that our work will have come much better known and we are automatically considered the first call for all local charitable giving.
And, finally what do you look for in a new trustee?
It would be good to have trustees from all walks of life but I think the key thing is commitment. By this I mean commitment, not just in time and, in some cases, money, but a commitment to the objects of the Foundation and all we are trying to achieve for the local community.
