Board of Trustees

John Broadhurst - Hinksey co-founder, Chair of Hinksey's Board of Trustees until July 2025. 

"I was introduced to “Rowing” late in my days at St Edward’s School. I clearly remember my Deputy Housemaster saying that I was the right “geometry” for an oarsman and, as it turned out, I found that I could  also “lift heavy things”. A “Sliding Doors” moment indeed!! I joined Wallingford Rowing Club and between 1962 and 1965 had a fantastic time.  Subsequently I became an Umpire for a year or two, when marriage to Peta and children in the form of Helen, Wendy and Jessica interrupted progress somewhat. Our youngest, Jessica, became the 1st captain of Boats at HSOBC in her Lower V1th Year, when Hilary Davis, Tom Collins and I began coaching an embryonic squad there, which included Tom's daughter Kate, in 1990. While we were developing HSOBC’s activities many passersby said “can I have a go?”  Having to say “no” so often, by 1998, Tom and I figured there might be a need in the community at large.  The rest, so to speak, is History."

When Tom Collins and I began what we thought would be a small community group in 1998 we had no more thoughts other than keeping to the recommendations by the then Amateur Rowing Association – now British Rowing.  Things developed rather quickly with Nigel Bridle helping us with the accounts and latterly Judith Blake after Nigel. By 2004 it was clear that what we were doing in the “Community” warranted Charitable status as, apart from anything else, that would enable a far wider stratum of support to be approached for finance.  I asked Andrew Ashton my solicitor and co member of Wallingford RC to investigate for me and to my surprise, and I think his also, we received charitable status in double quick time.  Andrew, as he says, has been secretary ever since!  Tom Collins, Chris Adams and I “ran the ship” until 2012 when Chris had to leave us.  

John's legacy is now being taken forward by the Current Board of Trustees who are:

Andrew Ashton - Secretary

Andrew is Company Secretary and has held that role since the beginning. He is a solicitor who qualified in 1974, and has worked in Oxford ever since. He has been a  member of Wallingford Rowing Club since 1968, but has accepted the limitations imposed by the aging process. He was married to Pat, a retired G.P., who died in March 2025, and has a son who is the press and communications officer for RAMS RFC, and a daughter, now resident in Sydney, who works for LEGACY, an Australian veterans charity, specialising in Computer Security. His leisure activities include attempting to tame the garden and watching sport, especially cricket.

Peter Shepherd

James Wynn

Rafe Stanford Meisl 

JoJo Blyth

Advisor to the Board: Tristam Carrington Windo