About Us
The Great Sussex Way® is the Destination Marketing Organisation representing the geographical area of the Chichester District, from the Downs to the Dunes. Beginning north of the South Downs, taking in Petworth, continuing to Midhurst, travelling down to Chichester and across to the Manhood Peninsula, which includes Selsey and the Witterings.
Meet the Team
Natasha McLeod – Project Manager
Natasha moved to the Chichester District from London in 2011 and embarked on a journey to discover all that she could about the area, quickly becoming taken with its beauty and charm.
At The Great Sussex Way, she brings her former experience in magazine editorial and feature film production to enthusiastically promote the area to the visitor.
Helen Broom – Marketing Executive
Helen has a background in consumer PR, having represented household name brands in both PR agency and in-house settings. She has lived near Chichester since the age of 10, and is passionate about this wonderful part of the world.
Sarah Thompson - Marketing Executive
Sarah moved to Lurgashall in 2008 to embark on a new career in wine and spirits. This led to the establishment of Sussex's first distillery in over two centuries.
Over the years, she's worked with and mentored food and beverage SMEs, developing brands and creating new products. She has also collaborated with prestigious venues like The Savoy and Grosvenor House Hotel, curating bespoke cocktail and food pairings and travelling the world to teach the art of wine and spirit tasting.
In recent years, Sarah returned to the world of TV and film, working on productions worldwide. She brings a wealth of experience, as a local business owner and a creative professional with a background in digital marketing, PR, design, filmmaking, and podcasting.
"I'm thrilled to join The Great Sussex Way," says Sarah. "I'm passionate about our area and have championed Sussex food, drink, and hospitality businesses worldwide. I look forward to reconnecting and meeting new faces, from the Downs to the Dunes."
Meet The Board of Directors
Francis Hobbs - Chairman
After a successful career of over 20 years in the army, Francis took early retirement and has followed a portfolio working life since. This has included a number of entrepreneurial activities and ventures, including start-up companies, setting up what is now known as the Sandhurst Trust, working in a university business creation unit and, for the last 15 years, with cutting edge SaaS/Cloud IT technologies. In 2015 he was elected to Chichester District Council and is currently a member of both its Corporate Governance and Audit Committee and Environment Panel. He was also appointed to the board of Visit Chichester, and elected Chairman in 2019. He has since overseen the development and launch of its exciting new marketing brand, The Great Sussex Way™ with the tag line “from the downs to the dunes”.
Nicola Jones
Nicola moved to Petworth in 2010 and established a food brand, The Hungry Guest the same year after an international career in banking. Her interests in Petworth include the Newlands House Gallery, The Hungry Guest, Augustus Brandt, E Street Bar and Grill and The Angel Inn. In 2012 Nicola founded the Petworth Vision group with representatives from the public and private sector to address concerns raised by residents and traders in the town.
Amy Yeates
Amy is the Hospitality Director at The Goodwood Estate, leading the teams from The Goodwood Hotel and Cottages, The Kennels & Hound Lodge, Goodwood House, Motor Circuit Catering and Golf, to deliver exceptional experiences to the millions of visitors to Goodwood each year. Amy also oversees the Levy UK collaboration with Goodwood to provide world-class catering and hospitality at all Goodwood’s major events.
As a proven strategist, with over 15 years of experience, Amy has focused on elevating profitability and guest satisfaction at top-tier venues, including Exclusive Hotels, Fairmont St Andrews, and Moor Park Country Club. Amy consistently drives improvements, achieves remarkable staff retention and delivers significant profit gains whilst maintaining a visionary yet customer-centric approach to complex operations. Outside of work, Amy loves to spend time with her family and going on adventures with her daughter and nephews. Amy loves the beautiful walks that West Sussex has to offer.
Professor Simeon Keates
As Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Chichester, Simeon oversees research, innovation, commercialisation, apprenticeships, and the Tech Park. He also leads academic departments and institutes. Renowned for his work in AI and robotics, Simeon has appeared on BBC's Robot Wars. He's authored numerous books on topics like design exclusion, finite element applications, and brandjacking.
Prior to Chichester, Simeon held leadership roles at Edinburgh Napier University, the University of Greenwich, and the University of Abertay Dundee. He also worked at IBM and ITA Software (now known as Google). Simeon earned his PhD from the University of Cambridge and joined Chichester in 2020.
Helen Marshall
Born and raised in Chichester, Helen moved to Cardiff for university. After spending some time in London, they returned to Chichester over a decade ago.
A seasoned retail professional, Helen has a wealth of experience working with both large chains and smaller, entrepreneurial creative businesses. They thrives in the dynamic and challenging retail landscape, focusing on developing strategies that deliver exceptional customer experiences, both online and in-store.
Simon Green
Simon is the Managing Director of Stubcroft Farm Campsite Ltd., based in the Witterings near Chichester. He has lived most of his life in the Chichester area and has more than 30 years of experience in the Tourism & Hospitality industry running one of the UK's leading ecotourism businesses. In 2024, Stubcroft was chosen as the Federation of Small Businesses "UK Sustainable Business of the Year" and has won many other awards, including the prestigious Green Tourism Gold Award, "Camping & Caravanning Park of the Year," and Gold awards for "Responsible, Ethical & Sustainable Tourism" and "Accessible & Inclusive Tourism." Simon is also a West Sussex "Green Business Champion" for the county-wide Let's Go! Net Zero initiative, supporting other local businesses on their sustainability journey.