Development of The Horton has been led by registered charity Horton Chapel Arts & Heritage Society.
The board of trustees have been involved in every aspect of the project, supported by other volunteers, partners and specialist contractors.
Trustees
Kirstie Arnould
Trustee
Kirstie is a heritage professional, fundraiser, trainer and oral historian. A consultancy manager at the National Trust, she also led the Keeping Us in Mind oral history project to record the memories of people who lived and worked in the Epsom Hospital Cluster. The project was highly commended for the 2018 Institute of Historical Research Public History prize. Her book The Epsom Cluster: Voices from Europe’s Largest Psychiatric Hospital Complex, was published in 2019. Kirstie is a founding trustee of The Horton Chapel Project.
Phil Humphrey
Trustee
Phil has over 40 years’ experience in the construction industry and has been a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors for 28 years. As a Project Manager he has delivered projects such as three acute Central London teaching hospitals; primary and secondary school programmes for Local Authorities; and three sports centres. His most prestigious project was the 2012 Olympic Stadium. He has lived in Epsom for 20 years.
Sean Kelly
Trustee
Sean is the chief executive of a local medical research charity and has over 20 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector. He has an Masters in Charity Resource Management and is a certified member of the Institute of Fundraising. Prior to embarking on a career within the charitable sector, Sean was a PGA qualified Golf Professional and spent a number of years in Dubai where he met his wife, Sian. They now live in Epsom with their two children.
Yemisi Mokuolu
Trustee
Yemisi is an independent producer and consultant in the creative sector. She is best known for her work supporting the growth and development of African creative content globally. As a cultural manager, Yemisi has worked for the likes of: Amnesty International, Arts Council England, British Council, Goethe, Historic England and Institut Francais.
Ian Reeves
Trustee
Ian is a founding trustee of The Horton Chapel Project and was Chair for the first five years. He is the director and co-founder of the Centre for Journalism at the University of Kent, a founding director of KMTV, author of The Newspapers Handbook and a former magazine editor and award-winning journalist.
Maria Reeves
Trustee
Maria is an experienced creative consultant, project and arts manager. She was venue manager at Ropetackle Arts Centre, West Sussex, and has led national programmes for the NHS, charity clients and cultural organisations including the International Youth Arts Festival. She was Festival Director, and is now chair, of MGSO4 Epsom & Ewell Arts Festival which she co-founded in 2015. A writer and former national newspaper journalist, Maria’s work is widely published. Maria is a founding trustee of The Horton Chapel Project.
Rupert Salmon
Secretary
Rupert is a civil servant at the Department for Education working on recruitment and retention in schools. He has previously worked as head of equality, diversity and inclusion at BEIS, as a VSO English teacher in China, and as an archaeologist for the Museum of London. He is a member of the Surrey Archaeological Society. Rupert is a founding trustee of The Horton Chapel Project.
Graham Saunders
Trustee
Graham is a social history graduate and a chartered surveyor. Partner in a large property consultancy firm and a resident of Livingstone Park for over 13 years, Graham has a keen interest in bringing the building and grounds back into use, combining his property expertise and history interests with an enthusiasm for local community engagement.
Sophie Wiles
Chair
Sophie began her career in the art world, working for Christie’s International Auction House for 12 years, latterly as Business Director for Europe, Middle East, Russia & India. As Head of Operations for a new sports performance brand she helped to grow the business, before moving to Children with Cancer UK, as the charity’s COO. She lives in Epsom’s Livingstone Park.
Gayle Young
Joint Treasurer
Gayle has established several small businesses with her husband over the last 25 years, working as the financial lead managing everything from strategic planning to daily cash flow. Gayle also works as a Leadership Development Professional providing training and executive coaching, specialising in mental health and stress management. Outside work you will find Gayle supporting her children on the sports pitch or volunteering as a crisis counsellor.
The project is also supported in specific areas by a number of committed former trustees:
Claire Harris (finance) and Janice Heyes (events).
Heritage partners:
Jeremy Harte (Bourne Hall Museum) and Julian Pooley (Surrey History Centre).
Volunteer heritage researchers:
Roger Cayzer, Sheila Cumming, Jane Derrick, Jill Duffin, Georgia Kitty-Harris, Lara Kirkland, Kevin McDonnell, Roger Miller, Ian Mole, John Mumford, David Shand, Amanda Spavins, Louise Taylor and Katherine Wood.
Thanks also to the contribution of former trustees:
Nick Barry, Lionel Blackman, George Cardwell, Sarah Dewing, David Gulland and Julian Waters.
Funders:
The Horton Chapel Project has been funded by: National Heritage Lottery Fund, Architectural Heritage Fund, Power to Change, Community Foundation for Surrey, Viridor Credits, Surrey County Council Member’s Allocation and private donations. Epsom & Ewell Borough Council have facilitated match-funding from Section 106 contributions from the companies who redeveloped the former hospital sites.
Renovation:
Architectural design and conversion of the building is being led by Crane Associates.
Design of the new cafe-bar space by Highly Creative Minds.
Branding and exhibition design by Steve Trimm.
