OA trustees are all volunteers and do a wonderful job of keeping the organisation going in an enthusiastic and supportive way. If you are interested in being a trustee for OA please contact us for further information.

CHAIR: Jill Parker
Jill joined OA in 2005 with extensive experience of working with volunteers. Jill worked as a social worker from 1972 until her recent retirement. During that time she worked with children, older people, people with mental and physical illnesses or disabilities, and with people with learning disabilities. Latterly, Jill worked with people with learning disabilities, particularly those with complex needs and those in transition from childhood to adulthood. In addition, Jill was a member of her local Adult Education Management Committee.

VICE-CHAIR: Hilary Pogge

Career as probation officer, local authority social worker, then manager. Lecturer in social work at Oxford then Sussex University. Advocate with National Youth Advocacy Service, expert witness and then guardian for National Youth Advocacy Service. Some research work and training. Hilary joined the committee as a trustee in 1995.

SECRETARY:

Post currently vacant - if you are interested please do get in touch.

Pat Stanley
Pat is a qualified social worker and home teacher. Pat spent thirty-nine years working for the social services department with children and families, learning and physical disabilities, and with children in care or leaving that care. Pat has a special interest in child protection and working with vulnerable adults. Pat is also a part-time carer of her grand-daughter who has cerebral palsy, and brings that perspective to the committee. Pat is the treasurer for the Hernes House Association, a specialist respite centre for children who have learning and physical disabilities.  In addition Pat is involved with Housing Options for people with a Learning Disability (HOLD). Pat has been a trustee since 1997.

Tammy Bond

A trustee of My Life My Choice, which is a self advocacy group for people with a learning disability living in Oxfordshire. Tammy is a member of the fund raising sub-committee. Tammy has a learning disability and is partially sighted. Tammy joined the committee as a trustee in March 2003.

Gill Howe

Gill trained and practiced as a medical social worker before going abroad to work in community development in Malawi and Vanuatu (in the Pacific). Latterly she combined lecturing to social work students with her job as training officer with Oxfordshire Social Services. Now retired, she still does some freelance training. Her particular interest is in disability issues. Gill was co-opted to the committee in 1995 and became a trustee in 1998.

Diana Roberts

Diana trained as a social worker and has worked in adult social care for over 25 years - primarily with younger adults with a physical disability or life threatening conditions, and for the last 15 years with older people. In the latter part of her career, prior to retirement, she had responsibility for strategic planning and commissioning for services and spent much of her time working with partner organisations in the NHS and the voluntary sector.

In retirement Diana is a Trustee of Age Concern Oxfordshire, a member of the Local Involvment Network (LINk), which aims to make sure the voice of the individual patient is heard and that large statutory organisations engage with members of the public when making changes to services. She is also a Trustee of an educational charity in South Africa, linking schools in Oxfordshire with schools in deprived and rural parts of South Africa.

Martyn Bishop

Martyn Bishop has been involved with those with learning disabilities since the birth of his son some 50 years ago. Initially, he was involved with the National Society for Mentally Handicapped Children, which became MENCAP, where he was Chairman of a local society branch and was particularly involved in raising public awareness and fund raising.
The Mental Heath Act, which gave those with learning disabilities the right to education and access to training, was an early triumph. Latterly, Martyn has been involved with Home Farm Trust where he was a trustee for six years and Chairman of the HFT Pension Fund. For the last two years Martyn has been an advocate with OA, work he relinquished on becoming a Trustee.

Greville Trevelyan

OA was very pleased to welcome Greville as a co-opted trustee in March 2008. She had retired from full-time work within Social Services where she had worked with those with learning disabilities for over 27 years in a wide range of roles. She is still involved part-time with a project developing communication systems for people with complex needs. She has many years of experience in welfare work with SSAFA (soldiers, sailors, airmen families association) and was a co-founder of Carterton neighborhood advice centre.