Horsell Common Preservation Society
Company limited by Guarantee – registered in England and Wales Company Number 6460936
Charity No 1123473
Copyright © 2024 Horsell Common Preservation Society
Horsell Common Preservation Society
Company limited by Guarantee – registered in England and Wales Company Number 6460936
Charity No 1123473
Copyright © 2024 Horsell Common Preservation Society
I lived on Horsell Common for over 23 years, adjacent to Heather Farm. I am lucky to have enjoyed the beauty of the Common first hand and appreciate the significant achievements of the Trustees over the years. I am a qualified Chartered Accountant and have supported the Society since my election as a Trustee. I believe I can continue that work and help meet the challenges that the larger enterprise now represents. I have managed a variety of companies in the role of either Chairman or Director and believe that experience can benefit the Society.
I have been Chairman of the Estates Management subcommittee since 2008 but have been involved with the Common over a much longer period, beginning with participation in winter conservation working parties during the 1970s. Before retirement, I was the Principal Entomologist with the Royal Horticultural Society at Wisley Garden. I continue to be active as an entomologist and have done insect surveys on various parts of the HCPS estate, including Pyrford Common and Heather Farm. Knowledge of the fauna and flora that occur on our various land holdings, from rare to abundant species, helps to emphasise the value of the various habitats found within the Society’s approximately 1000 acre estate and assists management decisions.
I have been a Trustee of the Horsell Common Preservation Society since June 2018 with a specific role working in Public Relations and producing the HCPS newsletter, The Common. My particular interest lies in the environmental issues of the Common, the volunteering work and co ordinating with Thames Basin Heaths Partnership and their Education programme. I learnt about education and the environment during the ten years that I worked as a volunteer at Nower Wood, the Surrey Wildlife Education Centre near Leatherhead once I had retired from my teaching career. I enjoy the regular Tuesday volunteering working parties, removing scrub from the common and thereby improving the habitat for Nightjars, woodlarks, Dartford warblers and the insects and reptiles. There is a great sense of satisfaction at the end of each working party, when you turn around and see a landscape of heather instead of a mix of pine and silver birch and heather hidden amongst. But the work on the common has a far greater impact. I have learnt so much whilst working and of course, it means so much more to you when you have invested your time and energy.
I have been a regular user of the common seven days a week for 24 years as both a runner and dog owner and on occasions both simultaneously. I became a trustee due to my burning desire to contribute to and give something back to a such fabulous outdoor space that I love so much. I am a passionate lover of fauna, bird & wildlife of which Horsell common has all in abundance. I am also a keen fly fisherman and member of various wild trout and fishing conservation societies, all of which focus on the improvement and preservation of cleaner rivers, river course management, invertebrate and fauna analysis. I have worked in the insurance industry for 38 year based in the City of London, with a focus on Sales, Marketing, Risk Management/Mitigation and Health & Safety. The Common & its immediately surrounding area have undergone amazing changes over recent years. In addition to the redevelopment of Heather Farm, I am especially passionate about the work being done to restore the common to its original Heathland state. I am particularly excited about the opportunity to continue to work with & support the amazing HCPS team in continuing this improvement for years to come.
I have lived within walking distance of the Common for 20 years. I am a retired Chartered Surveyor and Property Developer. I became a Trustee in 2012 and became involved with all aspects of the development of Heather Farm and the Wetland.
I grew up in rural West Berkshire. I trained and graduated as a veterinary surgeon, and in 1984 moved to work in SW London. We moved to Horsell in 1987 to start our family. After a spell part time I returned to full time veterinary life, eventually buying my practice in New Malden and running it with a colleague until retirement in 2017. The choice of Horsell as a place to settle was very influenced by Horsell Common, and I have spent many hours there, initially with dogs and children, latterly volunteering, walking and birdwatching. As a trustee my particular field of interest is the bird life of the common, obviously the schedule 1 heathland birds, but also the many other species to be found on the common, many of them on the red or amber lists of birds of conservation concern. I am keen to engage with others who have knowledge and expertise, and also to help local residents appreciate what the common has to offer and why it needs protecting.