Meet the trainers
Meet the Losehill team
Ginny
is our Training Technician, supporting the
Training and Development Officers with their preparation for courses. She can also often be seen driving
one of our minibuses on site visits – so please take the time to say ‘hello’.
Janice's
approach to all aspects of training is very practical. She has a diverse range of experience including
conservation work with BTCV, freelance consultancy identifying training needs for organisations, research
into health and lifestyles and lecturing in psychology. These, combined with her Masters Degree in Human
Resource Development, all provide a strong foundation for her work at Losehill.
Jill’s
range of skills can be attributed to the diverse variety of settings in which she has worked, from school
classroom, to retail, to the great outdoors. She has developed teams and communities and trained project
workers, community groups and volunteers. With knowledge and experience in many areas of work ranging
from practical conservation work to health and the environment, Jill’s approach is eminently flexible
and always fun.
With
over 15 years' experience, John works mainly with public sector clients delivering a wide range of development
programmes. His main expertise focuses on organisational management, team and personal effectiveness. As one of Losehill Hall’s Training and Development Officers, he delivers in-house consultancy and Losehill
based courses, which provide pragmatic approaches to real life issues.
Mandy
is an expert trainer with a passion for learning. The wealth of experience she has in environmental education, and her background as a manager and performer
in theatre-in-education, help to bring a practical and creative approach to training and facilitation. She is a great communicator and brings enthusiasm to all she does.
Nikki
brings 15 years of experience of conservation, training and education to her role at Losehill Hall.
As Training and Development Officer, she directs many of Losehill's rights of way and access
courses, and has run a variety of tailor-made training courses for local authorities and professional
bodies. A trained facilitator, she has also worked with a variety of different clients to help them
design and carry out participative decision making events with staff and stakeholders.
Pete
has experience of developing, delivering and managing consultancy facilitation contracts in organisational
development, project management, partnership working and environmental management. In addition to his
delivery role on training courses at Losehill, he supports the Peak District Environmental Quality Mark
(EQM) award scheme and the New Environmental Economy business grant programme.
Meet the other trainers
Brian is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor who works in private practice as a Senior Quantity Surveyor with EC Harris LLP. Over the past twenty years, Brian has developed a particular expertise in Landscape and Grounds Maintenance contracts, acting as a consultant to Local Authorities, Development Corporations and Government departments. He has been involved in training for ADAS, Groundwork, the Royal Parks, Local Authority and private clients, as well as running courses at Losehill Hall for well over a decade.
Chloe has fifteen years of experience in environmental planning, assessment and land management. For the past seven years, she has worked as Regional Director for the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group. She has a practical understanding of agriculture and farm conservation gained from hands on experience, as well as a strategic view gained from her role at FWAG. She has worked as an associate at Losehill since 1999 and her lively approach to training delivery ensures that participants get the most out of her agriculture courses.
David has been managing and delivering environmental and countryside training for over 20 years. His training work is balanced by, and builds on, a wide range of work where he takes on the role of project manager, fund raiser, business planner and coach. He advises and works with a wide range of countryside and other organisations on policy development and strategic planning. Areas of interest and expertise include site management planning, landscape character assessment, management of protected landscapes, environmental interpretation and sustainable tourism.
Fiona is an access and recreation professional whose work focuses on creative policy formulation, development planning and implementation strategies for a range of access, visitor and user provision. Drawing on expertise from projects she undertakes in running her own business, The Natural Route, Fiona combines a healthy pragmatic approach with creative influencing and problem solving techniques. Fiona’s specialisms include: Visitor Safety Guidance; audience and access development; education and community initiatives; woodland initiatives; continuing job support for delivery staff and agents.
Gordon, or Creeping Toad, has been described as "one of Britain's leading environmental educators". He runs events, workshops and training courses all over the country and overseas. Gordon is a trained ecologist and teacher, and he combines this with his additional background as artist, dancer and storyteller to offer challenging and exciting activities. Recent clients have included The National Trust, Moors for the Future, Mid-Pennine Arts, The Holly Lodge Centre and English Nature.
