MYVISION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Technology and Equipment Officer
Andreas is our new Technology and Equipment Officer. Andreas is blind and moved to the UK from Sweden in 2022. He has a lot of experience in assistive technology and services for visually impaired people.
Andy Smith is the service delivery manager. He is visually impaired and has a background in health and social care. He loves running with his team of guide runners.
Job Titles:
- Optometrist
- Trustee since 2023
By profession, Anita trained as an optometrist. She spent a significant part of her career working with RNIB to improve services and support to meet the needs of the people using them. She worked in partnership with many organisations across health, social care, and the voluntary sector, as well as with the NHS and the Department of Health. On retirement, Anita moved to Oxford bringing with her the same passion and drive that she had while working. She recently joined us as a trustee and is looking forward to being part of this dynamic and person-centred organisation.
Anna has worked in the charity sector as a Trust and Grant fundraiser since 2013.
Her experience and knowledge has enabled her to work with a number of small and medium sized charities to develop successful trust and grant programmes.
She is looking forward to lending her support and experience to the MyVision fundraising team, seeing them achieve and go beyond their fundraising goals.
Arty joined us in 2022 all the way from Canada as our Communications Officer. He manages our social media and website, and he produces our monthly e-newsletter as well as our quarterly printed newsletter.
Carmel joined MyVision in 2021 and manages our finances, from cheques, to online payments.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- Treasurer
Chinonye is a Chartered Accountant with extensive experience in liquidity management, capital markets and investor relations gained over 20 years across various sectors including public service, financial services, telecommunications, and fast-moving consumer goods. She was previously Group Treasury & Investor Relations Director of a food manufacturing company and Chair of the women network where she led initiatives to increase advocacy and promote gender diversity. She had close family members who were visually impaired and is passionate about using her diversity of thought and experience to support MyVision.
Job Titles:
- Community Engagement Worker - South
Devante joined the team in 2022, he is visually impaired and is seen out and about in South Oxfordshire with his guide dog Mac.
Gail joined in 2015 as the Administrator and was delighted to become part of the small, but dedicated team of staff. Gail is an important cog in the MyVision machine, and is brilliant at answering any questions.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of Trustees since 2019 / Trustee since 2015 Guy Has Experience in IT and Market.
Guy has experience in IT and market research, resulting in an extensive understanding of the business issues faced by the charity sector today. As a long-time volunteer he also has a deep working knowledge of the organisation at all levels. Guy is also Severely Sight Impaired and as such brings to the Board a personal understanding of the issues confronted by someone with a Visual Impairment.
Job Titles:
- Technology and Equipment Officer
Jamie joined MyVision in 2022 supporting Nathan in the Resource Centre demonstrating equipment and sharing advice and support. Jamie lost his vision in 2020 and provides a wealth of knowledge through his own lived experience of sight loss.
Janet spent her career in education, supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities across Oxfordshire. Following her retirement in 2018 and inspired by people with visual impairment on a walking holiday in Bulgaria, she became involved with MyVision as a volunteer. She has been involved in social and activity groups and the befriending service as well as organising fundraising events.
Joanna joined MyVision in 2021 starting as a Trusts and Grants Fundraiser, and was promoted to Fundraising Manager in 2022. Joanna has a background in fundraising having worked for several charities in the past.
Job Titles:
- Vice - Chair of Trustees since 2022 / Trustee since 2021 Julian 's Son Is Visually Impaired so Can.
Julian's son is visually impaired so can empathise with other families in a similar position and has been a member of MyVision for many years. Julian has had a long business career, focusing on strategy and its implementation, in both large and small enterprises. He was formerly a partner in a major accounting and consulting firm and more recently has been running his own consultancy business.
Margaret joined us in 2022 following a relocation from Darlington. Margaret is our intern working in partnership with the Thomas Pocklington Trust as a visually impaired person.
Margaret has experience managing the provision of various services throughout education, social care, supported housing and the voluntary sector. She continues to be involved locally through her support for MyVision and other local service providers. Margaret is also Chair of Oxtalk (Oxford & District Talking Newspaper for the Blind)
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive
- Trustee of Visionary
Mark has been with the charity since 2014, he started as Client Services Manager and stepped up to become our Chief Executive in April 2021. Mark has been visually impaired since birth and is passionate about inclusion and accessibility.
Mark is also a trustee of Visionary, the umbrella body for local sight loss charities.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire )
Moira studied Classics at St Anne's College, Oxford from 1971-75, followed by a PGCE in History and Religious Education at Canterbury. Her career in education has involved pastoral and academic leadership roles in state and private schools, both junior and senior. She was an ISI inspector with special interest in social, moral, spiritual, and cultural aspects. She has also served as a governor at two schools for many years.
After Canterbury she moved to St Albans and it was there that she became involved with the homeless charity, Martin House. Soon after arriving in Oxford in 1985, she became a trustee of Emmaus and helped to establish its Oxford community by chairing the Events and Fundraising Committee; after the community was built, she joined the Companion Welfare Committee. More recently she has been involved with Oxfordshire Youth, assisting with the organisation of fundraising events.
Married to Dr Stephen Darlington MBE, Moira has had close links with music and cathedrals over forty-five years. They have three daughters and six grandchildren and live in Headington. Interests include music, theatre, art, and she currently juggles two book groups. Time permitting, she likes to steward at the cathedral, welcoming visitors.
Appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Oxfordshire in April 2020, Moira is part of the group with special responsibility for East Oxford and she is the Lieutenancy lead on equality, diversity and inclusion.
Nathan has worked for us since 2017. He is Severely Sight Impaired and trusty guide dog Maisie can be found at his side. Nathan is a champion for Blind Ice Hockey.
Robin has extensive experience in the management of voluntary services in Oxfordshire since 1995. He was a Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire from 1996 until retiring in 2014. When Chair of Age Concern England, he was invited by the RNIB to chair a Low Vision Services Implementation Group to carry forward their work of securing practical integration of such services at a local level. The result was the creation of many local ‘Low Vision Groups'.
Simon has been Severely Sight Impaired since the age of 22 as a result of a brain tumour and therefore has a very personal understanding of adjusting and adapting to life with Sight Loss. Simon has a particular interest and empathy in supporting children who have a visual impairment. He regularly volunteers at the Oxford Children's Hospital, where he entertains and supports the young people.
Yvonne's eldest daughter is Severely Sight Impaired and over the years MyVision have provided a wealth of information and support to her family, which prompted her to join as a Trustee. Yvonne is an experienced major gifts fundraiser, having worked as a Director of Development at the University of Oxford for nearly twenty years. Yvonne brings to the Board both fundraising expertise and a clear understanding of the issues faced by visually impaired children and their families.