Falkland Islands Committee
The Falkland Islands Association has always had a committee based in the Falkland Islands. Its main purpose is to assist in promoting the FIA within the Falkland Islands by generating greater awareness of the FIA’s role in the UK and elsewhere in supporting the Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination. The Committee encourages members of the local community to take up individual, joint, and/or corporate membership of the Association. It also advises the Executive Committee on ways in which the FIA can be more relevant to the Falkland Islands community so that the FIA can become more effective in its role. Without strong local support, the FIA would be less credible as a lobby group working in support of the Falkland Islanders.
Chairman and Secretary: Andrew Newman
Andrew’s parents were part of the farming community pre-1982, growing up in the Camp and then in Stanley post 1982 he enjoyed all the Falkland Islands and its way of life has to offer. Opportunities in1987 led to a short career in the Merchant Navy and then 23 years as a civil servant for the Falkland Islands Government in the aviation and regulation fields. For the last 15 years, he has supported a number of local charities and has involvement in other local organisations and events in order to contribute to the local community. He currently works in the Falklands private sector in the Fisheries and Oil and Gas sectors.
Treasurer: Hayley Bonner
Hayley is a Falkland Islander, the eldest of 2 siblings, and a mother to Declan.
Hayley worked with Standard Chartered Bank from 1 December 1983 to 6 May 2022, starting as a cashier working her way up to Branch Manager and Business Planning Manager. Having taken retirement from the bank she is now employed as Tour Assistant with Falkland Island Holidays.
During the Falklands war in 1982, aged 16, Hayley experienced being imprisoned at the small local hall on Goose Green farm, along with her family plus a further 115 people; this lasted for 29 days.
She has a love for outdoor life, sports, and animals – especially horses.
The love of the outdoors stems from growing up in a rural environment and enjoys going on walks high up in the mountains to sea level strides along the beautiful Falklands coastline.
Hayley has a love for travel. She has experienced climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and leaning tower of Pisa.
Dr Emma Brook
Emma is a 6th generation Falkland Islander, born to Norma and Roger Edwards, in Portsmouth in 1971. Her first trip to the Islands was at the age of 2, whilst her father was serving on board HMS Endurance. They returned as a family in January 1983 and her parents bought part of Fox Bay West in 1985. Before going to Peter Symonds College in Winchester, she worked as a knitter in the woolen mill at Fox Bay.
After her A Levels, Emma went to Queen’s University Belfast and studied Geology, then returned to the Islands working for the Falkland Islands Government as their Junior Geologist and mapped the Islands geology. After the mapping project was complete she returned to the UK and studied for a master’s Degree in Petroleum Geology, graduating the year the oil price crashed, so returned to the Islands and worked at FIDC looking at the economic geology potential onshore, before joining Cable & Wireless as their Customer Service Manager. During this period she started working on Antarctic Cruise ships as part of their expedition team, lecturing on the geology and driving zodiacs through the ice.
She realised she wanted to use her degree, so retrained at Exeter University, to become a Geography Secondary school teacher. She served as a reserve Police Officer for over 18 years and also stood for election in 2009 and was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Stanley. Today she works as the College Development Manager at the Training Centre, delivering a variety of training programmes to FIG staff and members of the public of all ages. She loves the Falklands and the natural history of the Islands and enjoys passing on her knowledge to visitors.
Ariane Brownlee
Ariane Brownlee is a 7th generation Islander. Ariane grew up in Stanley with her parents and two younger sisters. At 15, Ariane moved to the UK to continue her education at Chichester College, where she began her studies in Travel and Tourism, then moved on to Bournemouth University to study Tourism Management. Graduating in 2017, Ariane returned to the Falkland Islands to work for Sulivan Shipping Services Ltd and pursue her career within the tourism industry.
It has become clear that the FIA is an important voice for the Falkland Islands, its people, and its supporters and Ariane is proud to be a part of that; the Falkland Islands is an incredibly unique and special country.
Gerald Cheek
Gerald was born in 1941 and his father at that time was employed at Hill Cove. In 1946 the family moved to Stanley and Gerald has lived there ever since. At the completion of his education at the Senior School he commenced work for FIG at the Power Station as an apprentice electrician and remained working there until 1976 when he secured the new post of trainee air traffic controller in preparation for working at Stanley Airport, which was opened for operations in 1977. He spent most of 1976 training with the Civil Aviation Department in England.
Following his final 21 years working for FIG as the Director of Civil Aviation he retired in 2011 and since then has been working as a tour guide.
He joined the Falkland Islands Committee when it was originally formed in 1968 and has remained as a member ever since. During the Argentine occupation of the Islands he, together with other Islanders, including Velma Malcolm also a member of the Committee, was arrested by the Argentine Military Police and transported to Fox Bay East, where there were several hundred Argentine troops stationed, and was retained there until the Argentine surrender.
Dr Deborah Davidson
Having successfully completed her Ph.D. in Marine Ecology, Deborah moved from her home in the northeast of Scotland to the Falkland Islands in May 2010 on a year’s contract as a Scientific Fisheries Observer, working for the Falkland Islands Government. She quickly fell in love with the Islands, and the work, and extended for another year. After spending a bit more time onshore in the second year and having more opportunity to explore and get to know the place and the people, she realised the Islands were “home” embracing the gorgeous Islands, the incredibly strong sense of community, and the way of life. She subsequently worked for a newly established research institute in Stanley (the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute – SAERI), working there for over four years on various environmental projects. She now works for FIG again, in the Department of Mineral Resources. Deborah believes it is important to give back to the community, and therefore volunteers for various activities and organisations, and is a member of several Boards.
Ailsa Heathman
Ailsa is the daughter of a Scotsman and a Falkland Islander of many generations and has lived in the Islands all her life. In 1978 she married Tony Heathman and has two daughters and three grandchildren all residing in the Falkland Islands. Ailsa and Tony were able to purchase Estancia Farm in 1980 following the first sub-division of Green Patch Farm resulting from the fiscal study of the Islands commissioned by the British Government in 1976 and led by Lord Shackleton. They have lived and farmed at Estancia ever since but in the past 15 – 20 years they have also become increasingly involved with tourism when low wool prices forced diversification. In any spare time, Ailsa tries to keep abreast of issues within the Islands and the outside world as well as corresponding with a wide number of family and friends here and overseas.
Cheryl Roberts
Cheryl is Managing Director and owner of Beauchene Fishing Co Ltd, which operates two trawlers for loligo and finfish in the Falkland Fishing Zone with JV companies owned 51/49 Beauchene/Spanish companies.
Other positions held: Board member of Falkland Island Fishing Company Association; Chair of South American Atlantic Services Ltd; Trustee Lighthouse Seamans Mission; Director Consolidated Fisheries Ltd (the only fully locally owned Fishing Company and the holder of the full toothfish quota fished in Falkland Waters).
Director of fellow JV companies in conjunction with Spanish partners Igueldo Fisheries Ltd, South Atlantic Squid Ltd, South Atlantic Squid (UK) Ltd, Southwestern Ltd, Southeastern Ltd.
Cheryl was born in the Falkland Islands. She was schooled for a number of years in Buenos Aires and moved to the UK in late 1970s living in Plymouth, Ballykelly and Bristol. During her time living in the UK, Cheryl worked in retail and finished as a Distribution Centre Manager. She returned to live in the in the Falklands in 1990 and purchased Beauchene Fishing Co Ltd in November 2003.
Cheryl is married to Peter and they have a son Bradley and a daughter Molly.
