About the EGBA
The EGBA is a non-profit making association whose Honorary Chairman is Mims Davies, our constituency MP, and is managed by an elected Executive Committee.
The EGBA is a non-profit making association whose Honorary Chairman is Mims Davies, our constituency MP, and is managed by an elected Executive Committee.
The EGBA is a non-profit making association whose Honorary Chairman is Mims Davies, our constituency MP, and is managed by an elected Executive Committee.
The EGBA is a non-profit making association whose Honorary Chairman is Mims Davies, our constituency MP, and is managed by an elected Executive Committee.
Connecting & Supporting
Local Business With Local People
By working together within a professional organisation, East Grinstead businesses can ensure that they have a voice and that it will be heard.
As the business scene evolves, our businesses are all faced with new and exciting challenges, many of which will bring great opportunities provided they are seized upon.
The aim of the EGBA is to support and represent all trading, service and commercial enterprises within the greater East Grinstead area.
We are in fact a Networking Association which works closely with Local Government to represent our members’ views and where possible, resolve problems. In today’s world we all need to do some thinking “outside the box” and one way of stimulating this is by talking to others.
We seek to facilitate information and communication flow through our monthly business networking events held on a member’s premises and of course our regular newsletter.
Meet Our Team
The EGBA Executive Committee consists of elected members who act like a company’s board of directors. They are there to guide the association and its officers, and to ensure it operates within its constituted framework.
Mims Davies MP
Mims Davies is the Member of Parliament for East Grinstead and Uckfield.
Mims Davies was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment at the Department for Work and Pensions on 26 July 2019. Her current position is Shadow Secretary of State for Wales.
Mims has been extremely pro-active in supporting the EGBA and businesses in East Grinstead since she became our Chairperson. She has been available to assist and answer questions in the most challenging of times.
Grahame Russell
Grahame has lived in East Grinstead for over 30 years – 25 years combining commuting into London with travelling and working globally. Brought up in Nottingham – enjoying the Brian Clough glory years at Nottingham Forest – he went on to complete his first degree in Economics at University of Leeds and a Masters in Business Administration at University of Warwick.
Previously in senior line roles with Ford Motor Company’s finance and leasing arm; then as HR Director of a subsidiary of Banque Paribas based in Sutton and Wallington, Grahame changed direction by moving into management consultancy. First with an international SME consulting firm, then leading a change practice as a Director at KPMG. He went on to lead the consulting practice at Penna plc as part of the executive leadership team, before establishing his own consulting firm, Change Associates 13 years ago – based in London but operating globally. Three years ago he established a second firm – now a successful technology consulting firm called Preos. He chairs the two companies.
Having previously served for 9 years as a school governor at Halsford Park School, he is once again looking to contribute significantly to the success of the East Grinstead business community. He is very excited about the local business opportunities in the town, not withstanding the serious economic challenges facing us.
John Plumb
For over 20 years John has been involved with helping small businesses through the implementation of technological solutions. As owner of Plumb Digital Media, John helps businesses grow their online presence through digital marketing and the implementation of processes, automation and AI.
Historically dealing with London-based clients he is now focusing on helping businesses based in East Grinstead and the local area.
Fiona Bewers
Fiona has served on the Committee for over a decade, previously representing her employer, the Caravan and Motorhome Club, where she was responsible for corporate communications and public affairs. She now works as a freelance editor and comms specialist, and has recently been persuaded to take up the position of part-time business manager for EGBA!
Having worked in East Grinstead for over 20 years, and been a resident of the town for seven of those, she now considers herself a ‘local’ and is committed to helping it to remain a vibrant and sustainable place to live and work.
Nick Blythe
Nick, originally an IT Sales Professional, had an impressive track record successfully selling “big ticket” enterprise software solutions into major companies such as Telefonica O2, Vodafone and BT to name a few.
Born and bred around East Grinstead, Nick’s career took him all over the world before he finally decided to quit that life in 2011 and use all of his extensive business acumen and life knowledge into a brand new venture called Paella Fella. Having begun cooking paella for his family and friends back in 1995, he now runs a dynamic specialist catering company creating happy times with delicious authentic Spanish cuisine for all manner of private functions and corporate events.
Nick is also civic minded, and having held the post of Financial Director for Meridian FM, East Grinstead Community Radio, in the early part of its development. He is keen to lend his experience to helping the great and the good business people of East Grinstead and build successful businesses in the surrounding area.
Darren Greenaway
Community & Economic Growth
Darren has 32 years’ experience in the property market with an additional 15 years in business coaching and 13 years in the charity sector.
He is managing director of Greenaway Residential Estate Agency as well as founder and chairman of The Greenaway Foundation.
Charlie Martell
Logistics & Retail
Stuart Scholes
Until stepping down at our AGM in February Stuart was the EGBA’s CEO.
Stuart is a retired company executive from the paper, print and packaging industry who moved to East Grinstead in December 1987 – immediately after the “Great Storm”.
With his business background, both national and international, Stuart brings to the Association a blend of business experience, pragmatism, enthusiasm and a strong ambition to see our town thrive. He likes to “think out of the box” and is keen to build for the future.
Tim Thompson
Education & Apprenticeships
In September 2017 Tim took up a post as a teacher at Imberhorne School and is proud to be a part of the Business, Enterprise Economics & Travel team. He sees students in every year group develop and grow.
His teaching role allows Tim to create lots of extracurricular opportunities for young learners and to develop their enterprise and work related skills through programmes such as Young Enterprise, Tycoon in School and the Mosaic Enterprise Challenge. Tim also allocates time to encouraging local entrepreneurs to come into school as guest speakers. This in turn allows the school to develop its network to support the learners through our relationship with East Grinstead’s Business Association and the local Town Council.
Rex Whittaker
Rex has lived in East Grinstead for thirty years and is actively involved in the local community in his various town council roles , as a trustee of chequer mead theatre, and East Grinstead rugby club.
Trained as a chartered surveyor Rex worked in the construction and development industry for over forty years and his passion is seeing community and business projects delivered through simple and effective teamwork.