Meet the Team

Co - Director

I count myself very lucky to be part of Kington's community. I cherish Kington as it is, but as the mother of two young adults I have a passionate interest in how to improve it as a place for young people to live and flourish. I don't have the answers, but I do believe that working together as OAK we can help retain what is special here whilst creating a happier and a less daunting future for the younger generation. My background is in social development and research and I’ve had the good fortune to be part of two local heritage research projects here in Kington. I also currently serve on the Parish Council

Co - Director

My background is in the creative sector, having studied Drawing & Applied Arts in Bristol. I have worked backstage in the theatre, coordinated children’s craft workshops and run my own small business making leather goods.

I now work as a gardener spending most of my life outdoors in & around Kington. I am very happy with the change of course my life has taken and am training to be a landscape designer. I hope to help create a welcoming, engaging space for our community, both inside and out.

Co - Director

I worked in fair trade originally as a import textile buyer, then setting up and running two successful shops in Bristol and Bath. Recruiting and leading two teams, managing stock and all aspect of the design and development of the shops growing them from new businesses to established outlets. Over the last twenty years I have run a successful stained glass business with my husband and been instrumental in growing it to a well respected accredited conservation and design studio. As a volunteer I am Chair of Governors to the local primary school and Chair of the local Community Hall.

Co - Director

Over the past 30 years I have worked in Community, Youth and Educational Development in the UK & Overseas. As a new arrival I was so pleased to discover that Kington had a huge amount of community activities going on. I stumbled across the OAK youth consultation, and with a passion, drive and interest in youth opportunities I loved the concept of the project and joined the team!

Secretary & Acting Treasurer

I am the former chief exec and company secretary of ECHO for Extra Choices in Herefordshire Ltd. From small beginnings working from my kitchen table, I developed ECHO into the largest provider of opportunities for disabled people in Herefordshire with over 50 staff and 100 volunteers and a turnover of £750,000. A firm believer in the call for “nothing about us, without us”, ECHO involved local disabled people across the organisation.

Licensee & Steering Committee

Steering Committee

We love living in Kington, it is a great community in a beautiful location. Being part of the Oxford Arms is a brilliant thing to be involved with. I really want to see it become a community space for all and a more widely-known asset for the town.

By day I am self-employed, working in and advising community heritage projects across the country. By night I might be pulling a pint at the Oxford, or dreaming up new art and craft projects.

My husband Andrew and I are also joint voluntary Tree Wardens for Kington town and Kington rural and keep an eye on Kington's fabulous trees every day when we walk our dog Bryn.

Steering Committee

I have worked in the public and charitable sector, firstly in administration, and after my degree, as a development worker for ECHO in North Herefordshire, and project facilitator with Age UK Hereford & Localities. In 2017 I opened a gallery in Kington which promotes local artists and functions as an informal co-operative. The gallery is also a key player in the Marches Makers Festival, Herefordshire Art Week, and The Big Draw – helping build and sustain a strong and successful art and craft artisan and community presence in Kington.

Steering Committee

I have been a practicing architect in Herefordshire for over 30 years, with a consistent involvement in low energy and low impact buildings. I have also carried out various self build projects. I am an early member of the The AECB (Association for Environment Conscious Building) , active member of KLEEN (Kington Local Environmental and Energy Network ) and have an interest in developing a Community Land Trust in Kington.

Steering Committee

Whilst I was born in Hereford I have spent the majority of my adult life living abroad and in the North of England. My employment history has mainly been within the public sector. I hold a degree in Social Work and Social Policy and worked as a Probation Officer/Manager for HMPPS for 25 years. I also held a role as a Mediator.

Volunteering has always been a part of my life. For many years I was a Samaritan. I established a Mother and Tots group for ex-pats in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and post retirement I worked for an animal Charity before my return to Herefordshire in 2021. I continue to volunteer in a local Charity shop and am really excited to be part of the Open Arms Kington community hub/pub development which I think has great potential for all members of the community.

Steering Committee

I am a ceramic artist who co-founded and helped to manage a successful cooperative pottery business for seven years before moving to Kington. Alongside my arts practice I manage the Kington Markets. I have been involved with the Marches Makers Festival since its inception in 2018, with a particular interest in community involvement and participation. I am also a member of the Chamber of Trade.

Steering Committee

I was an agricultural botanist and later a landscape architect in both Australia and England. My interests revolve around the relationship between plants, food and the local landscape.

I set up a preserves business in Cumbria specifically to showcase hyper local produce and foraged wild plants and was Chair of Sustainable Food Carlisle.

I am particularly interested in helping with the food offer at the Oxford Arms; sourcing and using local produce to produce affordable and interesting menus accessible to all.

Steering Committee

Volunteer - Bar Team