HOTV Management Committee

A Community Benefit Society like Heart of the Village is run by a Management Committee. Initially this committee consisted of those who signed the application for registration and others appointed by them, but from June 2020 the Management Committee has been elected by the Members. According to the Rules of the Society (10.4), those elected at the first election will serve for between one and three years depending on the size of their vote, with an election being held at the Annual Members’ Meeting each year to elect (or re-elect) members of the committee on a rolling basis.The current members of the Management Committee are as follows.

Mike Blair (Chair)
Mike is a retired data architect. Having consulted with various businesses in sectors such as banking, local and central government, retail and hospitality, he hopes that his experience of evaluating and influencing business projects will benefit HOTV.

Jon Cochrane (Treasurer)
Jon has retired to Stoke in 2014 after a long career as a finance officer in several companies, including spells in the Middle East and Russia. His wife Jenny is a volunteer in the shop. Jon is passionate about protecting the cash balance of HOTV.

Simon Dauncey
Simon is married to Carolyn, one of the two shop managers. They moved to Somerset from Bristol several years ago, having previously managed a pub (The Royal Oak!) in Clifton for 18 years. Simon’s experience has been invaluable in reopening our Royal Oak.

John Davison (Operations Co-ordinator)
John has lived and worked in Stoke St Gregory for nearly forty years. He set up and ran a successful group of businesses in the village for thirty years employing many local people until his retirement four years ago. He is committed to HOTV and hopes to be able to bring some of his experience to the project.

Paul Fielding 
Paul has made his mark on the village in many ways since his retirement in 2010, including as Village Hall and Scouts Treasurer, driver for Stoke St Gregory meals and refurbishment volunteer at the pub.

Martin Keswick
Martin move to Somerset with his wife Alison in 1986, living in Stoke since 2001. His background is in mechanical engineering with an extensive experience of company management. He is skilled in metalwork, runs a Somerset motorcycle club as well as being a director of its national organisation.

Nick Sloan (Secretary)
Nick has lived in the village for about 20 years and has no intention of moving. He is a letter-cutter and graphic designer by trade, as well as being a member of the Parish Council which helped to set this project in motion.

Ann Woods
Ann has lived in Somerset for 27 years. She ran her own business making corporate ties for many years, and has been a long-time fundraiser for Macmillan Cancer Support. Ann puts her retail experience to good use by volunteering in the shop.

The members of the first elected Management Committee in 2020 were
Graham Gleed (Chair)
Mike Blair (Vice-Chair)
David Crabbe (Treasurer)
John Davison (Operations Manager)
Chris Reah (community Liaison) co-opted 20 July 2020
Nick Sloan (Secretary)
Dave Evans resigned from the Management Committee  on 11 July 2020, and Heather Venn on 15 July 2020.