A seven-person Management Committee was voted into place by members of (the original) Freeland Community Benefit Society (FCBS) in May 2025. After the transfer of FCBS’s assets and operations to the new entity, Freeland Community Hub (FCH), in January 2026, the members of the Management Committee were elected directly over to the FCH Board.
The share issue the fundraising period to buy the Chapel means FCH has – as of the start of June 2026 – 164 shareholding members. An Annual General Meeting of the Society has been set for 8 July 2026, at which point the Board of FCH will resign en masse, and while some may stand again for office, this will open up an opportunity for other shareholders to stand for election to the Board.
Members of the Board of FCH are voluntary, receive no remuneration and have no personal financial interest in the project beyond the amount they may invest themselves. The current members of the FCH Board are (alphabetically):
Amy Jackson has lived in Freeland for over 20 years. She’s committed to improving the social vibrancy of the village through her time as parish councillor, campaigning for appropriate development in Freeland, and supporting the funding of local amenities. In her day job, Amy runs a communications consultancy specialising in rural issues and uses her social science PhD to conduct quantitative and qualitative research.
Andy Murray lives in Freeland with his wife Aliya and son Alistair who is currently busy doing A Levels. He has retired as a Project Engineer in the Oil and Gas industry starting out with eighteen years spent with Esso Petroleum Company followed by engineering company assignments in crude oil production and pipeline projects. He is also involved in the Allotment Association and Village Speedwatch.
Colin Smith (Vice Chair) has lived in Freeland for 50 years since coming to work in the IT department at the Regional Health Authority. He and his wife have two sons, both of whom were educated at Freeland Primary school and Bartholomew secondary school in Eynsham. In addition to his involvement with FCBS, he is chair of the Freeland Energy Group—part of the Eynsham CAPZero project aiming to make Freeland and other local villages carbon neutral by 2050.
Jane Duff (Vice Chair) has lived in Freeland for over eight years now and currently edit the Freeland Grapevine. She has run her own music teaching business for over 50 years and is passionate about preserving a high quality of life for all Freeland residents.
Mike Foster and his family have lived in Freeland since 1998. He was a school governor at Bartholomew School in Eynsham then Chair of the Eynsham Partnership Academy Trust. He worked as a mental health nurse in the NHS and was Deputy Director of Nursing at Oxford Health NHS Trust before retirement. Since then, he has been able to pursue his interest in smallholding, including keeping a small flock of rare breed Portland sheep.
Philip Huxley (Secretary) has lived in Freeland since 1992. Both his children were educated at Freeland Primary school and Bartholomew secondary school in Eynsham. Philip worked in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries for over 40 years, most recently as Vice President, Oncology for a company developing anti-cancer therapies. In addition to managing science, Philip’s professional life has included equity financing, company formation, asset sale, business development and project management.
Tom Harden (Chair) lives in Freeland with his wife Alice and two children, both born in the village with the oldest about to start at Bartholomew. He runs a small commercial strategy consultancy advising board directors and investors, and has worked with 80 clients over 12 years, including a number of hospitality businesses. He is also involved in Freeland’s micro bakery, serving the village fresh bread every Friday since 2020.Project overview: FCH aims to acquire, restore, and operate the historic Freeland Methodist Church (“The Chapel”) as a community hub. The first phase will feature a café, combined with a flexible community space. Depending on how the project evolves, FCH may develop additional community services (recognising the strong interest of a shop among community members) in a later phase of the project.