About Us
Meet the Kinder Living Team!
Hilary Harrold
I have been interested in the environment from a very early age. My parents instilled in me the need to make do and mend, the joy of growing your own produce and also enjoying the outdoors and nature.
In my late twenties I became involved with Greenpeace and ended up running all the Greenpeace groups in West Sussex for a number of years. During this time I also became really interested in ethical consumerism and shopping locally, and have tried to make this a part of my everyday living.
As a local business owner I am always looking for local small businesses to support. I also help my clients to think about sustainability in their businesses and identify the steps they can take to reduce their carbon footprint.
Cliff Jackson
I started Easyline Communications Limited in 2001 and since then have supplied and installed all manner of systems all over the country and abroad. Most of our business is commercial with our particular focus on healthcare and education. In 2009 we branched out from communication into IT as a means of increased cash flow, carrying support and IT repairs locally.
Over the last couple of years our IT focus has lead us to offer a re-use and repair attitude to tech products in the office and home. There is a way of upgrading and breathing new life into the “old laptop”. Taking advantage of the hard financial times to help save clients’ money, our motto is; ‘if it’s man-made then it can be man-fixed’.
This “can do” attitude prompts us to look at any electrical item as having potential for repair. We can advise on what can be done with your Laptops, PC’s, Xbox consoles and Apple products!
Kinder Living & Kinder Tech is a space where we can work together to make sure people are given a real choice whether to replace an IT product or reinvest in it. Even if someone decides to discard the “old” we have the opportunity to upcycle it and they get to make an informed choice rather than just be “told” there is nothing.
Jay Mercer
I’ve been involved with environmental issues since I was at school. Since 2004, my wife Jeanette and I have lived in the beautiful West Sussex countryside and I have tried to protect local flora and fauna as a parish councillor for the last nine years. For similar reasons, I helped to set up and chair my local residents’ association.
My professional career has long prevented me from being more active and visible until recently. I started with an English degree and qualified and worked for eight years as a secondary teacher in Outer London. I then worked as an Education Officer for various local authorities and gained an MBA through part-time study, eventually ending up as a Corporate Director for Education in West Berkshire and Executive Director for the Learning and Skills Council (the post-16 education quango) in Berkshire and South London. I have since used my senior management experience in working on a contract basis in various senior roles in Children’s Services across the South of England.
I have continued my work with children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities as Chair of an academy trust of fifteen special schools and as a governor of my local school. I help organise the annual Horsham Kinder Living Home Show and I act as Co-Chair of the South East Climate Alliance. I’m the show organiser for a local hobby club and, in normal times, I sing as a member of a choir.
Jeanette Mercer
I come from a practical, creative family – my grandad was a tailor & painted, my father repaired clocks and my mother and grandmas could knit, sew and crochet. Making and repairing has been part of my life from very young.
At school I spent every spare minute in the art rooms, but at that time couldn’t see how to make a career out of art, so I trained as a linguist. I worked in customer service roles in the travel and insurance industries, before completing an MA in Translation and a PGCE. I worked as a trainer for the Plain English Campaign for a number of years, delivering training to many different types of organisation. I’m also experienced in creating training materials for adults.
My love of creative things re-surfaced in the form of home renovation and decoration projects. So much so that I later went on to re-train as an interior designer. Since 2009 I’ve been running my own business called Fresh Traditions, based near Horsham, West Sussex. When I started out I was horrified by some of the waste in my industry, but I quickly realised it doesn’t have to be that way. Ever since I’ve been actively encouraging my clients towards more sustainable design – whether that’s in the choice of materials and fittings, or simply in the way unwanted stuff is disposed of.
I came up with the idea for the Kinder Living Show at the end of 2014, and feel honoured by the support the show has received from local business and the community. It’s so great to now be part of a small, but very committed team - oh and they’re fun to be with too!
As an experienced business networker I can see the value of networking, but feel there is currently a lack of networking aimed specifically at sustainable businesses. I’m delighted that Kinder Living has two new projects to offer support to business and look forward to working on the Kinder Business Network and the Kinder Business Directory.
Laura Woodrow
Hello, my name is Laura and I’ve been on the organisational team for Kinder Living since 2015, becoming a co-director in 2020. I have a strong interest in the environment and, after completing a degree in Environmental Studies, I visited my local Transition Horsham group to see what was going on in Horsham. It was here I discovered that Jeanette was looking for some help organising her sustainable home show, and I jumped at the chance to get involved. It’s wonderful to provide a platform to showcase all the creative and talented business owners out there, offering kinder and more sustainable products and services. Kinder Living is taking a really exciting direction in 2024, with the launch of our Business Network and collaboration with Horsham District Council on a sustainable business directory. From engaging the public, to supporting local sustainable businesses, working with the Kinder Living team is always a pleasure and I look forward to many more projects with them in the future.
