BLOG: Meet Our Trustees

28 Jul BLOG: Meet Our Trustees

Rob Lloyd

Oakleaf Trustee

“A while back I promised to start the ball rolling and do the first of what we hope will be a series of pieces introducing the trustees of Oakleaf.

I was asked to join Oakleaf’s Board nearly three years ago, and I’m there in part because I have experience of living with mental ill- health. In 2016 I had a major breakdown – a diagnosis of depression and anxiety arising from PTSD – and came uncomfortably close to ending my life. A decade later, I’m doing well. Psychotherapy was a game changer.

I’m no longer on meds and I maintain my mental wellbeing through a balance of activities, especially being out in nature with my adorable dog, various community and charity volunteering roles, dabbling in amateur dramatics, and woodwork (a late discovery in life of the importance of having an outlet for craft and creativity).

I first came across Oakleaf when Clive (Oakleaf’s Chief Executive) asked me to talk about my experiences of mental ill-health to the network of businesses around Surrey. Shortly after that I was asked to join the Board of Trustees, the body which under Charity Law oversees the management and activity of Oakleaf.

I’m also the Chair of Trustees at another charity, the UK Men’s Sheds Association, which has a less overt but nonetheless important focus on health and wellbeing. I like to stay in touch with Oakleaf’s daily business, and you may see me wandering around the building with my tool bag in my informal role as Oakleaf’s occasional handyman!“

Lorraine Andrews

Chair of Trustees

“I have been a trustee on Oakleaf’s Board for nine years and Chair for the last seven. As I write this in 2026, I find myself wondering where those nine years have gone. They have certainly passed far too quickly.

As I approached the end of my corporate career, I was looking for an opportunity to give something back and use the skills I had gained through a long and varied career to support others. Through my mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s disease, I witnessed first-hand the challenges faced by people experiencing poor mental health and the extent to which our health and social care systems often fail to support those with mental illness as effectively as those with physical conditions.

This experience inspired me to seek a trustee position with a mental health charity. After uploading my CV to Trustees Unlimited, Oakleaf somehow managed to find me, and I have never looked back.

I retired around six years ago after spending 34 years working across the defence and financial services sectors as both an engineer and a business manager. I am married and have two adult children, a son and a daughter. One is a qualified teacher and children’s author, and the other is a civil servant in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, working on international climate projects.

Both of my children are vegan and deeply passionate about climate and environmental issues. Their generation gives me great hope for the future, not only because of their commitment to these causes but also because of the care, empathy and support they show to others.

For many years I was a working mother, striving to balance the demands of a career with raising a family and supporting my children as they grew up. At one stage, this led to a period of severe anxiety, and I sought help from a therapist to navigate the challenges I was facing. Early intervention made a tremendous difference, helping me manage my situation and preventing more serious ill health.

That experience gave me a deep appreciation of the importance of accessible mental health support. From then on, I made a conscious effort to help others facing similar challenges, both as a mentor and as a mental health advocate in the workplace.

My husband is also retired, and we divide our time between our home and Cornwall. We enjoy spending as much time outdoors as possible, whether walking, sailing, skiing or, very occasionally, playing golf. Being in nature is one of the best ways I know to maintain a healthy balance in both mind and spirit.

It has been a genuine privilege and honour to support Oakleaf over the past nine years. I have seen first-hand the difference the organisation makes to the lives of so many people, and I remain inspired by the courage, resilience and achievements of those we support every day.”

We have lots more trustee accounts to come! In the meantime, if you would like to see short bios for each of our trustees, please click here.