Meet the Sandhurst Parish Councillors.
Cllr Mark Griggs : Chairman
I moved to Sandhurst in 1997 with my wife Julie and two very young children. I was co-opted to the parish council in October 2019. My career in aviation started in 1985 working both at Gatwick and now at Heathrow. My interests include sports in general and gardening. I’m also particularly interested in the wine industry, especially those estates close by. I am very keen in making a contribution to village life, to bring residents together and to continue to work to make Sandhurst such a great place to live.
Cllr Christopher Robinson - Vice Chairman
I joined the parish council in 2013. I applied to become a parish councillor because I was about to retire and I thought I would like to do something for the community into which I had moved in 2009. As a councillor I have had particular responsibility for oversight of the council's financial integrity, co-ordinating the local Community Speedwatch group and also for playgrounds. I hope to make a positive contribution to the council through my financial and managerial experience whilst pursuing our campaign for improved road safety in the village and attempting to ensure that the interests of villagers are adequately represented at borough and county levels. I was born in the city of Durham and have lived in Kent since 1986. My three children and six grandchildren live in Sevenoaks and Paignton. My interests include sailing, birdwatching, skiing, fell walking and gardening. In 2005 I left a full-time career in corporate finance, mainly in the software sector, following which I spent eight years as a freelance adviser helping different client companies overcome serious liquidity problems.
Cllr Adam Kerry
Lives in Sandhurst.
Cllr Katherine O'Neil M.B.E
I have lived in Sandhurst for over 5 years having moved with my husband from a village in North Yorkshire where for a number of years I was a member of the Parish Council initially as the clerk and later as a councillor. I have a degree in French and German and taught those subjects for a number of years to children and adults before turning to primary education where taught all levels of junior school. I have two children a son and daughter and four grandchildren. For most of my life I have been involved up to County level in the Girl Guide Association working with age groups from Brownies to adults. I still help with Brownies in Hurst Green and am a regular member of the congregation at St Nicholas’ Church in Sandhurst. Along with my husband we have a number of responsibilities related to the Village Magazine. As most people will know from my involvement in the village Platinum Jubilee and Coronation celebrations as well as my chairmanship of the Neighbourhood plan Steering Group, I do like to help out where I can.
Cllr David Rogers
I joined the parish council in May 2020 because I have an interest in local governance and want to be able to contribute to the area where I live. This is the second time I have served on the parish council. I was a Parent Governor and Community Governor for Sandhurst Primary School for 14 years.
I work as a Chartered Building Surveyor and was involved in the extension to the Sports Pavilion and setting up the allotments.
I am interested in serving the whole community and believe it is important that any decision made is done so fairly and is open to scrutiny by the residents I represent.
Cllr Julie Griggs
I have lived in Sandhurst since 1996 and have always been passionate about our community and was co-opted to the parish council in May 2024. I’m married to Mark, and we have two grown-up children, who have now flown the nest. I started my career as Cabin Crew in 1987 and still currently enjoy flying part-time. I am Vice Chair of the Governors at Sandhurst Primary School and have been a Governor for many years. During the pandemic, I was part of the Sandhurst Helping Hands group, to support the more vulnerable members of our community. More recently, I set up and Chair the Sandhurst Celebrates committee, a group of volunteers who organise events for our residents, which so far have included the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the King’s Coronation, serving mulled wine at Carols on the Green, and the D-Day Landings commemoration. I look forward to representing everyone in the village and will always be fair and approachable in doing so.
Cllr Denis O'Neil
My wife and I moved to Sandhurst in December 2017. We knew no one in the village but were quickly accepted and made to feel welcome. We have a daughter and two grandsons living in the area and a son and two granddaughters living in Boston USA. We are very happy living in Sandhurst and would like to be able to contribute to village life. I have a qualification as an industrial chemist and when my career took a turn, I taught myself accountancy and qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant. My last post on Tyneside was as Director of Finance at an agricultural college. I was co-opted to the Parish Council in May 2024. I aim to find out where I can contribute to keep the village as the place we have come to love.
Cllr Caroline Wood
Clerk, Proper Officer and Responsible Finance Officer: Julie Horan
My husband Darren and I moved to Sandhurst in December 2019, with our three adult children and three dogs. We quickly settled into village life and were made very welcome by our neighbours and the villagers we met. After growing up in London, having green open space on our doorstep was, and still is a joy. During the pandemic like everyone, I took myself off on many walks and met lots of people, one of whom told me in no uncertain terms ‘that you never meet anyone sitting on your sofa’. Taking that comment to heart, I set about finding out where my place was in village life. I had worked in various administration and banking roles and particularly enjoyed the roles that involved dealing with the public. When we moved from London, I left my job and was missing the challenge of work which led me to the Parish Council. The rest as they say is history. I took over from the previous clerk in September 2022 after working alongside her for a little while learning the intricacies of the job and I will work hard to help keep the village a place that we are all proud to call home.