Our Committee Members
Bill Speed
Chairperson
Bill moved to Ash in 2015 after many years living and working in Northern Italy, near Milan, where he spent almost 30 years with Pfizer in research and development. Retired since 2011, he keeps busy with amateur dramatics, golf, pickleball, tennis and quizzing (as part of the Drama Queens team).
With three children and nine grandchildren, Bill believes village assets should remain in community hands and, while not a regular at the Chequer Inn, has been a strong supporter of the campaign to save it.
Hazel has lived in Ash with her husband Tony for more than 35 years and has seen the Chequer Inn take on many different guises over that time. Retired from the University of Kent, she enjoys Pilates, weight training and is an active member of the New Ash Players (oh yes she is!).
Hazel also helped run Meet Up Mondays and the NHS Health Walk and Talk, and brings plenty of energy, community spirit and organisational know-how to the committee.
Hazel Lander
Deputy Chair
Peter Goldsack
Committee Member
Peter and his wife moved to Ash in late 2019 shortly after his retirement from a major High Street bank. One of the attractions of the village was having a pub at its heart, and he was impressed by the community’s success in saving the Chequer Inn.
In 2023, Peter took on the role of Treasurer, keen to support the pub in a practical way and to become more involved in village life. He values the Chequer as a vital part of the community.
David grew up in Sandwich and returned there in 1980 to work as a GP, later moving to Ash in 1985. Now retired from medical practice, he has been involved with the campaign to save the Chequer Inn from the very beginning.
As one of the Society’s longest-serving committee members, David brings a steady commitment to the pub’s future and a strong belief in the importance of village amenities that bring people together.
David Greaves
Committee Member
Jane Greaves
Committee Member
Jane has lived in Ash for over 40 years and, although Australian by birth, feels strongly about protecting the village’s heritage. Concerned that the Chequer Inn might be lost to development, she signed up early to help secure its future.
With a career spanning community health, further and higher education, and public health nursing at Canterbury Christ Church University, Jane brings valuable experience – particularly in securing research funding. Not a regular pub-goer, she nonetheless believes a village pub with its lights on is vital to community life and has served as Company Secretary since the Society became a CBS.
Julie moved to Ash in 2007 and quickly appreciated the joy of having a village pub within walking distance. A strong believer in pubs as community assets, Julie supported early efforts to prevent the Chequer Inn from being turned into housing.
In 2023, she joined the committee to help safeguard the pub’s future and ensure it continues to play an active and positive role at the heart of village life.
Julie Quarterman
Committee Member
John Scatchard
Committee Member
Jon has been involved since the very beginning and was Chair of the Society at the time of the Chequer Inn’s original reopening. Having lived in Ash since 1994, and a keen real-ale drinker still mourning the loss of the Way Out (Rose) Inn at Westmarsh, Jon was determined not to lose another local pub.
Currently working part-time for the NHS, Jon combines practical skills with administrative experience, played a key role in refurbishing the pub, and continues to help keep both the building and garden in good shape.
Sandra has been involved since the start of the Save the Chequer campaign, motivated by a desire to prevent the village’s historic pub from being lost to housing – especially after the closure of the Way Out Inn. Having lived in Ash since 1994, she cares deeply about keeping the pub at the heart of village life.
Recently retired from teaching and managing a science department at a local sixth form, Sandra now enjoys a slightly slower pace of life filled with wood-turning and gardening. Practical by nature, Sandra played an active role in the refurbishment and continues to help maintain the garden and support the Society administratively.
Sandra Scatchard
Committee Member
Carol Wilkinson
Committee Member
Carol has worked in a variety of roles including Secretary, PA, Marketing Assistant and Office Manager for an advertising agency in Canterbury. After retraining as a graphic designer, she set up her own business and brings a methodical, organised approach and a keen eye for detail to the committee.
A former Ash resident of 23 years, now living in Woodnesborough, Carol is passionate about keeping the Chequer Inn open and thriving, and has contributed through gardening, redesigning the CIAS logo and improving communications.