Who We Are
Adventure Oban is a charity and is led by a volunteer board of directors from the local area. We come from a wide variety of backgrounds.
The Board are assisted by a selection of sub-groups. The sub-groups are led by a director from the Board and are made up of volunteers from the local area.
Find out more about who everyone is and why they’re interested in Adventure Oban by reading the profiles below:
The Team
Dave Bleazard
Chairman
Dave is a keen diver , kayaker and skier who moved to Oban 35 years ago and the outdoor opportunities in Argyll have kept him here since. He has taught many people in the area to kayak and dive over the years.
Dave owned and ran the outdoor shop Outside Edge for 36 years, retiring early 2026, and has been involved with many club committees and was on the board of Atlantis Leisure for 25 years.
Ben Sunderland
Company Secretary
Ben is a musician and film-maker, working all over the country via his Oban based company Forss Creative. Following university, work in the music industry took him throughout the world before returning to Oban. Being able to contribute to a project like Adventure Oban that gives back to the community he grew up in is a wonderful privilege. A keen boater, Ben loves any chance to get out on the water - rain or shine!
Isla McCulloch
Director
Isla works for the Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS), supporting community enterprises to set up, grow and raise finance, specialising in community buyout and community shares.
She loves surfing on the islands, sea swimming or SUPing in all seasons, biking round the bay and getting lost in the hills and woods around the town.
Neil Matheson
Director
Neil is a local businessman, having run a number of businesses throughout Argyll for more than 30 years. A passionate social entrepreneur, Neil is the current Chairman of Atlantis Leisure - having served as a founding Director since the organisation started over 27 years ago. Neil’s a very keen boater, cyclist and FitBit chaser!
Iwan Roberts
Director
Iwan is happiest when outdoors, whether hillwalking, skiing, mountain biking or kayaking. Basically, anything that involves mountains, water or moving fast! He has extensive experience working in management in the sport and leisure industry, he’s also the co-founder of Wee Walk Oban, and is passionate about the positive impact the great outdoors has on physical and mental health.
Christina Wood
Director
Christina is an active member of the North Argyll Trail Association and North Argyll Cycle Club and has been getting her hands dirty with Adventure Oban on all things mountain biking and exploring the potential for a purpose built trail centre in the area.
In her day job, she is a glacial geomorphologist with NatureScot and lives in North Connel with her family.
Laura Corbe
Director
Laura enjoys many adventure sports & activities on land & water, both above & below the surface. She is passionate about conservation & the natural environment believing that repairing our relationship with nature is key to our own happiness. Laura hopes to promote awareness & enjoyment of our beautifully situated town.
Emily Austin
Director
Emily Austin is a Non-Executive Board Member for NHS Highland and also works as a freelance consultant supporting charities, social enterprises and other small businesses across Scotland with their governance, strategy and finance.
Emily lives in Connel and is a keen runner, hiker and kayaker. She is a member of Oban Canoe Club and a regular volunteer and Race Director at our local parkrun, Ganavan Sands.
Our Projects
We run a whole bunch of different projects, Out and About in partnership with Atlantis Leisure, Active Routes to Schools, the North Argyll Trail Association, the Adventure Library and Oban Wildlife Club (go check out their pages through the site navigation)! As a community-led charity we are always open to new ideas and projects that meet our wider aims. If you would like to volunteer on any of our existing projects or have an idea for something new, just get in touch: hello@adventureoban.org
This joint initiative with Atlantis Leisure (see below) is focused on enhancing community engagement and promoting active lifestyles in Oban, fostering well-being and accessibility within the local community.
We are fortunate to have not one, but two Community Development Coordinators working on this project:
Out and About
Renuka is a designer with extensive experience in community arts, having been a trustee and workshop facilitator at the Rockfield Centre and also having worked with Atlantis during the winter warmer programme. Since moving to Oban she’s been blown away by the access to outdoors and is really motivated to continue improving this within her role.
Hannah has been involved with Adventure Oban since its inception, and stepped into her role with the Out and About project as the first employed member of the team. Hannah is now living away from Oban, but suppots the team remotely.
Active Routes to Schools
We have three Active Travel Co-ordinators that make up the team for the Active Routes to Schools project. Together, they encourage young people in and around Oban to commute to school more actively, and contribute to making the area a safer, more enjoyable place to walk and wheel.
Phil is our OG AT co-ordinator, and has spearheaded this project from it’s humble beginnings, building relationships with schools and promoting active travel through Bikeabililty, in-school lessons, art projects and more! Outside of his role with us, he’s a highly qualified sea kayak guide.
Natasha volunteered with us for our Big Bike Weekend and has been a great supporter before joining the AT team in 2025. She is a primary school teacher, with a keen interest in getting people out on bikes and building confidence, having trained and worked on numerous projects in the city before moving to Oban.
Louise is our newest member of the team, a very experienced early years practitioner with direct experience of working with kids of all ages and with additional needs to get active and outdoors. She is also a recent Psychology graduate and freelance fitness instructor.
Partners
Atlantis Leisure
Community-run and operated, Atlantis Leisure is Argyll’s premier health and leisure centre. Situated in the heart of Oban, Atlantis has operated as a highly successful social enterprise for over 27 years, gaining national acclaim for its innovative programs.
Wee Walk Oban
Born during 2020’s Lockdown, Wee Walk Oban is an initiative to get the people of Oban out and about, rediscovering favourite forgotten trails, sights and routes.