As a director of The Icarus Collective (www.icarus.uk.net), Helen has a broad range of experience and a proven track record in community engagement processes, facilitation and training and development. Helen focuses on promoting learning through participation and in applying her hands on experience to the training environment.
John is a Chartered Landscape Architect and a full Member of the Institute of Ecology & Environmental Management. He is Director of his own consultancy and has over 25 years’ experience in both the public and private sector of landscape design, construction, site management planning, habitat creation and management. He has worked at Losehill Hall since 1990, and has14 years’ experience of environmental training from site staff to management boards.
John is a management consultant with over 15 years' experience of working with a range of organisations and agencies. His experience and expertise are diverse, ranging from executive coaching, facilitating complex projects, and addressing team development issues to implementing Total Quality Management initiatives and delivering a range of specialist skills development programmes. John has delivered various training and development events in the Environmental sector including for the Peak District National Park Authority, latterly focusing on Project Management workshops at Losehill.
Jon is the training co-ordinator at Bishops Wood Centre – a modern centre for education for sustainable development run by Worcestershire County Council. Jon is a lively character with over 20 years of working in environmental education and education for sustainable development, and is a newly qualified ‘global trainer’. He is the international training co-ordinator for the institute of Earth Education. He has enthused educators all over Europe and beyond to help others think and act in ways that are more in tune with the ecosystems of our planet!
Jon is a trainer specialising in dealing with conflict, anger and aggression. He retired from a 30 year career in the police service which gave him the practical and theoretical skills required to handle difficult people and challenging situations. He still maintains his contact with the police and works for the National Police Improvement Agency throughout the world delivering training to police leaders. He regularly works with people who meet and deal with difficult customers in particular those working in the countryside and in country parks. Jon also has strong links with the recycling industry and with those members of staff who come into contact with ‘grumpy’ sometimes even aggressive customers. Jon has a BA in Education and has an excellent balance of theory and practical skills.
Judy is Chief Executive of the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, a position she has held for four years prior to which she worked in Lee Valley Regional Park in various capacities, including Head of Countryside Services and Corporate Policy. Her earlier experience of teaching and adult education, linked with her considerable practical experience of management at all levels in the environmental sector and an MBA qualification ensures a pragmatic and focused input to Losehill's management courses. Judy thrives on developing organisations and new initiatives and managing appropriate change strategies to succeed.
Lesley is a Regional Adviser for the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG). She has 10 years' experience of conservation management. Within FWAG she works with farmers, partner organisations and the local training boards to deliver tailored training events. Lesley is able to relate to a wide range of farming scenarios and apply a practical approach to her sessions. She is involved in facilitating conferences and organising national and international training for advisers and has a reputation for delivering enjoyable interactive workshops that bring clear benefits to delegates and their businesses.
Liz is a Director of Archimedes Training Ltd, through this organisation she has been actively involved in the development of Forest Schools programmes and training specialising in raising self-esteem, self-concept and health and safety in the outdoors. Her background of Youth Development, Outdoor Pursuits, Environmental Education both in the UK and abroad has amalgamated to create a passion that recognises the essential benefits that result from enabling children and adults to access and experience challenging yet safe outdoors play, education and therapy.
Melanie is a Chartered Landscape Architect with over 12 years' experience and interest in green space regeneration and management. Since leaving Barnsley MBC where she was Countryside Group Leader, Melanie has combined environmental consultancy with part-time lecturing for Sheffield University Landscape Department, particularly in ecological design. This, coupled with roles as Landscape Principal for ECUS Ltd. and Chair for Sheffield Wildlife Trust, has given Melanie a depth of understanding of greenspace issues and developing workable solutions.
With a broad background in environmental education, Neil was formerly Training Officer with the Centre for Environmental Interpretation in Manchester. He has developed and delivered many courses in the field, helping inspire people towards better practice in interpretation as a result. He is particularly passionate about his belief that people are the best form of interpretation; there is no real substitute for a good guide’s enthusiasm, insights and stories to ‘provoke, relate and reveal’ places to their visitors.
