Vernoica Carlton

I became a trustee for ARCh because I believe every child deserves the chance to experience the confidence, enjoyment and opportunities that reading can bring.

With extensive experience in Human Resources, including running my own Human Resource Management consultancy, I am pleased to bring my professional expertise to support the charity’s work and governance.

It is a privilege to be part of an organisation that makes such a lasting difference to children’s lives through its dedicated volunteers and commitment to helping every child succeed.

Curtis Leung

I have worked in local and regional government since 2023, specialising in strategy, partnership working and governance.

As a Trustee at ARCh, I am committed to helping children and young people develop confidence and achieve their potential through reading. My connection to ARCh’s mission is a personal one, having benefitted from a reading helper myself during primary school.

Ben Morel (Chair)

I am a Senior Marketing Analytics Manager at a FTSE100 publishing, business intelligence, and exhibitions group. I have worked in marketing for fifteen years as a digital marketer, a project manager and a marketing analyst. During this time I have led international teams and played a pivotal role in large-scale cross functional projects. I chaired the union chapel at my workplace for four years, helping colleagues through individual and collective consultations; leading negotiations; and undertaking training on employment law.

An avid reader from a young age, I believe in the power of books to make a difference to people in a wide range of different ways, and that reading with confidence can transform people’s lives.

Outside of work, I enjoy acting on the stage and have appeared in premiers of the stage adaptations of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. I hold an MSci in Theoretical Physics from the University of London.

Hayley Nock

I am Head of Strategic Development at a national pro bono charity, and have worked in the charity sector since 2022 after spending more than a decade as a commercial media lawyer.

I am passionate about using my skills to support charities, helping organisations increase their impact and create positive social change.

Outside work, I am a keen reader and believe in the power of books to build confidence, broaden horizons and inspire new ideas.

Amool Raina (Treasurer)

I am a senior executive in the UK space and advanced-manufacturing sector, where I lead large-scale industrialisation and operations across international sites. I bring that leadership to ARCh’s board, providing financial stewardship, strategic direction and governance oversight as the charity strengthens its foundations and extends its reach across Oxfordshire and beyond.

I hold a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Kansas and an Executive MBA from the University of Oxford. I have previously held non-executive and advisory roles across the charitable and public sectors.

Alongside my career, I have long been committed to widening access to education – from teaching underprivileged students to mentoring young people – and I care deeply about ARCh’s mission to give every Oxfordshire child the confidence, wellbeing and life chances that come from a love of reading.

Joanna Waton

I have worked in fundraising for 16 years, with a background in trust fundraising and individual giving across both local and national organisations.

I currently lead the Fundraising and Communications team at a small local charity. A lifelong lover of reading, I am passionate about literacy and have volunteered in a variety of roles since my teenage years, including as a Brownie Young Leader, school reader and PTA member.

Reading has always been an important part of my family life, and this passion for helping children develop a love of reading is what inspired me to become a trustee of ARCh.