Pickles, Ruth (1943 - ),formerly Bromley, née Raine, Vice-President of the Conference 2011-12, was born in Sherborne, Dorset, into a Methodist family and educated at Sale Grammar School for Girls and Downer Grammar School, Wembley, before gaining a BSc in General Science (1962-65) and a Diploma in Education (1966-67) at the University of Sheffield. Later she gained Postgraduate Diplomas in Social and Pastoral Theology (1984-86) and in Counselling (1993-95) from the University of Manchester, an MA in Consultancy, Ministry and Mission from the University of Sheffield (2004-06), and the Diploma of the Urban Theology Unit (1988-89). She became a Local Preacher in 1984, and was for many years a youth leader and active in MAYC. After voluntary service overseas in Uganda and a number of teaching appointments in Britain she became a lay worker in the Sandbach and Alsager Circuit (1986-89), a house parent at Manchester City Council's Buglawton Hall School (1989-90) and manager and counsellor at the Crewe branch of the Merseyside and Cheshire Alcohol Services (1991-2000). From 2000 to 2008 she was Training and Development Officer for the Chester and Stoke-on-Trent District, before becoming a freelance trainer and consultant in personal and group development. She was a member of the connexional General Purposes Committee (1979-88) and of the Methodist Council (2006-08, 2010-13), and also served for seven years on the connexional Candidates Committee. She was Conference Memorials Secretary from 1989-97. In 2009 became secretary of the Chester and Stoke-on-Trent Synod and in 2014 chair of the Conference Business Committee.