After over five years at OCF, Katy Smith is stepping down as Finance Manager. We welcome Helen Saunders, who recently joined the team to carry out a full handover. Chartered Accountant Katy joined OCF, in January 2016, to support the staff and trustees, managing all of the day-to-day financial accounts, and in particular our increasing levels of grant-making, plus the stewardship of philanthropic donations.
After studying History at St Hilda’s College, Oxford, Katy qualified as a Chartered Accountant at Arthur Young (now EY) in 1986. She held various accounting positions in the City and elsewhere, including CIBC and Wenn Townsend, before going part time when her children were growing up. Katy lives in Hampton Poyle and volunteers as a reading assistant in her local primary school, is learning Spanish and is an avid supporter of Oxford United FC. She is looking forward to her retirement and is especially proud to have spent her last year on our COVID grant making. Katy and her husband have decided to take “a gap decade or two while our knees still work!” and are hoping to travel, when it is allowed.
Helen worked for over 14 years as a fundraiser for various charities, before deciding to re-train in accountancy and finance. Since 2013, Helen has been working in finance roles in a corporate law firm and an independent school whilst completing a chartered management accountancy qualification. She lives in north Oxfordshire and has two teenage children. As well as baking, Helen enjoys walking and cycling and has been known to take part in triathlons! She has already promised to bring in cake when the team are back in the office!
Katy will leave at the end of the month and has been busy supporting Helen in her induction, as they complete the year end accounts and audit. We wish Katy all the best and are excited for a long-awaited team night out, where we all get to meet face to face – some of us for the first time and for the rest of us, it has been a long time!
We are also delighted to welcome Suzy Donald back from maternity leave, to once again manage our Growing Minds, school readiness project. Suzy is working two days a week in May and will ease back into working four days a week from June.