Our board members

Grant Appleton

Chair - HNCLT

I began my involvement with HNCLT as the Community Share Offer Coordinator, and once that role ended I joined the Board to continue my support of this worthwhile project. I hope the Homes for Hooky project becomes an example to other communities as to how they might address their local housing needs.

Cathy Ryan

I am thrilled to be part of this community–led project in Hook Norton of I2 affordable homes that will have a positive impact on the environment and look good too. I think that everyone has the right to a well-designed home that they can afford to live in and be proud of and I definitely believe that good housing can transform the lives of its residents and lead to increased community spirit.

I am the Community Engagement Manager at the Low Carbon Hub and work with over 30 of their Low Carbon community groups across Oxfordshire. Prior to that I was a theatre designer, working on diverse projects from community operas with inner city primary school children to designing forum theatre productions with groups of people experiencing homelessness in London.

Fiona Brown

I first became involved in the Hook Norton CLT project whilst I was at Cherwell District Council and instigated the work to transfer the land across to the community. I was very excited to see the first community- led project in the District become a reality.

I have more than 35 years experience in the development and management of affordable housing working within Housing Associations and Local Authorities.

I now work as the Communities Lead at Collaborative Housing providing front line support to community- led housing groups across the Thames Valley. I am also an accredited CLH Advisor through the Institute of Housing and live in nearby Chipping Norton.

I believe that the housing and community facilities being planned will provide a real asset to the whole community of Hook Norton as well as to the people who will eventually be able to move into beautiful, sustainable and affordable homes.

Charlie Luxton

I've been passionately involved in the HNCLT project for over 3 years, taking part in the community engagement and consultation sessions which have defined the ambitions and values of the project and shaped the masterplan and appearance.

The result of all the consultation is a project with deep support in the community and one better for the input from the people who will live in and around the homes. I believe that true sustainability means creating buildings that are loved, and that only places that are valued in this way will last. I've worked with HNCLT on the design of the 12 Passivhaus community led-homes and communal facilities at Bourne Green, and look forward to helping the project through the construction phase and beyond.

Richard Brown

I have lived in Oxfordshire for most of my life, and my family and I moved to Hook Norton in 2021. I was married in Hook Norton and my youngest child attends the village nursery. We feel very fortunate to be able to live in a beautiful place with such a friendly community.

I have a background in the operational management of complex, public-facing buildings and I have worked for a variety of outsourcing companies. I currently manage the facility operations for a prominent University. I joined the HNCLT board in 2023 as I wanted to use my experiences to support local initiatives. I also view joining the board as a way to be more involved in the village and assist in the running of long-lasting community-led facilities.

Alice Lacey

I grew up in nearby Duns Tew and returned in 2022. My professional background is in communications for residential and corporate property companies, and since moving back to Oxfordshire I’ve become involved with several local Community Action Groups, helping to organise events and projects which promote more sustainable living….so HNCLT feels like an ideal project combining my professional and personal interests! I think it’s so important that villages retain or build affordable, good quality homes, so they can continue to thrive as rural communities.

Rachel Cronin

I moved to Hook Norton in 2017 and became involved in the Hook Norton CLT the following year through the numerous consultation meetings that took place in the village. A passionate advocate of the project from its early days, I believe that rural communities and working people should not be left out of the conversations around sustainable housing.

I was one of the first residents to move into one of the houses in July 2024 and I hope to play a role in developing a plan for the use of the shared community facilities. My background is in community education, I was the arts education manager at The Mill Arts Centre in Banbury for many years and I have run contemporary painting workshops in and around the UK for nearly two decades. I currently teach Hook Norton Art Group on a Tuesday morning as well as exhibiting my work at galleries around the UK.

Sakine Faulkner

Treasurer - HNCLT

Having obtained a maths degree as an adult in 1987 and chartered accountancy qualifications in 1991, I have run my own practice since I arrived in Hook Norton in 2002.

I believe strongly in looking after ourselves and the environment and avoiding being a burden on the system: practicing Pilates, having a garden and allotment, growing vegetables and fruit are my ways of achieving this.
I feel very lucky to be living in Hook Norton and am happy to help Hook Norton Community Land Trust.

Would you like to join the HNCLT Board?

Now that most of the technical and legal elements of the project have been completed, we are looking for new Board members to help with the next exciting chapter of this new vibrant asset to Hook Norton. It’s an ideal opportunity for anyone interested in living in one of the homes to have a say in what happens to the open spaces and communal building among other things. Various skills are needed, and if anyone is interested in taking up the challenge, please fill in the Online Application Form, or speak to one of the Board members.

Our administrator

Diana Barber

Administrator - HNCLT

I was asked to take on the general admin duties of HNCLT after working very happily in that role with Hook Norton Low Carbon since 2014. I have been delighted to have been involved with the Community Housing feasibility study as well as the development phase of the first HNCLT project and look forward to seeing this exciting ambitious scheme come to fruition.