Local charities supported as South Oxfordshire elects new district council chair

Published 22 May 2026

South Oxfordshire District Council elected a new Chair at its Annual Meeting on 14 May 2026, with two local charities set to benefit from the appointment.

Cllr Andrea Powell has been elected Chair, with Cllr David Rouane appointed as her Vice Chair.

Image of Cllr Powell (left) and Cllr Rouane (right)

Cllr Powell is one of the ward councillors for Benson and Crowmarsh. She has been a district councillor since 2019 and has served as a Cabinet member and the Green Group Leader. She served as Vice Chair under her predecessor Cllr Katharine Keats-Rohan.

Each Chair gets an opportunity to elect two charities that the council will focus on during their term. This year, Cllr Powell has picked two local charities: Style Acre, a charity that supports local people with learning disabilities and autism, and Cycling Without Age Oxfordshire, a charity that provides free trishaw rides to elderly, isolated, and vulnerable adults in the Oxfordshire County. She will be taking part in a 66-mile cycle event on Dartmouth on 20 June to raise funds for her charities.

Cllr Andrea Powell said: “I’m honoured that my peers at South Oxfordshire District Council have elected me as the new Chair. I’m really looking forward to the next twelve months, meeting as many residents and community groups as possible, not just the groups that I’m a part of. I want to celebrate the remarkable generosity and dedication of our communities and volunteers here in South Oxfordshire.

“I’d also like to say a huge thank you to our latest Chair, Cllr Katharine Keats-Rohan, for her excellent term. It was a privilege to serve under her as the Vice Chair.”

The previous Chair, Cllr Katharine Keats-Rohan, supported Sue Ryder Palliative Care Hub that supports people with life limiting conditions, and Wigod Way Wallingford Family Centre that supports young children and new parents to achieve their potential. Her community events involved hosting an informal dinner in the Dolphin in Wallingford and a concert in Dorchester Abbey.

You can find out more about the role of the Chair on the council’s website.