Trustees are appointed by Odiham Parish Council or co-opted by current Trustees. They have tended to serve for long duration, circa 10-30 years to date
Chair of OCC Trustees, OEC Trustee
Tom Benford was born and grew up in the Odiham area and runs his own motor vehicle repair business locally. His family farms in Odiham. He is a former Citizens Advice Adviser. Tom was appointed as a Trustee of the Charity in 2012.
Vice Chair OCC Trustees
Charles Brooks was born and grew up in Odiham and he and his family have lived here since the mid-1980’s, his daughter and her family also now live in the village. Charles is a solicitor and former partner of Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP based in Basingstoke, specialising in company and charity law advice. Charles looked after the legal interests of the Charity for a number of years prior to his retirement and was appointed as a Trustee in 2021. He sits on and currently chairs the Finance Committee and is delighted to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, a longstanding former Clerk to the Trustees.
OCC Trustee
Dr David Love worked as a GP at the Whitewater Surgery in Hook from 1982 until his retirement in September 2013. He has for some years been involved with the Whitewater Surgery’s charitable fund which provided equipment for use by the surgery for its patients. He has lived and worked in Hook for 35 years. David was appointed as Trustee to the Charity in 2016.
OCC Trustee
Helen has lived in Odiham since 1990 and brought up her three children here with her husband Roger. She is a pharmacist and spent most of her working life in the Pharmaceutical Industry doing Clinical Research. She loves animals and helps with Riding for the Disabled and Hearing Dogs for the Deaf. Other interests include walking and travel, particularly with the family. Helen was appointed as a Trustee of the Charity in 2021.
OCC Trustee
James has lived in Odiham for over 30 years. He ran a retail business in the village for 11 years. He Served on Odiham Parish Council for 9 years and as a Governor at Long Sutton Primary School for 4 years. James was appointed as a Trustee to the Charity in 2022
OCC Trustee
Originally from Oxfordshire, Laura moved to the area in 2015. Having worked in various advisory and leadership roles in the mortgage industry since 2011, Laura currently leads the Business Transformation department at a local mortgage lender. She is also Chairperson of the company’s Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Committee, dedicated to supporting local communities, reducing the company’s environmental impact and complying with best practice governance. She now lives in Hook with her partner and spends her spare time exploring the local countryside with her border collie.
OCC Trustee
Lynda Lancaster was born in North Warnborough, where she still lives with her husband ; she attended Buryfields and Robert Mays Schools. She has two sons who both still live in Odiham / North Warnborough. Lynda has worked in Odiham, first as a hairdresser and then spent many years working as a Teaching Assistant and Lunchtime Assistant at Buryfields School. She currently works at Avenue Nurseries restaurant. She was appointed as a Trustee in 2019.
OCC Trustee
Neil Osman has lived in the Parish of Odiham for the last 40 years , prior to which he lived in the surrounding villages for 20 years. He has spent his entire working life at the family business in Odiham. He previously served on Odiham Parish Council for eight years. Neil was appointed as Trustee to the Charity in 1994.
OCC Trustee
Pam Verdon has lived in Odiham since 1984. For 7 years she lived on the RAF station as her husband served 38 years in the Royal Air Force. They both loved the village and bought their own house in 1990 and have lived here ever since apart from a 3 year tour of duty in Moscow. They have two grown up sons and one grandchild. Pam volunteered to help produce the Neighbourhood Plan which became planning policy in 2017. In 2019 together with 8 other residents she stood for election as a Parish Councillor. Pam has been a Parish Councillor since then and am now Vice Chair of the Council and Chair of the Planning & Development Committee. Pam is also a volunteer for a charity called HomeStart which helps families with children under 5 in the Basingstoke area and have worked with many families over the last 12 years.
