Trustees

Our Board of Trustees is a group of amazing people from all sorts of backgrounds—strategic development, community outreach, education, health and safety, business, fundraising, and more. They bring a mix of expertise and enthusiasm to help guide Oxford City Farm’s vision and values. Each month, they meet up with our Farm Lead to catch up on goals, check off actions from the last meeting, and dive into updates on on projects and activities being worked on.

The Board is supported in its work by a number of sub-groups. Group members are a mix of volunteers and staff, led by a Trustee, organised around the strategic aims. The groups remit is to support and monitor progress, performance and impact of the work in the following areas:

GROW : site development  including animal welfare

The GROW strategic aim:  Increasing access to fresh, nutritious, and local food while reducing food waste through sustainable farming practices and community-based initiatives.

LEARN: learning opportunities at the Farm, including school provision and courses for adults and families. Outreach to children and families, different age groups and demographics.

The LEARN  strategic aim: Connecting people of all ages with food, farming, and nature by providing diverse educational opportunities.

THRIVE:  covers community connection for growth and wellbeing, including vulnerable adults’ provision, social prescribing, and partnership with other organisations.

The THRIVE strategic aim: Connecting people and communities to promote personal growth, social connections, and improved wellbeing.

SUSTAIN: covers activities to ensure the development and capacity building of the organisation, and its ability to deliver its mission and vision, including ways to enable the Farm’s finances to become more sustainable year on year.

The SUSTAIN strategic aim : Building strong partnerships and community networks to enhance community cohesion, organisational capacity, generate revenue, and support our long-term vision of an empowered, resilient, and healthy community.

Here’s a little about our Trustees and their areas of expertise:

• Cath Wilson (Co-Chair) – Cath is a qualified coach and HR practitioner with experience working for and advising organisations from across all sectors and industries. Cath’s love of nature, animals and community drew her to the farm and her volunteer focus is supporting behind the scenes on the organisational stuff that helps the farm to run.

• Martin Reed (Treasurer/Interin Co-Chair) – Martin is a chartered accountant with wide experience of working for and advising not-for-profit organisations (such as the farm) and commercial companies, both large and small. He recently retired from his day job and enjoys volunteering on the animal programmes at the farm.  

• Nick Rose – My name is Nick Rose and I am a founder trustee of Oxford City Farm. I have been involved in the farm since 2006 whilst working as a Deputy Headteacher at a local Secondary School.  The school, St Gregory the Great, was a new building project that had a designated playing field space leased from OCC. The initial years were spent gaining permission from stakeholders to transfer this lease to OCF.

  From my 40 years working in Oxford City with young people in Design and Technology and alternative education my dedication to providing educational opportunity to this community has only strengthened.  On taking retirement from teaching I secured a job with OCC in providing advice and guidance to all Oxfordshire’s Schools in school visits, expeditions and residentials.

  Most of my current work as a Trustee involves supporting educational opportunity on the farm and responsibility to provide advice and guidance in Health and Safety.  I am chair of the LEARN sub group.

• Jane Fisher – Jane lives close to the Farm and originally worked as a teacher both here and in Zimbabwe. She later retrained as a family therapist , specialising in work with adults and children who had been through severe trauma.. She has worked with local community organisations both here and in sub-saharan Africa, focusing on community involvement and mental health. This is the third local trustee board she has been part of and she has been a governor of her local primary school. She currently leads the Thrive group.

• Catherine McCosker – Catherine is a sustainability consultant in the food and agriculture sector, with a background in farming in the US. She enjoys participating in the goat programme with her family. 

• Dot Tiwari – Dot is all about partnerships and food justice.

• Ben Halder – Ben runs an education technology company, working closely with students with special education needs, and has a background in journalism. He is an active volunteer in the vegetable and animal programmes at the farm. 

• Sophia Swithern – Sophia is a freelance consultant who works with international humanitarian organisations, supporting them with their strategies, evaluations and research. She's been involved with the farm from its very early days and is a regular chicken care volunteer.