Councillors

Click here or see below to view notification of disclosable pecuniary interests forms for each Parish Councillor. 

Councillor biographies

Anne Dawes

Anne worked as a trained horticulturist and gardener for 29 years, having trained up to Diploma level. She came to the UK from France to learn English for a degree in commercial horticulture in the Netherlands but ended up remaining in the country after meeting her husband, Alex.

Following rib and wrist injuries, Anne had to rethink her career and initially worked as a charity outreach worker but now works as a domiciliary carer for the elderly as well as being a foster carer and volunteering in a prison. Anne is also your Borough Councillor for Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton and is committed to representing the views of the community. You can contact Anne via e-mail [email protected] or follow her updates on Facebook.

Jeremy Green

Jeremy and his wife Jayne are newcomers to the parish, moving here during the covid pandemic.  Keen walkers and gardeners they moved to the parish to enjoy the benefit of our open spaces and walks from the doorstep.  Drawn towards BMAT through his love of the outdoors, Jeremy was soon getting involved with parish activities and is currently Chairman of the Parish Council.

A Chartered Surveyor by profession, Jeremy works for a national construction consultancy, as head of Fire Safety Surveying.

Andy Humphryes

Andy and his wife Marilyn have lived in Boughton Monchelsea for 50 years.  They have 2 daughters who both attended the primary school and 4 grandchildren.  Andy owned and managed an engineering company specialising in design, construction and installation of offshore oil and gas production platforms.  His work took him to many countries, but spent the last 14 years of his career in Aberdeen and Oslo until he retired in 2015.  Marilyn and Andy are both very keen golfers who play most weeks (weather permitting).

Andy became a Councillor following his retirement and is Vice Chairman of the Parish Council and Chairman of the Village Hall and Recreation Ground and was a Governor of the Primary School for several years.  In 2021 he was actively involved in the design and planting of Salts Wood.

Andy is also Vice Chairman of the Planning Committee and Chairman of the Finance Committee.

Caroline Jessel

Dr Caroline Jessel has lived in Boughton Monchelsea parish since 1979. She was a GP in Sutton Valence for 30 years. She is married to Paul Lewis and all 5 of their children plus two grandchildren attended Boughton Monchelsea Primary School. Towards the end of her career she was the NHS England Lead for the South Regional Sustainability and Health Network. She has always had a strong interest in the relationship between the environment and health and is very interested in creatively addressing root causes of both physical and mental health difficulties while reconnecting with nature. She now spends much of her time helping nature recovery and addressing the challenges of climate change.

Caroline is patron and founder of Dandelion Time which has an innovative approach to helping children affected by trauma, abuse and neglect. This unique therapeutic model is a successful example of ecotherapy.

Richard Martin

Richard was born in Maidstone and moved to Boughton Monchelsea in the early 1980s when he married Jayne in the village church. They both attended schools in the village and Maidstone. Their son continues to live in Boughton Monchelsea and works locally, maintaining the family connections with the parish over many generations. This longstanding connection to Boughton Monchelsea is one of the reasons Richard joined the Parish Council. 

After university Richard worked for an international engineering company until his retirement. Since then he has undertaken volunteer work for a number of village charities including the Village Hall and Friends of St Peter's church. In addition to BMAT activities, he remains a member of a local sports club and the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society plus, when time permits, he enjoys walking and gardening. 

Timothy Oladimeji

Tim is a dedicated and experienced educator, currently serving as a strategic leader and teacher at CTK Sixth Forms College. With over 15 years in education, Tim has held key roles including Director of Staff Wellbeing and Staff Governor. Passionate about leadership, psychological safety and inclusion, Tim brings thoughtful insights and a commitment to fostering positive, supportive environments within the community.

David Redfearn

Dave and his wife Marian have lived in the village since 2016 and he has been a Parish Councillor for the past 8 years. Dave has recently retired from Westminster City Council. He is a keen motorcyclist and  walker, enjoying the benefit of the open spaces the parish has to offer. He is also a regular volunteer on the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway. Both their children live in the village and their 3 grandchildren attend Boughton Monchelsea primary school.

Dave is is passionate abut protecting the parish and keeping its unique character for future generations.

John Robertson

John Robertson and wife Geraldine moved into The Quarries in 2018 after relocating from Spain where they had lived for 17 years. They also spent 10 years living in the Middle East some years before. Their son, daughter in law and grandson also live in the village.

Before retirement, John was a commercial airline captain and airline senior manager with a British airline based at London Heathrow. 

Once settled back in the UK and enjoying living in Boughton Monchelsea, John felt that he would like to get involved on the Parish Council and started off as a member of the Community Speedwatch team.

Doug Smith

Doug and his family are 'comers' to the parish, having moved here in 2004. An Architect, he still acts as a consultant to the London based practice he was a partner at for over 30 years. Married to Wendy, they have three children and two grandchildren.

Both Doug and Wendy have a keen interest in nature, the environment and climate change and were fortunate enough to be able to design and construct their own 'Passivhaus' recently.

Doug is passionate about protecting Boughton Monchelsea, he chairs the parish's planning committee and BMAT, the charitable company which holds most of the land the parish has acquired over the last 30 years or so. Working alongside Caroline Jessel, Doug has been instrumental in setting up the Biodiversity Net Gain schemes at Lyewood and Walk Meadow.