Paddy currently provides support for the Forestry Commission’s recreation and education teams across England. He has led the development of mountain biking, play and education and policy and has particular expertise in managing visitor safety and civil claims. Paddy has been leading innovative training and networking events since 1998.
Peter worked in nature conservation for 15 years before becoming a consultant and trainer. His wide network of professional contacts means that he can attract the leading experts to contribute to Losehill's ecological courses, which are therefore always up-to-the-minute and full of practical advice. Peter is a member of the Training Education and Careers Development Committee of IEEM. Peter has a passionate commitment to nature conservation and excellent communication skills so his courses are highly popular.
Richard has over 15 years of fundraising experience working for national charities, local authorities, statutory agencies and educational establishments. He has also worked with over 20 clients as a consultant. He speaks at conferences and seminars on a wide range of fundraising topics and can make fundraising training great fun, easy to understand and give confidence to the most nervous of fundraisers.
Robin was a rights of way professional in local government for 13 years, including six years at a senior level within a unitary authority with a reputation for high standards of good practice in rights of way management. Robin is now a freelance consultant and trainer specialising in rights of way issues. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Rights of Way Officers and a Registered Expert Witness.
Steve is Countryside Access Officer for Peterborough City Council responsible for all the rights of way within the unity authority area. New to local government, he trained and worked as an engineer in the civil engineering industry. Prior to joining the City Council Steve was an active and well respected officer in the Ramblers', where he gained much of his rights of way experience. He is a member of the Peterborough Local Access Forum, and enjoys travelling, photography and hill walking and is still an active walk leader.
As an independent consultant, trainer and facilitator, Steve’s 15 years of experience at frontline and board member levels give him unique skills in joining-up polices and practice, to deliver more accessible and effective access and countryside management. His continuing work on the CRoW Act in urban and rural areas ensures a relevant, informed and effective approach. With his enthusiastic and imaginative approach, Steve delivers engaging and effective training in both policy and practice.
As a director of The Icarus Collective (www.icarus.uk.net), Steve is an experienced community development professional specialising in the design and facilitation of developmental and consensus building processes which enable groups in the social, public and community sectors to work more effectively and efficiently. A particular strength is his use of creative, participative and innovative approaches to engagement and conflict work.
Susan is a popular and successful trainer with long experience and great enthusiasm for her subject. Her courses draw on years of practical experience as a consultant working with a wide range of organisations on communication and visitor experience management. Susan’s training is always participative as well as informative, and her memorable courses are very much enjoyed.
Ted is an environmental management professional with 15 years' experience in local government, and the voluntary and private sectors. Working in the parks, woodlands and countryside industry, Ted established and managed Sheffield’s Ranger Service. Then, as Barnsley’s Sustainability Group Leader, he dealt with issues of corporate sustainability. For the last seven years Ted has worked as a Losehill Associate, delivering greenspace management courses and ranger training. Ted now works as a freelance consultant and trainer, and is a founding member of the Working Woodlands Trust, a local sustainable woodlands initiative.
Wyn has over 20 years' experience working for the statutory nature conservation agencies in England and Wales. During most of this time he dealt directly with the application and interpretation of wildlife legislation, particularly the Wildlife and Countryside Act and the Habitats Regulations. He is currently the Head of Habitats Advice at the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the focus for advice, interpretation and application of EC Wildlife Directives and Ramsar Convention in the UK.
Yvonne has over 25 years' experience of working in the countryside and interpretation fields. Her main areas of training and advisory expertise are: Access for All; facilitation skills; community participation and involvement; environmental communications. Yvonne’s work on disability issues gives her a good knowledge of the provisions of the DDA, having run training events for several organisations. She has written guidance on accessibility for a ROWIP exemplar project and worked on one of the pilots which fed into the Countryside Agency’s ‘By All Reasonable Means’. She has designed and carried out many access audits from urban parks to national parks and just completed advisory and auditing work for SNH about accessibility on National Nature Reserves.