OCC Trustee
Sally was born and brought up in Odiham, and prior to becoming a Trustee was the Area Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator. Sally has also worked in both Buryfields and Mayhill Schools, and been a Governor at Buryfields and Robert Mays School. Sally joined OCC as a Trustee in 2022, following on from her late father, Ted Pither, who was a Trustee for many years. Within the Trustees Sally is part of the Residents Committee and the Relief in Need Committee as well as attending full Trustee meetings. Sally likes meeting and chatting with our residents at the Almshouses and meeting with residents at our Buftons Field affordable housing site. Sally is really excited to be part of the amazing things OCC achieves for both the older and younger members of our community.
OCC Trustee
Rob Tizard is a former RAF pilot with a long association with the Parish. He and his wife Alison bought their family home here over 30 years ago and their children attended Buryfields School. Rob has served various tours at Odiham since 1979. He has also commanded the UK Defence Helicopter Flying School and completed diplomatic appointments in Brussels at NATO and the EU. After leaving the RAF in 2012, Rob has indulged his love of flying as a Chinook simulator instructor and as a volunteer at the Aerobility charity in Blackbushe. He is also the local RBL Poppy Appeal Organiser and leads the U3A social cycling group.
OCC & OEC Trustee
Samantha has lived in Hook for the last 19 years, having previously lived in the Hook and Odiham area until the age of 8, and returning regularly to visit family. She attended University and qualified as an English teacher in 1999. She has taught in North East Hampshire for her entire career, at both 11-16 and 16-18 providers. Volunteering has always been a part of Samantha's life. She currently works full time, and runs a family.
OEC Trustee
Nick Crowson and his family have lived in Odiham for 13 years. He is a member of the Church Choir and was a Governor at Robert Mays and Scout Leader for 9 years. He has run his own Reward consultancy for the past 12 years. Nick joined Odiham Education Charity as a Trustee in February 2019.
OEC Trustee
OEC Trustee
Charley Webster-Hayward
Clerk to the Trustees
Sue Laing is Clerk to the Trustees of OCC and OEC. She has lived in Odiham, with her family, for 34 years. She has worked in Human Resources from 1979 until her retirement in 2014, working for a Hampshire based accountancy practice, Brooking Knowles and Lawrence, and latterly a national accountancy firm, Tenon, from 2000. She has been involved in voluntary work for Headway in Basingstoke and a youth counselling service, also based in Basingstoke. She became Clerk to the Trustees of OCC and OEC in 1999.
Assistant Clerk to the Trustees
Bridget has worked for OCC for many years, assisting the Clerk and Trustees with all admin matters. Before this she worked for Hampshire based accountancy practice Brooking Knowles & Lawrence Chartered Accountants, later known as Tenon, for 26 years as Partners’ / Directors’ Secretary as well as heading up the admin team. Her interests are walking, gardening, crafts and cooking.
Financial Director
Kevin Lee is Financial Director for OCC and OEC. He trained as a chartered accountant with Brooking Knowles and Lawrence, a Hampshire based accountancy practice, from 1978, becoming a partner in 1987. He was a Director of Tenon, a national accountancy firm, for 12 years until leaving and joining LFM, an Alton based accountancy practice, as partner in 2013. He lived in Hook and then Odiham for 15 years and now resides in Farnham. He has been Financial Director for OCC and OEC since 1999. He has also spent a period as PCC Secretary to St Marys Eversley and three years as PCC Treasurer to All Saints in Odiham. He was also a business adviser and mentor for three years to the Robert May’s school team in the Young Enterprise competition.
Almshouse Community Manager
Katherine Kebell has lived in Odiham for 6 years and from 2019 to 2023 was Assistant Warden at the almshouse site. In recent years she has also worked as an Estate Manager for a residential development locally and worked in respite care for live-in carers. Her hobbies are travel, cooking and gardening.
Deputy Almshouse Community Manager
Katherine Hill has lived in Odiham all her life and before working for the charity, was a Senior Teaching Assistant for 14 years at Leapfrogs Community Pre-School in the village. Katherine has a daughter and her hobbies are reading and taking her blue Jack Russell on long country walks.
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