HOST Policy Research: About Us
HOST was recently a pilot company under the Healthy Workplace Charter run by Horsham District Council. HOST achieved a Silver Award for demonstrating corporate commitment to its staff’s health and wellbeing.
Sue Sibley
Sue joined HOST in 1995 as telephone survey supervisor. Since then Sue has been promoted several times, including working as Personal Assistant to the Managing Director and as manager of HOST’s Survey Unit. In 2005, she was asked to take on the role of Director of Operations. This role involves: co-ordinating all aspects of survey administration, data and processing, and validation within the HOST Survey Unit, dealing with the day-to-day running of the office, general project liaison (overview of milestones, etc), quality control procedures, contract management/administration plus financial issues and ensuring HOST’s legal compliance.
Sue is married with two grown-up boys and will not be retiring for a number of years due to their chosen professions; one is training to be a commercial pilot and the other is a medic. She enjoys walking, gardening, pilates, body pump and aqua aerobics plus reading. She also watches rugby and motorgp on the basis if you can’t beat them join them as her husband and boys are avid fans.
Jan Upton-Cross
Jan currently works as a part-time administration assistant, and has been employed by HOST since 1998, previously working as Personal Assistant to the Director of Research and Development, and part-time book-keeper. She has taken two maternity leaves during that period. Her work is varied and consists of supporting HOST’s Director of Operations through survey support work, production of outputs, correspondence, filing and ECO HOST, HOST’s environmental policy.
Jan is married, with two primary school-aged children. Her interests are gardening, and going for walks with the children.
Kay Rumble
Following an earlier career with the Midland Bank, first as Area Manager’s secretary, with responsibility for the secretarial team throughout the North Hampshire area, then as Human Resources Administration Officer at the bank’s Regional Management Centre in the South East, Kay joined HOST in 1994 as secretary. She went on to become David’s secretary, and then Dorothy’s PA. In 1998, when Kay wished to reduce her working hours, she qualified as a professional proof reader and copy editor at Chapterhouse in Exeter, and became HOST’s proof reader.
Kay is originally from Liverpool, but now lives in Horsham with her husband Tom. They share their home with their huge Maine Coon cat, Mikki, also known as the Mighty Lion. They both love fell and mountain walking, and have been regular visitors to the Lake District at least twice a year for the last 20 years. Apart from the UK, they have also hiked many times in different parts of France, in the French and Swiss Alps, and in Austria, the Canadian Rockies and, most memorably, on part of the old Maclehose Trail on the Chinese border near Hong Kong (before the handover). One of Kay’s remaining ambitions is to hike Milford Sound in New Zealand. When not wearing her boots out, Kay likes reading (there’s a surprise), music, quizzing, going to the theatre, discovering new wines and enjoying old favourites, cooking, and gardening. She is also an unregenerate petrol head, who watches F1, Indy Cars, rallying, and never misses the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Kay retired at Christmas and we wish her all the best in her retirement.
Patricia
Huggett
Pat is Personal Assistant to the two partners, Dorothy and David. Her main duties include arranging meetings with clients and case study interviews, production of reports, co-ordinating diaries and making travel arrangements. Prior to joining HOST, Pat has worked in a variety of PA/Secretarial roles in a diverse range of companies.
Pat is married with two grown up daughters. She enjoys walking, reading, flower arranging and going to the theatre.