Board of Trustees
The Friends of St Giles Hill is being registered as a Charitable Incorporated Corporation registered with the Charity Commission. The Trustees are responsible for the affairs of the organisation and will publish an Annual Report. The first of these is due in April 2024.
Harry Mycock
Chair
Following a business career mainly with IBM Harry switched career becoming a Chartered Horticulturist and Senior Practitioner in Horticulture at Sparsholt College, there from 2007 to 2016.
Harry has over 25 years of being a charity Trustee with the Youth Hostel Association, The Ramblers and St Swithun’s School, serving on the latter two as Vice-Chair.
In the 1990s Harry was Chair of St Giles Hill Residents’ Association, a period of lottery bids and Winchester City Council making considerable improvements to the Park.
An outdoor enthusiast he leads garden and walking tours around the UK. A member of charities such as the Butterfly Association, the Woodland Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society he is also a member of local charities, the Hampshire Gardens Trust, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and the Hampshire Bat Group.
Dominic Hiscock
Trustee
Dominic has an MSc in Disability Studies from Winchester University and an MBA from Southampton University. He was a member of Winchester City Council from 1999 till 2021 and served in a number of roles including serving as a cabinet portfolio holder for some 5 years. He was the Mayor of Winchester in 2009/2010. In 2017 he was elected to Hampshire County Council. He has also served as a local school governor.
Mike Biden
Secretary
Mike had a corporate career including 20 years with Mars Inc, Sales & Marketing Director at BT and CEO of a Cambridge telecoms company. He has lived on St Giles Hill for more than 30 years. He used to play with his children in the park and has been an active member of the community including being a founder and first Chairman of the Roads Company.
Rebecca Smith
Trustee
Rebecca is an experienced communications and community engagement professional of some 20 years, working across both the financial services and housebuilding sectors for companies including Legal & General. She is currently working on a large development project in Basingstoke which includes delivery of a new 250-acre countryside park with ambitious BNG and community benefit targets and working in partnership with the local Borough and County Councils.
Rebecca has previously served on the Committee of SGH Residents Association and as Vice-Chair of St Paul’s Pre-school and is a member of The Woodland Trust. She has lived on St Giles Hill for the last 10 years enjoying the park on a daily basis with her two young children and spaniel.
Mike Thorpe
Treasurer
Mike worked for more than 35 years for Investment banks and providers of trading technology. He and his wife moved to Winchester 5 years ago and live within the conservation area. He is also a trustee of the Friends of St Giles Hill Graveyard and an active committee member of SGH Residents Association. He is also a volunteer befriender for St Johns of Winchester and a trained mediator offering community based mediation for both Winchester Mediation service and NFS Mediation who are based in Southampton.