Staff

A little introduction about myself, I have worked delivering outdoor education for over 25 years with experience facilitating and delivering high end outdoor practical learning. I am a qualified Primary Teacher with vast experience of working with vulnerable and SEND groups. I worked for many years in outdoor education and Crisis Intervention Care. To complement my outdoor skills, I am also a Nurture and Thrive Practitioner for both Primary and Adolescent assessment. More recently I taught for several years as an advisory teacher in a Pupil Referral Unit linking national curriculum and outdoor education helping to improve attainment before joining the team at Trewern.

I have worked in outdoor education for nearly 20 years, and am Trewern’s field studies specialist. I have a passion for geography and ecology, and have a great deal of experience working with exam groups in particular. Coming from an independent field studies centre, I started working for Trewern as a freelance field studies teacher, and have worked hard to acquire the skills and qualifications to be able to lead all of the sessions that we offer safely, building on the experience of a lifetime in the outdoors. I love to combine my environmental and earth science knowledge with our outdoor activities and hope to foster passion and understanding in the young people we work with. I think that Trewern offers a great space for young people to develop and grow, and it’s important to give them that opportunity through supportive, positive experiences, with just the right amount of adventure.

I’ve worked in the outdoors as an instructor since 2017 but have been involved working in education or with young people in some form since I was 18. I’ve worked with school groups of all ages in different parts of the UK leading a range of outdoor activities and have also led groups of young people internationally. My happy place is spending time in the mountains, but I enjoy most outdoor activities and spending time in nature. I’m grateful to be able to play a part in helping young people step out of their comfort zones and develop their confidence and resilience and provide memorable experiences for them.

A graduate from Queen Mary College, University of London, I spent twelve years in nature conservation in reserve management, species research and environmental education. I worked for the RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts but was fortunate to get the opportunity to do research in West Africa and Mexico studying raptors. I then trained as a teacher and realised that I could teach in the outdoors so made the change to outdoor learning. I’ve worked in the Lake District but mainly at centres in Wales where I have taught young people from Lewisham and Greenwich, Sandwell and Oxfordshire and now twenty years later I’m here at Trewern. My main interest in the outdoors is climbing but I also mountain bike when I can. I look forward to this new life chapter, and I’d like to bring my interests in nature and mindfulness to the table.

I began work in residential outdoor education over 25 years ago as a trainee instructor, going on to become a qualified teacher working in outdoor centres, schools and a university. Most recently I have been involved in school based outdoor education. This has involved the management of a Duke of Edinburgh programme for a senior school, and also the delivery of peripatetic lessons for primary schools, which included sessions in problem solving and orienteering. It has also been a great privilege over the last few years to be involved in international expeditions with groups in the Alps and greater mountain ranges.