Enginuity and EAL welcome three new members to the Board of Trustees

Enginuity and EAL are delighted to announce the appointment of three new board members: Rachel Fehily, Lucy Edge and Eric Nicholls. Together, they bring a wealth of experience across engineering and manufacturing, family-owned SMEs, technology and space, as well as regional economic development and skills. Their diverse perspectives and expertise will strengthen our joint mission to support skills, innovation and growth across the engineering and manufacturing sectors. 

About Rachel Fehily 

Rachel is Operations Director at RHF Fans, a third-generation, family-owned industrial fan manufacturer in Irlam, Greater Manchester, founded in 1981 and employing around 50 people. RHF’s fans are used in commercial kitchens, food processing, agriculture and dust extraction, and are supplied across the UK and internationally. Rachel is responsible for the day-to-day running of the business, including HR, health and safety, quality, business continuity and business development, having built several of these functions from scratch. 

Rachel completed the Help to Grow Management programme, with RHF Fans subsequently selected as a case study. She has completed a Level 8 Certified Directors Programme and is working towards CMI Chartered Manager status. 

Alongside her role at Enginuity, Rachel is a founding trustee of Little Ripples, a charity supporting children affected by a loved one being diagnosed with cancer. She is also a council member of SHAPA, the trade association for the solids handling and processing sector, and a STEM Ambassador. 

Rachel holds a BSc in Geography and an MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation, both from Newcastle University. She lives in Stockport, Greater Manchester, with her husband and three daughters. 

About Lucy Edge 

Lucy has spent over 25 years in the global space and telecoms sector. In executive roles at Avanti Communications and the Satellite Applications Catapult, she scaled high-value tech ventures and delivered pioneering space infrastructure missions, including some of the first high-throughput satellite technologies, while also helping shape national policy on concentrating public support behind fewer, higher-potential businesses. 

She is currently shaping UKRI Space, and previously established a commercial satellite operations centre in Cornwall, attracting tens of millions in investment and creating lasting local jobs. She has helped many high-growth businesses turn space capabilities into real-world solutions and champions regional space cluster development. 

Lucy is Vice Chair of the Royal Mencap Society and has chaired Research Council tech spin-out Atheras Analytics and served on Local Enterprise Partnership boards in Cornwall & Isles of Scilly and Buckinghamshire. Her early career was in engineering at the European Space Agency and the UK Defence Agency among others. 

She is a director of Second System, helping European Series A companies turn early traction into sustainable growth, combining commercial rigour with a conviction that growth should be resilient and socially useful. 

About Eric Nicholls

Eric’s route into engineering began in a high street bank, where he started work straight from school at 17. However, his O Levels in Metalwork and Technical Drawing proved useful in 1985, when he decided that finance and the corporate world were not for him and started Spiral Construction Ltd, later known as Spiral UK, with his father, Buzz. 

With a team of three, they produced concrete spiral staircases in a small workshop in the far southwest of Cornwall. The business gradually grew and diversified into various types of stairs before relocating to a purpose-built factory in 2002. It is now the leading bespoke steel stair manufacturer in the UK, having worked on projects including the O2, Houses of Parliament, the Gherkin, Royal Albert Hall and London Palladium. 

As the business grew, Eric became involved with the Cornwall Manufacturers Group, first as a member before becoming chair for many years. He is now CEO and has championed manufacturing and skills in an area where they have not always been recognised. He has also worked closely with schools and colleges to inspire young people into engineering. 

Eric was part of the team that established the award-winning CMG Academy to bridge the gap between schools and industry. He continues to work across the region to promote and grow the engineering and manufacturing sector. 

Valued additions to the Board 

Sir Jim McDonald KT GBE FREng FRSE FIET FInstP, Chair of the Enginuity Group, commented on the appointments: “We are thrilled to welcome Rachel, Lucy and Eric to our Board of Trustees. Their collective experience spans family-owned SMEs, engineering and manufacturing, technology, innovation and space, as well as skills development.  

“Each brings a valuable perspective from their own sector and community, alongside a shared commitment to developing the skills people and employers need to thrive. We look forward to drawing on their experience and insight as we continue our work to close skills gaps and strengthen the UK’s engineering and manufacturing sector.”

Find out more about our team