Jason Eichner
Hammerwood Ward
Current parish councillor Jason Eichner was born in Sussex and has lived in Forest Row for six years. He works as an author and teaches many home-educated children in the village. Jason is passionate about equality, creativity, education, and fostering an informed, safe, and healthy relationship with technology. He makes a mean crème brulée!
For Jason, Forest Row’s biggest draws are the place and its people, both of which he feels are stunning, wild and unusual! He loves the peace and beauty of our natural surroundings, and the diversity of lived experiences and values within the community of Forest Row.
Co-opted as a Parish Councillor last year, Jason is running for election this May so that he can keep working and advocating for Forest Row. His interests include youth and environmental policy and tech access and education, and he has a strong desire to give back to the community.
Alex Waters
Hammerwood Ward
Alex Waters (younger) is 26 years old. He grew up in Forest Row and returned to the village last year after studying politics at the University of Exeter, and campaigning about various social and environmental issues throughout the UK. He cares deeply about the Forest Row community and has returned to focus on local issues. He is involved in several local initiatives based on building community resilience.
During his studies Alex became increasingly disillusioned with politics as usual. He believes that real change can only come from the ground up, and that real democracy is expressed through the conversations we have with our neighbours. He wants the council to work together with the community to come up with creative solutions to the challenges we all face. Alex sees Forest Row as a diverse and creative community and believes that our parish council can reflect that. That is why Alex is standing to be your parish councillor.
Angela Evans
Forest Row Ward
Angela Evans sees becoming a parish councillor as an opportunity to forge connections between the many different interests and groups of people in the village. She has lived and worked in the area for nearly 30 years and loves Forest Row’s warm and lively community. Angela is a keen walker, has a passion for protecting the environment, and enjoys the natural beauty that surrounds this area.
Angela believes the council’s first priority is to listen and respond to local people’s needs and ideas, whether by delivering effective solutions when an issue lies within the council’s remit, or by signposting residents to the right place when it does not. She decided to stand with the intention of making Forest Row an even better place to live, for everyone. Angela is a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and has worked with young people all her adult life. This is reflected in her commitment to improving facilities and opportunities for the younger members of the community
Ben Christie
Forest Row Ward
Ben Christie is a community organizer, producer and connector, in many different sectors and territories. He was born in Hong Kong but has never been back! He has lived in Forest Row for several years with his wife Kate and their son Lucas. He loves the depth and variety of the Forest Row community. Ben appreciates Forest Row’s diversity, which makes it a consistently interesting and inspiring place to live.
Ben is standing to be a parish councillor because he believes that Forest Row Forward will facilitate extraordinary things in Forest Row, after studiously engaging and empowering the community on an ongoing basis. Ben has lots of enthusiasm for, and experience in, convening and facilitating groups. He gets initiatives going that grow and bring about good things for people and the environment.
Ben wants you to vote, get involved and participate, which he sees as key to enabling the things we’d all like to see happen in the world.
Zuzu La Djoi
Forest Row Ward
Zuzu la Djoi is originally from Scandinavia. Zuzu moved to Forest Row four years ago with her family and has lived in the UK for 33 years. She loves Forest Row’s beautiful valley landscape and the creative, welcoming and active community here. Her small family is thriving in this environment. Zuzu feels very loyal toward Forest Row and is grateful for the many friends she has found here.
As a former carer and home educator, Zuzu wants to help ensure there is good community support for those groups. She wants to raise the voices of those who feel unheard and inspire those who feel powerless.
Zuzu is standing for parish councillor because she is now able to devote time and energy to giving back to the community. She will do this by building on the council’s work toward the goal of full community participation. As a Forest Row Forward councillor, Zuzu would listen to the concerns and ideas of the entire village before acting with her fellow councillors on the issues that matter most to the people.
Alex Volkers
Forest Row Ward
Alex Volkers partly grew up in Forest Row after her father moved here when she was young. She returned to this area to raise a family around four years ago after living in France for several years. Alex now lives near Coleman’s Hatch with her husband and children. She loved working at Yard Yoga for a time after returning to the area and enjoys seeing friendly faces every time she is in the village. Alex previously ran her own sustainable business and hopes to support local business owners to do the same.
Alex’s interests include law, business and human rights, and growing vegetables! She is committed to environmental protection, and once spent a month hiking at night in the Scottish Highlands for a conservation project. Currently on maternity leave after the recent birth of her second child, Alex chose to stand because she was emboldened by the potential of Forest Row Forward. Alex feels there is a desperate need to make local government more effective, responsive and sustainable, for present and future generations. She is committed to making your parish council more representative.
Edouard Hugo
Forest Row Ward
Edouard Hugo is a father and a Doctor of Astrophysics. After one year of post doctorate lecturing, he quit academic life to work in strawbale construction - backpacking from site to site to follow artisans on a voluntary basis for two years. He has never regretted the move, and now works as a traditional timber framer and strawbale builder. Edouard was born in France. He moved to the UK 10 years ago and has lived in Forest Row for three years.
Edouard has studied topics like climate change, the economy, monetary systems, the energy cliff, complex systems, and movements like Degrowth, Collapsology and Deep Adaptation. His greatest wish is for the human species to stop destroying the planet and to live more harmoniously with the web of life.
Locally, Edouard is interested in building up resilience and exploring innovative ways of connecting people and organising groups, such as Sociocracy, neighbourhood democracy and panels. He is keen to apply his skills and knowledge to the role of parish councillor. He expects to work hard in the position and have lots of fun too.
