Our Staff
We are a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, you can find out more about our staff below.
Laura Finnis
Children & Young People / Home Visiting Co-ordinatorLaura joined OAB in 2018.
She started as our Children and Young People’s Coordinator and has also taken on the Home-Visiting/Telephone Befriending Service. Laura is visually impaired and enjoys helping others in any way she can.
Mary Gregory
Groups OfficerMary is our Groups Officer, she joined OAB in 1977!
She originally joined the team full-time as a Crafts Officer, she now works part-time supporting our social groups across the county.
Michael Ling
Finance ManagerMichael is a qualified accountant. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, the major body for accounting and financial management in the public sector.
He has many years’ experience of working for local authorities within Oxfordshire and with local charities.
Michael has acted as an independent examiner of accounts and has extensive knowledge of governance in the charity sector.
Nathan Tree
Client Advice OfficerNathan joined OAB in 2017, he is our Client Advice Officer.
He is Severely Sight Impaired due to a condition known as Cone-Rod Dystrophy. Outside of his working life, you will find Nathan moving around with his guide dog Maisie or at the ice rink playing blind ice hockey.
Mark Upton
Chief ExecutiveMark joined OAB in 2014 after moving from a similar charity based in West Sussex.
Mark 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.
Gail Webb
AdministratorGail joined OAB in 2015 as the Administrator and was delighted to become part of the small, but dedicated team of staff.
Gail’s main responsibilities include assisting visitors to our Resource Centre and also a variety of administrative tasks including processing memberships, donations and visual impairment registration cards.