Meet the team
Laura Harte - Founder & volunteer CEO
Laura has worked in the charity sector for over a decade and previously ran the Oxfordshire Recovery College. She dedicates as much time as possible to the College around her other working commitments. You can read about her experiences setting up the service on her blog, here.
Leila Barton - Operations Manager
Leila has had a varied career, around the world that includes roles within Education and both the Private and Charity Sectors. She brings with her a unique and diverse skill set which she is thrilled has found a home within the Discovery College. She is a Clore Social Fellow.
Frankie Jones - Facilitator
Frankie is a BACP-registered counsellor and trainee psychotherapist working towards her MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy, wherein she is researching Autism, identity and mental health. They possess 7 years' full-time experience working with young people across residential, educational and community settings. Processing early mental health challenges and late-realised neurodivergence inspired Frankie's passion for how psychoeducation can shape development, leading her to join ODC's mission to support and empower young people.
Justina Hodson - Facilitator
Justina is a JNC qualified professional youth worker and has been working with young people for over 12 years. Justina's professional experience is broad, in addition to having lived experience and experience of both adolescent and adult mental health services. She’s passionate about helping to empower young people and making a positive impact in their lives.
Pia Saunders-Patel - Facilitator
Pia is excited to join Oxfordshire Discovery College and is passionate about psychoeducation. In a voluntary capacity, she has taught primary and secondary school students in France, acted as a Relational Support Worker for East To West in Surrey and was a Young People's Mental Health Ambassador for Oxfordshire Youth. She has a BA in French and Drama and completed her Level 2 Counselling Skills Certificate in Summer 2023. She has lived experience of anxiety and self-esteem issues. She loves journaling, music, dancing in the kitchen and people!
Rebecca Kerry - Facilitator
Rebecca is a qualified psychotherapeutic counsellor who works with young people and adults. She has previously supported autistic young people and their families in roles in the charity sector, and has worked in a primary school as lead of a Nurture Group and providing 1:1 support. She is passionate about the work of the Discovery College.
Dr Aarti Chapman - Chair of Trustees
Aarti has had a varied career working in research, innovation, management consultancy and large scale strategic change. She had responsibility for leading the NHS England Mental Health Network in the Thames Valley and worked with patients, clinicians, managers and the third sector to improve services for children and adult mental health. She has also had caring responsibilities for people with mental health issues and hopes to use her professional and personal experience to help improve wellbeing of children and young people in Oxfordshire.
Liam Corbally - Deputy Co-Chair
Liam has a varied background; from accessing young people’s mental health services as a teenager to working for and with a range of mental health services professionally to make sure they meet the needs of those who need them most. He’s a strong personal advocate for better young people’s mental health services and believes ODC and its model and very well placed to do just that.
Matt Slade - Deputy Co-Chair
Matt has been in psychiatric services since the age of 14, which is now almost 10 years, and has experienced a range of services. He’s had a range of interactions, both good and bad, and can therefore help shape the College's vital work as it develops. He’s proud to be a part of the Board of Trustees and feels that ODC really meets young peoples’ needs.
Pauline Boerma-Collier - Trustee
After a long career in international development, Pauline has more recently worked as an academic, and as a career and employment mentor both at Oxford University and with a local Oxford charity. She has also had personal experience of caring for young, vulnerable people with mental health difficulties.
Maria Bourbon - Trustee
Maria is a mental health nurse, working in child and adolescent services for the past 15 years. She has clinical experience in a range of settings, and in and setting up new services. With expertise in neurodevelopmental conditions she’s passionate about ensuring that support provided is adapted to needs, meets the young person and families’ agenda, and is increasing young people’s resilience to manage what life throws at them!
Frances Wheare - Fundraising
Frances has worked in fundraising for nearly 20 years. She started out as a corporate fundraiser at a London’s Southbank Centre before moving to Oxford where she spent 10 years working for the University and more recently as Director of Development at Hertford College. In her current role at Dragon School, she is responsible for all aspects of fundraising and alumni relations, and also oversees the school’s social impact activity.
Ian Tingley - Treasurer
Ian has a long history in international finance roles working across the private and public sectors. He has three children and volunteering with Oxfordshire Discovery College means that he can use his experience for the wider benefit of young people and their families.
Philip Purnell - Trustee
Philip is a strategic communications professional in the area of safe sustainable development with experience in a number of sectors that he is excited to bring to supporting the ODC in spreading their message supporting youth in need.
Ella Buckingham - Trustee
Ella has over ten years of lived experience with mental health services for children and young people, first accessing them when she was nine. Her experiences growing up using these services has left her with a passion for mental health support and making a difference on the board of trustees with the ODC.