National Office Holders
Our National Office Holders
National Chair
Raymond Higgins
Ray has been a member of the NVS since 2005 and helped establish the NVS in Ireland. He was elected to the role of National Chair in 2025. Prior to taking up this post he was National Vice Chair 2022-2025 and National Assistant Secretary from 2021-2022. Ray is often seen at shows, either competing, judging or advising the public on veg growing techniques.
National Secretary
Fiona Simpson
Fiona is currently the National Secretary and has been since elected in 2016. She is also the current Scottish Branch Secretary, and has been since 2012. Fiona enjoys growing vegetables for the kitchen, and has dabbled, with some success, in one or two NVS competitions.
National Treasurer ( & Webmaster )
Faisal Ali
Faisal joined the NVS in 2024 and immediately became the Social Media person for NVS, a role which he was eager to get stuck into and help promote NVS.
At the 2026 AGM, Faisal became our National Treasurer , with his background and experience in Accounting. Faisal will be working with our Assistant Treasurer, Jean Forrester.
Faisal is also a member and Secretary for the Monkton Leek, Vegetable and Floral Society, despite juggling, family and work life, still has a passion for growing to eat and to show.
National Vice Chair
John "Hoss" Martin
John ( Hoss) Martin became Scottish Branch Chair and Trustee Rep in March 2026. and has now become our National Vice Chair at the 2026 AGM in September.
John has been a member of the NVS since 2011 and was a founder member of the North of Scotland DA since 2013 and is their Current Chair. John also became a Scottish Branch Committee member in 2018.
A keen veg grower and shower, he works hard to showcase all that is good about veg growing in the North of Scotland and shares his knowledge with gardening groups and schools alike. John's working background is in Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture.
National Assistant Secretary
Michelle Nixon
Michelle’s interest in growing followed the same route as most peoples. She began as a toddler by shelling peas with her grandparents, and being told off for pulling next door’s radishes through the fence. On leaving home she shared an allotment, before making a veg plot as soon as she got her first real garden. In 2001 she entered her first village show, putting a miniature basket of very clean but extremely tiny vegetables into a trug class. Thankfully a kind neighbour gave her a copy of the RHS rule book, so she could learn how veg were judged. She joined the local horticultural society and found many of her new friends were also members of the National Vegetable Society, so she joined herself. Encouraged by Bardfield and Finchingfield Horticultural Societies and the Essex DA, she entered her first NVS National Championships in 2019 and won the Chairman’s Challenge Shield. In the same year she entered the RHS Taste of Autumn, with a number of good placings. In 2021 she moved to Cumbria and is now NVS Assistant Secretary as well as Treasurer for the Northern Branch and an NVS judge
National Membership Registrar
Norman Dickinson
Norman joined the NVS in 2017 and became involved as Vice Chair of the Sussex District association as well as becoming the Southern Branch Chair in 2019. Norman is one of the two Southern Branch Trustee reps and was also elected to the role of Membership Registrar in 2021.
Merchandise, Stock and Trophy Manager
Sandra Hall
Sandra has been a member of the NVS since the early 80's. Prior to taking up this post she was National Chair 2018-2025. Sandra has a background in hospitality & catering and she grows a lot of vegetables and fruit for the kitchen and is a strong supporter of "grow your own".
National Magazine Editor
Kelvin Mason
Kelvin has been an NVS member since 1991. He is a professional horticulturist and has been our SV Magazine editor since 2014 sharing his knowledge. Kelvin is also an NVS judge.
National Sponsorship Officer
Chris Spree
Safeguarding Officer
Sue McCall
Sue joined the NVS in 2011 after being encouraged by her local gardening club to have a go at showing .
She has been a member of the Welsh Branch committee since 2012, and is currently the Minutes Secretary. Sue also became a qualified judge in 2017.
She enjoys growing a wide range of veg for the kitchen and showbench.
Assistant Treasurer
Jean Forrester
Jean has been a Treasurer for the NVS since 2014, firstly for the Midlands Branch and then from 2019 as our National Treasurer.
Jean is well known within the Society from the grass roots up, helping DAs and working with the Branch treasurers and Membership Secretaries.
In 2026 , Jean has become Assistant Treasurer to Faisal Ali and she continues to support in as many ways possible. Jean loves gardening and is often out and about in the garden centres.
