Our Board of Trustees is responsible for the governance of our work.
Rachel Gillies
Chair
Rachel is interesting in creating connections, forging links and creating change through our stories, spaces and creativity, particularly within heritage spaces.
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She focused on Russian History, International Development and Conflict Resolution as part of her BA in History and Politics at Lancaster University. She has been a Trustee since December 2005.
Joe Peacock
Deputy Chair
Joe became a trustee of Peacebuilding UK in June 2018. He studied Russian and Politics at University and spent seven years living in Russia before returning to the UK in 2005.
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Since then, he has worked as a teacher and in a variety of roles in third sector organisations gaining expertise in communications, membership, fundraising and project coordination.
Juliet Schofield
Trustee and former Chair
Juliet has had substantial international development experience, having started her career in Moscow in the turbulent 90s working for the European Commission, later moving to the non-governmental sector to work with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) in the Balkans.
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After a brief period moving between offices in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam, Juliet joined the ‘Eurasia’ team at International Alert, a London-based peacebuilding organisation working directly with people affected by violent conflict.
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More recently, Juliet has been exploring the world of socially engaged arts, working for a short while with Belarus Free Theatre and in 2019 co-founded the organisation ‘Independent Peace Associates’, specialising in transformative research, training and consultancy.
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With a BA in Soviet Studies (SSEES, University of London) and MSc in International Development (LSE), MA in Psychosocial Studies (Birkbeck), Juliet brings an important combination of regional knowledge, programme design, management and fundraising skills to Peacebuilding UK.
Brilliant Chilaeva
Trustee
Brilliant became a trustee of Peacebuilding UK in June 2013. Brilliant and her family moved to the UK in 2004 from Chechnya.
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In Chechnya she worked as a gynaecologist, and also for several NGOs, including the human rights organisation ‘Memorial’.
Angelina Biriukova
Trustee
Tanya Williams
Trustee
Tanya became a trustee of PBUK in July 2024. She has a particular expertise in the intersection of religious values with international human rights standards and gender issues. She studied Social and Political Science at Cambridge University and has worked for various London NGOs.
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In 2024 she spent three months monitoring human rights in Palestine’s occupied West Bank, reporting to UN agencies and other NGOs.
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She is fluent in French, German and Greek and serves as co-clerk of Friends Peace Teams Europe and Middle East. She is training to become an Alternatives to Violence Program facilitator to support peace efforts in Europe.
Information for potential new Trustees
We seek to recruit trustees who are enthusiastic and willing to help us improve our organisation so that we can continue to provide the best service we can to further the Charity’s work in Chechnya & the North Caucasus. To find out more and apply, download the information pack and application form, or e-mail us directly at info@peacebuildinguk.org.