National Lottery Community Fund

Oxfordshire Breastfeeding Support

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Meet Our Team - OBS Trustees

We have regular trustee recruitment rounds. If you are interested in becoming a trustee you can This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at any time to be notified of the next round. At the moment we have a rotating chair. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Ilana Levene headshot

Dr Ilana Levene  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ilana leads on evaluation and impact and since January has been part of the 4th training cohort at Oxford Hub’s Young Trustees Programme.

“Since having my children in 2013 and 2015, breastfeeding has become very important in my personal and professional life. I am passionate about helping to set up a supportive, rather than destructive, environment for families to breastfeed, both in hospital and in the community. Quality community breastfeeding support is so key to mothers achieving their breastfeeding goal, and it's so cost efficient - so I have a lot of energy and passion to not only keep OBS going but to help it expand its reach to even more families”.

Juliet Rayment headshot

Dr Juliet Rayment  - Strategy & Impact Trustee This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Juliet leads on external relations and strategy and has done OCVA’s Good Governance training.

 “I found OBS (then Baby Cafe) in 2015, when I was struggling to breastfeed my tiny new daughter and their support made an enormous difference to our experience in those early months. Even once our breastfeeding was going smoothly, I still went to the Drop-Ins because it was a friendly, welcoming space where I could hang out, drink tea and chat to other adults and it wasn’t all about the babies. I went along to a fundraising meeting in 2016 to offer my support in whatever way I could, and came away from the meeting as the Chair!  I feel passionately that no woman should need to stop breastfeeding before she wants to just because of a lack of support, and I feel lucky to be able to help OBS to support women in my community through my role as Chair. There’s never a dull moment being a trustee: I often use skills from my day job as a maternity services researcher, but there’s always a fresh challenge or something new to learn. Thanks to the commitment and diligence of OBS’ facilitators, trustees and volunteers, I’m really excited about what the future will bring for our charity and for breastfeeding families in Oxfordshire”. 

Louise Ellis headshot

Louise Ellis - Treasurer & Volunteer Breastfeeding Counsellor This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

“I valued the support I received from skilled helpers when I struggled to breastfeed my first child. I am now grateful that I can use my financial background (I am a chartered accountant and work in the finance team of a large school) to support a cause I feel so strongly about. Knowledgeable, community-based support is invaluable for women who want to breastfeed and I believe it should be easily available to any mother who needs it.”

Headshot of Khatsha Ali

Khatsha Ali - External Communication Lead Trustee envelope

"The support provided to me when I was struggling to breastfeed my daughter was life-changing for me and her. Breastfeeding allowed me to bond with my daughter in a time where the odds were against us. It is now an honour that I can use my extensive experience in medical publishing to join OBS in providing quality feeding support through having oversight on our external communication strategies."
Head shot of OBS Trustee Rain Irshad

Rain Irshad - Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Lead Trustee envelope

Rain is the OBS Equality Diversity and Inclusion Trustee. She has a background in Physics and Engineering and has spent nearly 20 years working in the space sector. She is passionate about ED&I and has led ED&I studies reviewing diversity, bias and accessibility in the workplace as well as initiatives aimed at increasing diversity and accessibility in professional environments.

“OBS is an incredibly valuable resource for families in Oxfordshire and the support they provide can be crucial, particularly for new mothers. I’m very excited to be working with them and look forward to making a positive impact.”

Laura Prentice This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ashvina Segaran This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Hannah Marshall This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Zoe Townsend This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Updated March 2023