Mental Health Charity
Bridewell is a mental health charity, founded in 1994, that offers social and therapeutic horticulture to adults living in Oxfordshire. We are a recovery service and as such our aim is to work with people with enduring mental health issues, helping them move forwards until they are able to lead more active lives in the wider local community.
Ours is a working environment, where the emphasis is on getting out into the open air, taking on new challenges and becoming part of our team. For people who are often quite isolated, this is an important part of their recovery. Based in the Cotswolds we work our walled garden and vineyard using organic practices.
"Without Bridewell, I don't know where we'd be"
Madi ffrench
Recovery Service Manager
Ruth Madder
Director
Julie Stantiford
Social & Therapeutic Horticulture Practitioner
Fiona Walker
Social & Therapeutic Horticulture Practitioner
Leonora Carrasco-Brown
Social & Therapeutic Horticulture Practitioner
Pauline Stowell
Social & Therapeutic Horticulture Practitioner
Alex Taylor
Part time Fundraiser
Claire Bellamy
Administrator
Rachel Green
Fundraising and Communications Officer
John Adams (Chair)
John is a retired Chief Executive of a national charity working with ex-offenders and has also been a Trustee of a number of organisations. Keen to help those who struggle with mental ill health he says that he 'loves the way in which Bridewell gives people space and purpose in such a delightful setting'
Sandra Clarke (Treasurer)
Sandra comes with a wealth of financial experience and is currently the Financial Controller in a multi-national group. She also has experience of working in small charities.
Richard Khosla-Stevens
Dedicated dog owner and novice pig keeper with a career background within senior management in the publishing industry. Richard started his role as trustee in November 2015 and became Treasurer in 2016.
Rose Hallam
Worked as an NHS Occupational Therapist for eleven years. Then spent 16 years as director of RESTORE an innovative mental health rehabilitation charity. From 2002 – 2014 worked as a freelance consultant, specialising in health, welfare, and community development. Has served on Government advisory committees on disability and employment. A lifelong gardener & vegetable grower.
Heidi Black
Heidi runs her own HR Consultancy supporting local businesses. She has also been a Director of a counselling charity based in Wantage.
Rob Chaplin
Dr Rob Chaplin recently retired as a Consultant in General Adult Psychiatry working on an inpatient unit for the acute admission of working-aged male inpatients at Littlemore Hospital, Oxford. He has been working as the Clinical Lead for Accreditation at the College Centre for Quality Improvement (CCQI) at the Royal College of Psychiatrists for the last two years, having previously been a Research Fellow at the CCQI for over 10 years.
Andy Vardé
With a background in engineering, spending over twenty five years in senior management and board roles in the Medical Devices industry, Andy is delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to Bridewell Gardens. He joined as a trustee in 2018.
Stephen Marshall
Stephen has worked in the university sector for a number of years and is currently Registrar at University of the Arts London. He is non-executive director of a multi academy trust and has held various other trustee roles at educational and charity organisations within Oxfordshire and London. Stephen started his role as a trustee in March 2021. With an interest in lifelong education and learning, he believes strongly in the benefits of social and therapeutic horticulture