BEN TAYLOR, CEO

Ben was born and raised in Oxfordshire and has always felt a deep connection with its landscape, heritage and natural beauty. Nevertheless, he spent a lot of his early adult life trying to get as far away from it as possible, building a career in the humanitarian aid sector, much of it spent in sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Europe. Returning home and raising children – two boys, again born and raised in Oxfordshire – reawakened his sense of connection with the countryside and its natural richness. But that process of reconnection also brought a sense of deep unease with the increasingly stark losses in species abundance and diversity. Cue a career change and very steep learning curve. Ben is happy to acknowledge that he’s a late comer to the conservation sector but hopes he can bring a fresh perspective on an increasingly urgent challenge - to protect and restore the natural world that is our home.

Nick adamson, Head of Finance and Operations

Nick has over thirty years’ experience working in Finance within the gas, financial services, telecommunications, and aerospace industries. A Management Accountant by profession, much of Nick’s experience has been in Strategy, Pricing, Budgeting, Performance Reporting, Business Case Appraisal and Transformation, working with both UK and overseas organisations. Nick’s hobbies include tennis, cycle-touring and offering constructive feedback to rugby players on the television.

Karen Lindley, head of biodiversity net gain

Although born in Henley, I have lived in rural Devon most of my life, where my parents had a small farm.  I studied at University of Plymouth and have worked in conservation land management for over 20 years, from practical work for a local council to policy work in Defra.

I joined the team in 2021, primarily to deliver TOE’s Biodiversity Net Gain programme, engaging with land managers to build up pipeline of suitable sites and now head up the Biodiversity Net Gain team.  Past roles have included working on landscape scale species recovery projects spanning Devon and Somerset, and large multi- party common land moorland enhancement agreements.  I am a real advocate for active partnership working and a landscape scale approach to make real environmental gains.

I moved back to Oxfordshire in 2014 and have been surprised how quickly the county has beguiled me. I love walking with the family, looking for butterflies, still being surprised by Red Kites and spotting classic land rovers (my guilty pleasure). 

Rachel sanderson, HEad of community grants programme

Rachel, who has worked in the nature conservation sector in Oxfordshire for more than 20 years, joined the team in January 2020 to head up TOE’s community grants programme. 

Having previously been one of TOE’s volunteer assessors as well as a successful grant applicant, Rachel knows what goes into planning and delivering a good project.  She is always happy to share knowledge based on her personal and professional experience with applicants and grant holders alike.  

Rachel is actively involved in the conservation group in her village rolling up her sleeves to lead monthly volunteer work parties, and she enjoys exploring Britain’s wilder places. 

SUE MARTIN-DOWNHILL, COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAMME

Sue was raised in Southall and has gradually moved out further into the countryside settling in Thame since 1996.  A busy lifetime of sitting behind a desk and playing and coaching sport resulted in an ignorance of the natural world but a nagging impression that the UK was quickly losing it’s biodiversity. 

In 2019 the chopping down of trees around Thame and the sight of a poor hedgehog on a road with no route to any vegetation stirred up a need to create action locally.  This has resulted in the environmental arm of 21st Century Thame becoming an active tree planting and biodiversity project awareness group with 100s of volunteers getting involved with great links with organisations all working together to achieve change.

In 2022 we received the High Sherriff of Oxfordshire’s award for great and valuable service to climate action in Oxfordshire for the planting of over 7000 trees locally.

Sue’s idea of a holiday is a weekend in the Peak District restoring paths and laying hedges.  She continues to drive the work towards connecting all the gardens in Thame with hedgehog holes and encouraging the rewilding of gardens to enable people to share with the natural world around them.

Sue is looking forward to meeting all the active people working so hard for nature recovery in Oxfordshire and hopes to be able to help engage even more to join the campaign.