Chris Paul

In 1983, Chris co-founded City Life Magazine, Manchester's Time Out, which led to ventures in music promotion and artist management. He worked at Manchester Town Hall, pioneering progressive recruitment advertising and EDI policies to transform the workforce.

Chris's band, Distant Cousins, had a UK radio hit in 1990 and toured Europe. They performed with the Bhundu Boys and played major festival stages, including Glastonbury. Chris also promoted shows for stars like Nina Simone, Fela Kuti, Miriam Makeba, and Simply Red. Alongside music, he secured European funding for arts producers and co-ran Basement Video Project, later evolving into Innovation in Digital and Electronic Arts (IDEA), which trained arts and digital freelancers in Internet skills and multimedia.

In 2011, Chris was elected to Manchester City Council, where he served for eight years, leading GM initiatives in Active Travel and Environment. He worked with Chris Boardman on the Made to Move programme, securing unanimous approval from ten local authorities and contributing to the foundation of Active Travel England.

Chris joined Wythenshawe FM in 2010, leading the now independent station through several transformations, securing the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. He also worked on government research programmes, including the ONS Covid Infection Study. In 2023, he pitched policy proposals to the House of Commons’ Transport Select Committee. He is studying for an MSc in Environmental Governance.

Chris manages the band HANN, takes part in participative arts projects, and continues his extras career. Since joining the board of Walk the Plank in 1997, he has played a key role as Deputy Chair, overseeing various initiatives, including the Green Space Dark Skies project.