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Management

Our team are responsible for making informed decisions about the Management of the Herne Farm Estate in the interests of all Shareholders.

Team
Directors
Contractors

Team

Our General Manager works from the centre from 9am - 1pm Monday - Friday. Their responsibility is to work with all stakeholders of the organisation

Mike Hughes
General Manager

Directors

Directors are responsible for making informed decisions about the Herne Farm Estate in the interests of all Shareholders. Each candidate must provide a brief summary of any experience relevant to being a Director of the Company and how they think they can contribute to the operation of the Company.

We welcome nominations for candidates who feel they can dedicate their time and experience to help in the management of Herne Farm Estate as a Director. Candidates should be proposed and seconded by Shareholders of the Company.

For any matters related to communication with Directors, please use the shared mailbox director@hernefarm.co.uk.

Register Interest

Julian Stevens
Chairman

Latest Bio

Andrew Ryder

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Cliff Roffey

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Jonathan Graham

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Gordon Mckinnell

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Geoff Matthews

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External Contractors

Our external contractors work to support our manager and directors including making sure the open spaces and leisure centre are kept clean and tidy.

Michael Smith Gardener

Michael Smith
Complete Garden Maintenance

Adam Gibson Tree Care

Adam Gibson
Tree Care Specialist

Chris James
C&L Cleaning Services

01730 266874
manager@hernefarmlimited.co.uk

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I am a Chartered Engineer. I originally trained as a physicist, but until retiring in 2019 I worked as a Systems Engineer in the Defence Electronics Industry. During my career I worked in many teams proposing, developing, testing and deploying complex systems involving a combination of hardware, software and people.Before moving to Herne Farm I was a director of another residents management company for four and a half years. That company had 180 shareholders. 

 

I have lived on Herne Farm for over 30 years. I first became involved with the Leisure Centre by helping to run the pool. I have been a director of the Company since 1998, initially with responsibility for running the pool. For many years I have chaired the AGM. I also have more than 10 years experience as the Company Secretary, or as an assistant to the Company Secretary. I am Mike Hughes’ Line Manager and offer him guidance and advice on Herne Farm Limited and the Leisure Centre as he develops in his role as our Centre Manager.

I joined the Board of Directors at the start of 2021. I was a university lecturer, teaching geography, economic development, international affairs, urban design, and environmental management for over 25 years, and worked as a consultant on economic development for the OECD. I am a member of the Academy of Urbanism, an organisation dedicated to promoting better towns, cities, neighbourhoods and streets. I also lecture on cruise ships. Since the mid 2010s, I have also worked with NHS England as a patient voice advocate, and have worked with several London trusts and alliances.  Currently, I work part-time as a ship-board entertainer, lecturing on culture, history, architecture, and food.

 

Herne Farm is special.  I want to ensure that its unique character is preserved and enhanced. As a community of almost 800 houses, we can have a powerful impact on the management and development of roads and open spaces, enhancing the value of properties. Over the short to medium term, climate change will present the estate with numerous management challenges. A few years ago, I completed an environmental review for the estate to start a discussion and bring together residents.

 

However, since 2021, I have learned that engaging with local government to effect change, such as traffic and parking in Moggs Mead, is an extremely slow and involved process.  It is often frustrating and time consuming, involving local, district and county government. 

I have lived on the Herne Farm Estate since 1982 and was appointed to the Board of Directors of Herne Farm Limited in February 2017.

 

Apart from this eight years, I have also had main board experience before joining Herne Farm Limited. This involved more than 30 years as a Technical Director elsewhere. I am therefore very familiar with the duties and responsibilities of a Director.

 

Professionally, I am both a Chartered Chemist and Scientist, a lifetime member of the Oil & Colour Chemist’s Association and also a member of The Royal Society of Chemistry . I have a BSc Honours Degree in Chemistry and also a Doctorate in the same, both from The University of London.

 

My qualifications and professional experience enable me to provide valuable input into a number of key areas of Herne Farm Limited to ensure compliance. These include COSHH (Control of Substances Harmful to Health) and Regulations relevant in such areas as Risk Assessments and other aspects of Health and Safety.

