Get to Know the People behind HRRA

Details of the committee members of HRRA are detailed below (click on links to send a direct email). All committee members are trustees of HRRA.

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Andrew (chair) lives with his partner in Battle; having moved to the area permanently during the pandemic lockdown of 2020. They are no strangers to the area or HRRA as we have been visiting from their home in West London most weekends to their static caravan/lodge just outside Westfield. He was instrumental in setting up and running the “Fine Dining” which has now resumed and tried his luck at learning Bridge with the group. Since arriving and setting down roots he have been involved in the re-create choir and drama group and become a local Parish councillor for Battle. He is keen to help and support HRRA to provide social opportunity for the members of our communities to come together in different ways.

Andrew is currently Mayor of Battle and has chosen HRRA as a charity to support in this role. The Battle Town Council Statement can be found here.

Chrissy (Deputy Chair) is a journalist, writing about international radio, podcasts and audio. She also had an academic career in Manchester in the fields of music and health. Before that, she worked at the BBC World Service. Chrissy has been an activist in many organisations nationally and locally, including CND, Stop the War, The People's Assembly Against Austerity, the Green Party, Counterfire and the SWP. Chrissy has represented the Rainbow Alliance around Hastings and Rother since 2018. She has also been on the steering committee for the Hastings Book Festival and on the Trans Pride Hastings board of directors.

Ben (Treasurer) has been treasurer of HRRA since 2009. He is a Chartered Accountant with a local accountancy firm having qualified in 1998 and has lived in Hastings all of his life.

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Izzy has been a member of the HRRA Trans Support Group for many years and has also helped to organise some of the charities social evenings. She is a senior member of a:gender, the support network for trans and intersex staff across Government.

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Hazel is a violinist and singer/bouzouki player who performs in and around East Sussex and Kent. She grew up in Chatham and eventually moved to Hastings in 2021 to study a masters degree in music education in Brighton, later coming out as trans in 2024. Since then she has focused on finding ways to use her experience as a musician and teacher to help her community, eventually leading her to begin retraining as a voice feminization coach, and joining the HRRA as a trustee with hopes of helping to organise more social spaces and support for the local trans community.

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Ady is a dedicated public servant with a strong commitment to inclusion, dignity and equality in the work place. He is an active member of the cross-Government LGBT+ Network, contributing to strategic discussions and initiatives that drive inclusivity across departments. He also serves as the Wellbeing and Mental Health Lead for his department’s LGBT+ group, championing policies and activities that promote psychological safety and holistic support for LGBT+ colleagues.

Outside of his job role Ady works directly with LGBT+ ex-offenders, helping them secure stable housing and meaningful employment upon release from prison. His work plays a vital role in empowering individuals to rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose.

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