Andy Sutch, who sadly passed away on 16 January 2026,  was a prominent member of the local community in East Sheen and influential across the London Borough of Richmond and beyond. 

Locally Andy was a Governor of Tower House School and the driving force in the recent development of its new assembly hall. He was the long-standing Chair of the Friends of Palewell Common, demonstrating his concerns for the ecological aspects of the green spaces. 

Andy worked for Sport England for over 20 years, with responsibility for the South East and London Regions, where he was Regional Director for London. He led on the establishment of Cultural Partners for London with London Arts and other pan London cultural bodies. In 2003 he joined Business in Sport and Leisure, which included a secondment to the 2012 Olympic Games Bid Team until 2005. He was a member of the Mayor of London’s Sports Board, Chairman of the London Council for Sport and Recreation and Chair of the Sports Council in Richmond.

Andy was an Honorary Fellow of St Mary’s University, Twickenham. He was an advocate for sport at the University and played a key role in developments in this area on campus in the 90s and 00s. He was an advisor in the successful bid for National Lottery funding that enabled the building of the University Track and refurbishment of sports facilities.

Andy saw the importance of sport and recreation for children with special needs. As Chair of the Panathlon Foundation between 2013 and 2023 he oversaw the charity’s growth in those ten years, from benefiting a few thousand competitors in London and the South-East to becoming the leading national charity delivering sporting opportunities for 50,000+ children with SEND in every county in England. 

Andy will be sorely missed. Our condolences go to Hilary and their family.