Andy
Sutch
27.06.50-16.01.26

It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of our much loved former Trustee Andy Sutch who died suddenly on 16th January. He leaves behind his wife Hilary and son Neil.

After 27 years of dedicated service as a Trustee (1997 – 2024) and at least another eight years of strategic support as Sport England Regional Director for London prior to that, his impact on the work of the LPFF cause cannot be overstated and the charity owes him a huge debt of gratitude.

Born in Yorkshire and educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Wakefield where he developed a life-long love of rugby, he subsequently graduated from London University in Geography. Andy taught geography and geology at City of London School for three years, before joining the then Sports Council in 1976, working on facility planning before moving initially to the South East Region and subsequently to London Region. In 1989 he became the Regional Director for Sport England (London). After leaving Sport England in 2003, he joined Business in Sport and Leisure as Executive Director which included a secondment to the 2012 Olympic Games Bid Team until 2005. In addition to these demanding roles, he still found the time be a LPFF Trustee, Chairman of the London Council for Sport and Recreation, Chairman of Panathlon and Chairman of his local sports council in LB Richmond.

Given Andy’s encyclopaedic knowledge and understanding of grassroots sport in London, the Foundation benefitted hugely from his support. A massive champion for playing fields and the sports played on them, it was no accident that once the Sports Lottery was launched in 1994, the Foundation become one of the early beneficiaries of significant capital grants for Peter May Sports Centre and Fairlop Oak Playing Field. Not satisfied with merely modernising the LPFF’s current stock of playing fields, Andy showed the instincts of a bloodhound in identifying vulnerable sports grounds and then mediating with Sport England and London Marathon Charitable Trust to ensure that LPFF stepped in to save the day on three separate sites in Greenwich, Redbridge and Greenford over the space of eight years. Thanks to Andy’s vision and incredible energy levels, the Foundation moved from an organisation that disposed of playing fields to a one that rescued them.

As Chair of the Funding and Communications Committee for twelve years, his passion, commitment and innovative thinking were such an inspiration to staff and fellow Trustees alike. Even after retirement, his love and enthusiasm for the Foundation remained undimmed where he continued to be a committed member of the LPFF Quiz Organising Committee.

LPFF CEO Alex Welsh said:
“In addition to being a magnificent Trustee for London Playing Fields Foundation, Andy was one of the most influential and innovative figures in London sport over the last forty years. He was humble, dynamic, unfailingly supportive of others and simply brilliant at his job, setting the standard for the rest of us to follow. His contribution to the world of sport is incalculable.”