Councillor Andrea Powell, who represents Benson and Crowmarsh, was elected to the role on May 14 and will serve for the next 12 months.

She takes over from Katharine Keats-Rohan, having previously served as her vice chair.

Councillor 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, Councillor Katharine Keats-Rohan, for her excellent term.

“It was a privilege to serve under her as the Vice Chair.”

Councillor Powell has served as a district councillor since 2019 and has held roles as a cabinet member and Green group leader.

As part of her new role, she has chosen two charities to support during her term: Style Acre, which helps people with learning disabilities and autism, and Cycling Without Age Oxfordshire, which offers free trishaw rides to elderly and vulnerable adults.

To support the charities, she plans to take part in a 66-mile cycle event on Dartmouth on June 20.

The council website offers more information on the duties of the chair.

From Friday, May 22, through Sunday, May 24, the centre will welcome both existing and new visitors by offering a range of free activities, such as gym taster sessions, group exercise classes, and pickleball.

The centre, first opened in 1976, has continued to evolve over the decades to meet the needs of the growing town and its surrounding areas.

Wantage Leisure Centre now covers a variety of activities, from swimming lessons to fitness memberships.

Vale of White Horse District Council announced a £982,000 investment to further improve facilities.

Twenty-eight new employers have committed to paying the 2026/27 Oxford Living Wage rate of £14.06 an hour, which is set to benefit 1,298 additional workers.

Since the wage was announced in November and took effect in April, the total number of accredited employers has risen to 193.

This means more than 32,000 local people will be paid at least £14.06 an hour.

The Oxford Living Wage is set at 95 per cent of the London Living Wage, reflecting the high cost of living in the city.

The new employers who have committed to the Oxford Living Wage are Active Oxfordshire, African Families in the UK (AFiUK), Agile Collective Ltd, ASA Landscape Architects Ltd, Cinderella’s Cleaning Services (Oxford) Limited, Cyclox, Damascus Rose Kitchen, ExamSure, IRL Oxford, Kelpie Coffee, Makespace Oxford, Mortimer Hall Management Committee, Natural Bread Company, OCCA House LTD, Oxford Biomedica UK Limited, Oxford Hospitals Charity, Oxford North, Oxford Professional Education Group, OXPIP, Purcell Architecture Ltd, Refeyn Ltd, Stella’s Cleaning Services Ltd, Sustainable Asset Maintenance Services, Systematic Review Consultants LTD, The Mint House, The Missing Bean Ltd, The Project PT Limited, and Versantus IT Services Limited.

Oxford City Council has encouraged any business based or operating in the city that pays £14.06 or more to all staff to seek accreditation.

An Oxford Living Wage accreditation indicates an employer’s commitment to fair pay, supports recruitment and retention, and can contribute towards environmental, social and governance (ESG), as well as corporate social responsibility (CSR) objectives.

The Oxford Living Wage was introduced in 2018 to address Oxford’s long-standing status as one of the UK’s most unaffordable cities.

It is determined annually by Oxford City Council based on the Living Wage Foundation and Resolution Foundation’s research into actual living costs, such as housing, food, and transport.

Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council, said: “Every single Oxford Living Wage employer – new or reaccrediting, big or small – is directly helping to build a fairer city.

“I am delighted that so many have joined the community in the last few months and I hope it inspires others to consider it.

“Together, we’re creating a fairer Oxford, supporting local families and helping boost our local economy.”

Olly Wilkins, marketing director at Missing Bean, added: “We hire people who care: about the coffee, about the customers, and about the community around them.

“We give them the space to make the Cafe their own, and by paying everyone Oxford Living Wage and above, means they have the opportunity to live amongst their communities and be as enthusiastic as we are to keep serving the good stuff, day-in, day-out.”