 

I primarily steered the Company through the Covid-19 pandemic in addition to the normal health and safety assessments. Throughout the Covid 19 pandemic, I produced the risk assessments based on the relevant mandatory Government guidelines . These were updated everytime the guideline changed. Fortunately, there were no reports of Covid-19 cases originating from the Centre. During lockdown I also arranged safety certification of our ventilation systems by specialist contractors, and more recently testing of the water system for legionella by an external specialist.

 

I have set up a monthly General Risk Assessment which is presented to The Board of Directors for validation, progression, discussion and historical record. Additionally, I have continued with further aspects of the Safety Strategy for Herne Farm Limited. This includes a detailed chemical COSHH assessment of materials held on site. I therefore am providing continued support and advice to and on behalf of the Board of Directors regarding Safety Strategy to all. This includes vital areas such as Fire Risk, Environmental aspects and other computer documentation.

I have been a resident of the Herne Farm Estate, near the Leisure Centre, for approximately eighteen years. For the past twenty years, I have operated a small business in Petersfield as an app developer, remaining engaged with the latest technological developments. My experience chairing committees has helped me develop strong leadership skills and a collaborative approach that fosters efficiency and positive outcomes.


More recently, I have developed an application to support the creation of new Bee Corridors across the United Kingdom beecafeuk.org. I am also working on a project focused on tree establishment with some local Petersfield residents.


As a committed and community-minded individual, I am passionate about our local environment and the wellbeing of those who live here. I am well-known within the area and actively encourage others to participate in a range of community initiatives. I take great pleasure in meeting new people and deeply value the time I spend with my family.


I look forward to contributing to the Herne Farm Social Club and enhancing its programme through monthly social evenings and other inclusive activities.

As an experienced manager, with a wide range of skills in operations, new products and services with the energy to drive projects through to a conclusion I believe this is the background to give back something to the centre I have enjoyed over the last 10 or so years.

 

Having developed professional experience in leading and being part of multi-disciplinary and multi-national teams including site management I feel I can add to the efficient running and future of the centre. I would like to use these skills to further some discussed projects raised at previous AGMs (e.g. disabled toilets, building renovations) over the next few years to ensure the centre continues to prosper for the residents in the short and long term.

 

To do this I can bring in skills that will enable the committee to plan and track progress while communicate this technical & financial information to the many stakeholders in ways visually, verbally and in various formats to ensure all are on board and kept informed.

When I was first elected to serve as a Director of Herne Farm Limited in October 2019, I said I would always work in the best interests of all the Residents / Shareholders of Herne Farm and that I believe in transparency and fairness.

 

I have lived on the estate and used the facilities at the Leisure Centre since 1987, and having worked in IT for more than 40 years as a developer, designer and business analyst I felt I had the relevant skills to offer something back to Herne Farm on a voluntary basis. Using my IT background, I was able to interrogate and audit all the computer systems and procedures at Herne Farm. My findings identified some inconsistencies with some payments, and also highlighted the lack of controls and procedures in some areas.

 

Since then, I have made sure our IT systems are secure, with the right Software and Security updates, continued with the general housekeeping exercise on all the systems and updated and produced new procedures, controls and documentation where necessary. I also make sure that the new enhanced security system which records 24/7 is monitored and checked on a regular basis.

 

I have been maintaining the Herne Farm Limited Web Site, including updating information on Herne Farm and the Covid-19 situation, and I assisted the Health and Safety Director in compiling our Health and Safety Policy and our Covid-19 Risk Assessment. I will assist the Centre Manager in anything IT related in the finances, systems and procedures at Herne Farm, including the documentation of our processes for Business Continuity.

I seek re-election to the Board of Directors for a second year. I have lived on the Estate since 2017 with a young family.


A key area that I have constantly challenged during the time that I have served as a director is in the marketing and communications of the estate including the centre. 


Some key projects I have been focused on over the last year have included:

  • Coordinating and creating content for hard-copy mailings to shareholders • Increasing the channels by which residents and non-resident can get in touch both through Facebook and Google My Business.
  • Working on the development of a new website (with a grant provided by EHDC) bringing the >current site up-to date and promoting the centre, its facilities, environment and personality. This has also included working to protect and stabilise our brand online.


Over the next 12 months I plan to continue to work on how the board together with the activities it undertakes communicates itself. 


This includes completing the website and working to introduce a customer relationship management system to streamline and increase our touchpoints with shareholders.