NEWCASTLE Theatre Royal has announced the appointment of its first-ever life president.

The role has been conferred on retiring trustee John Ward, who is a former regional director of Barclays Bank, based in Newcastle.

Mr Ward first became involved with the Theatre Royal in 1988, when he joined as a trustee.

He said: “My Grey Street office at Barclays overlooked the theatre and I really enjoyed my theatre-going visits, so when I was asked to join them as a trustee I was delighted.”

During the past 25 years, Mr Ward has served spells as vice-chair and chair of the theatre’s finance and general purposes committee.

But probably his most telling contribution was the part he played in the acquisition of the former Barclays Bank premises in Market Street.

He has worked to ensure that Newcastle Theatre Royal, as a charitable trust, has continued to thrive and develop, despite facing challenging economic times.

Newcastle Theatre Royal chief executive Philip Bernays said: “John has been such a stalwart supporter of the theatre, and invaluable counsel to me as chief executive, that we were all delighted when he agreed to our suggestion to become life president.”