Parish Council Contact Details


	Chairman Jim Donahue	email 07557 668 601 17 Hillside Hardwick Road RG8 7HL
Jim joined the Parish Council in 2011 after moving to Whitchurch from Pangbourne in 2008. He was elected chairman in May 2018. He runs a small Programme Management consultancy focussed on the telecoms industry and also works as a part time photographer. Jim can often be seen mountain biking through the Chiltern Hills with local cycling groups or on walks down Hardwick Road and through Hardwick estate with his son William.
	Vice-chairman Diana Smith	email
Diana moved to the area in 1985 and to Whitchurch in 2003 when her husband Peter retired. She has worked in local government administration and education and most recently was a volunteer and then an employee with Citizens Advice in Newbury, Thatcham and lastly in Henley. She has two daughters and four grandchildren who live locally. Her interests include singing with the Pangbourne Choral Society and helping with a variety of village activities. She was elected vice-chairman in 2020.
	Katherine Higley Internal Review Officer	email
Katherine has lived in Whitchurch for over 20 years and spent most of her childhood in the village. She joined the Parish Council in November 2018. Her ancestors were first recorded here in the 1600s, so the family have a long association with the village. Katherine studied Environmental Management, Planning and Law at university and is a qualified Coach. She is a Trustee of Whitchurch United Charities and is also part of the brass cleaning team at St. Mary's Church.
	Debbie Leach	email
Debbie moved to the village in 2020 and has enjoyed being part of this friendly and active community. From Lent lunches to the Coronation Tea on the Green, from gardening with the Green Team to the Lantern Parade, Debbie is enthusiastic about community events and bringing people together. Since moving so close to the Thames, Debbie dips in the river weekly, every month of the year! She is passionate about clean water and environmental issues. She joined the Parish Council in September 2023.
	Paul O'Grady	email
Paul joined the Parish Council in May 2021, having lived in the village since 2019 when he moved here from Goring with his young family. Prior to that, he and his wife were frequent weekend visitors to the area before deciding to call it home. Paul is a chartered surveyor with experience in managing large commercial property portfolios and improving urban environments. His local interests are in planning, pedestrian safety and conservation, in particular celebrating Whitchurch's past whilst finding sustainable ways to improve the village for the future.
	Romilly Swann	email
Romilly has lived and worked on Hardwick Estate and the Whitchurch stretch of river for over 25 years. Throughout this time she has worked in Outdoor Education as well as on the land. She's an expert in natural dyeing and keeps a flock of sheep at Hardwick and Chalk Hills, which has given her an understanding of the botany, archaeology and ecology of the Chilterns landscape. She has an enduring love of the area, its past, present and future. Romilly joined the Parish Council in March 2025.
	Bernarde Hyde	email
Bernarde has lived with her family at the Old Forge in Whitchurch for 24 years. She joined the Parish Council in March 2026, following her retirement as Chief Executive Officer at Southern Universities Management Services, where she led the Management Consultancy and Procurement divisions. Bernarde is committed to public service, having already enjoyed key roles chairing both Pangbourne Playgroup and Pangbourne Primary School Board of Governors. Alongside her role as Parish Councillor, Bernarde is Deputy Chair of the charity Affordable Accommodation for Students.
	Clerk to the Parish Council Brian Inglis	email 07737 982 907
	District Councillor Peter Dragonetti	email 0118 984 4711 Covert Cottage, Hill Bottom, RG8 7PT Green Party, South Oxfordshire District Council. Ward: Kidmore End and Whitchurch.
	County Councillor Maggie Filipova-Rivers	email Liberal Democrat Party, Oxfordshire County Council Division: Goring and Woodcote.
	Member of Parliamentt Freddie van Mierlo	email House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA Liberal Democrat Party. Constituency: Henley and Thame.