Andi Jaffay
Forest Row Ward
Andi Jaffay has been a member of the Forest Row community for eight years, where she lives with her husband, three children, two stepchildren and dog. Alongside family life she works in community outreach at Pericles and is a founding member of We Grow, a community interest company that helps groups to set up food growing cooperatives in Forest Row and the surrounding area. She is a life-long dancer and has performed in many carnivals, dressed in all sorts of wild costumes!
Before motherhood Andi worked in community development, helping groups of people to start projects and to campaign for their rights. The work stayed with her - Andi has always felt strongly that the voices of local people should be heard, and that is why she is standing to be a parish councillor. She knows that everyone in Forest Row Forward will listen to local voices and try to find creative solutions to meet people’s needs. Andi feels that if elected the group will create the right structure for reaching out to the community, hearing what people want changed and actioning those changes where possible.
Adam Scott
Forest Row Ward
Adam Scott moved to Forest Row with his family seven years ago, and it was the best decision they ever made! He loves that the village noticeboards overflow with such a wide range of activities and believes this says a lot about the strength and depth of the community here.
Adam is currently helping his children restore an old car. If he had to choose a favourite word, it would be ‘optimistic’.
Many moons ago, Adam restored medieval buildings in his prior career as a stonemason. Now, Adam works as an architect and urban designer. But for his entire working life Adam has helped to grow participative places, and to engage and facilitate people’s contributions to how spaces are developed. If elected, he will bring these skills to Forest Row Parish Council, to help councillors work together, and to find great ways for the community to contribute ideas.
Tom Harvey
Forest Row Ward
Tom Harvey is Forest Row born and bred. Tom loves the great energy of Forest Row’s diverse community and the beauty of the surrounding countryside. He enjoys running over the Ashdown Forest, dreaming up new projects, and is a self-confessed running shoe addict!
After some time living away Tom came back to the village to raise his young family. He brings a strong background in project management, and experience in engineering and the building industry to Forest Row Forward. Tom’s organisational and practical skills will be of value to the council. He is standing for election because he wants to see Forest Row thrive, for his family and for everyone in the village.
Kate Taylor-smith
Forest Row Ward
Kate Taylor-Smith has lived in this area for 23 years. She raised her daughters here and knows Forest Row to be a welcoming place full of incredible people with lots of talent, expertise and passion.
Kate loves to facilitate networking. She is a co-founder of Forest Row Energy Co-op, of FRow Resource (Second Life shop), and of FRocal - a community benefit society that works to support localisation, which has helped many local initiatives to get started.
Kate has previously served as a parish councillor, and sees Forest Row Forward as having the potential to support the community to become an engine of inclusive positive change. She sees a future where local people’s voices are not just heard but are an integral part of the processes that enable village to thrive.
Gybe Gilbert
Forest Row Ward
Gybe (pronounced ‘Jibe’) Gilbert has lived in the village for over 20 years. He enjoys Forest Row’s energy, diversity and optimism. In addition to working as a beekeeper and gardener, Gybe is also an entrepreneur, with experience of helping people turn ideas into action. He facilitates a local arts group, which gives him access to a network that can support art and creativity in the village.
Above all Gybe is driven by a strong desire to increase collectivity, respect and listening in local government. He is standing to be a parish councillor with the aim of empowering the local community.
Portia Cocks
Forest Row Ward
Portia Cocks grew up in Forest Row where she attended Michael Hall school. She worked at The Seasons Wholefoods and went on to manage their Lewes shop after spending some time running music events in London.
Having lived and worked in other places, Portia found herself drawn back to Forest Row and its community, which to her feels like extended family. She is especially grateful for the nearby farm produce and beautiful nature. She was involved in community initiative Forest Row Energy and is standing for election to listen to the people of Forest Row and to bring about grassroots positive change for the benefit of everyone in the village. Portia wants to showcase what an exceptional place this is!
Tony Lewin
Forest Row Ward
Current parish councillor Tony Lewin has lived in Forest Row on and off since the age of eight. He is a writer, journalist and translator by profession and brings much experience to the group.
Tony has been a member of Forest Row Parish Council for 12 years. Over the course of his time as a councillor Tony has campaigned for socially positive initiatives such as the Repair Cafe, the Community Fridge and Foodbank and the Car Club, as well as supporting bike hire in the village. After the bid to buy the tip was rejected, he encouraged the council to back the Second Life shop.
Tony is standing for re-election so that he can continue to contribute to making our lovely community cleaner, greener, fairer and more inclusive.
Alex Waters
Charlwood Ward
Alex Waters (elder), a current parish councillor, has deep ties to Forest Row village - his grandfather started Mid-Sussex Timber. Alex joined the family business ten years ago after returning to the UK from Qatar where he worked in aviation. He and his wife Evelyn have three young children and a growing collection of animals. As a keen sportsman Alex has links to many local clubs.
He has gained invaluable experience as a parish councillor since becoming a co-opted member two years ago. He has followed in the footsteps of his grandmother, who was also a councillor and who sparked his initial interest in local government. Alex combines a strong sense of tradition with an understanding that change is inevitable and should be embraced. He values flexibility and the search for constant improvement, essential in developing the services needed by our community. Alex sees both individuals and businesses as crucial parts of what makes this area so special and is committed to giving them both the support they need to flourish.
