Board Of Trustees
HEROS Charity is indebted to its hard-working Board of Trustees
Anne Richardson – Chairman
Anne is a clinical psychologist by background but now works in policy consultancy after many years at the Department of Health. She has a longstanding interest in horses and more recently in racing.
With her husband, Nick Attenborough, her involvement in HEROS Charity began when THURLESTONE ROCK, their ex-sprint handicapper, was happily rehomed after being rehabilitated and retrained by HEROS. As one of the HEROS Trustees Anne can represent a user’s view of the service the charity provides, as well as offer a range of professional knowledge and experience. She has been a trustee of HEROS since the start and a great supporter of the charity, putting in a lot of voluntary extra hours to help keep the charity afloat.
Hannah Dorling
Hannah studied Equine Science and Business Management at the Berkshire College of Agriculture and joined as a trustee in 2023 to support HEROS in its next expansive chapter. Hannah has always kept a close link to Horses having previously worked for a local Equine Vet.
She has been self-employed for over a decade and is currently the Senior Agent at NFU Mutual in Wantage. She describes her current riding style as “dusty and incompetent” but will always take the chance to spend time with horses and get a good muzzle sniff in when she can. Hannah lives locally in Wantage and is excited to be part of the team who are shaping the future of HEROS.
Victoria Hopgood
Victoria qualified as a solicitor in 1988. She originally worked in Newbury before moving to Hungerford in 1996 to set up the firm Dickins Hopgood Chidley with her partners. Victoria has specialised in Commercial Property. She also has considerable experience of all aspects of Residential Property.
Lauren Minchin
Lauren has been involved with horses and racing her entire life, being brought up in Lambourn and competing at a national level in eventing. She has also spent time riding at HEROS and North Farm.
Lauren now works as a software engineer having previously spent 6 years at the BHA, specialising in racing regulation and disciplinary procedures. Before that, she worked as a researcher for a racing consultancy investigating breeding and training patterns.
Richard Phillips
Richard has been a dual purpose trainer for 25 years having trained both in Lambourn and Gloucestershire. In 2011 he was a recipient of a Pride of Racing Award for all the terrific work he does for charities of all types.
He has trained horses to the highest level , both over jumps and on the flat and has been a great supporter of HEROS since it began and has always helped in any way he can.
He looks forward to his time now as a Trustee helping the Charity to evolve.
Mary Robinson – Company Secretary
Mary has been involved in the racing industry most of her working life. She has worked at the grass roots level from riding out when younger and being travelling head girl, to riding in point to point races and training for a short time under permit. She changed direction, becoming a racing secretary, and then started a business advising trainers and jockeys on their accounting practices. Currently she still runs this business but it has expanded to include a variety of clients from outside the racing industry too. Joining the HEROS team from inception, she has known Grace for at least 25 years.
Jill Sutton
Jill joined HEROS Charity as a trustee in 2006 after a spending most of her working life in the motorsport world, first as Champion Lady GB rally driver and then as Company Secretary for her husband’s motorsport business in London.
Jill has had a passion for horses since childhood so HEROS was a perfect fit and she is one of our biggest supporters. In 1984, Jill and her husband moved to Warwickshire and brought a 66 acre farm where they bred a number of horses for eventing. Her oldest and dearest SPARKY retired and was PTS at North Farm Stud at a ripe old age.
Jill also set up a German Shepherd rescue centre and had great pleasure in finding good homes for many dogs. Jill helps enormously with find raising events as she has a great deal of knowledge in this field as runs her own fund raising events for the local school.