A former soldier and passionate mountaineer, Darren's life took an unexpected turn after a harrowing climbing accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. Despite facing this monumental challenge, Darren refused to let adversity define him. Instead, he embraced it as a catalyst for personal growth and embarked on a remarkable journey of resilience and determination.Today, Darren is renowned as a record-breaking Disabled Adventurer and Inspirational Speaker who has shattered perceptions of what individuals with disabilities can achieve. From pushing the boundaries of endurance by becoming the first person with a disability to complete seven marathons in seven days across seven continents in a wheelchair, to leading ground-breaking expeditions such as kayaking the length of Great Britain and sit-skiing across Antarctica to the South Pole, Darren's accomplishments are nothing short of awe-inspiring.His achievements include setting the world record for completing seven marathons in seven days across seven continents in a wheelchair, kayaking from Land's End to John O' Groats, sit-skiing across the largest icecap in Europe, and rowing across the English Channel in memory of his father who lost his battle with mental health.

At Adaptive Expeditions (AE), our purpose is clear: to empower individuals with disabilities by offering life-changing adventures and expeditions. Founded in 2024, AE's vision is to change the disability narrative, empower individuals to push their boundaries and create an inclusive community forged in the great outdoors.

In June 2021, Darren led a team of five injured/wounded veterans in their attempt to become the first adaptive team to successfully kayak from Land’s End to John O’ Groats – over 1,400 kilometres across some of Europe’s most challenging coastal waters. In addition to leading the team, Darren would become the first person with a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and disability to achieve the enormous feat.After 26 days, Darren successfully led the team across the finish line at John O’ Groats in Scotland. By working together, the team had not only conquered some of the most treacherous coastlines in the UK, but they had also helped prove that injury and disability does not determine what you can achieve both as an individual and as part of a team. In addition, the team raised over £110,000 for the Armed Forces Para-Snowsports Team.

Responsible for the development and management of commercial income streams on behalf of Shropshire Council. This includes a series of high profile annual conferences and events, as well as more traditional business development workstreams and processes.

Inspire to Learn is an established provider of high quality education support services. We offer a wide range of services to help schools, academies and colleges achieve the very best results and fulfill their ambitions. As the Commercial Manager it is my responsibility to provide our schools with a proactive account management service, ensuring that we deliver exemplary levels of customer service at each stage. My remit also includes responsibility for the growth and development of the Inspire to Learn brand nationally.

During the course of my time with Shropshire Council I have worked across two directorates; Commissioning (Locality Commissioning) and Resources (ICT Services). During my time with Locality Commissioning I supported the Council's drive to develop community resilience across the county by proactively project managing two high profile prototypes:Ageing Well - the aim of this prototype was to develop a sustainable community based solution that supported older people to live independently, actively and healthier for longer by placing the emphasis on prevention within the community, and by supporting the hard to reach and socially isolated groups.Improving Futures- the aim of this prototype was to better support children and families from disadvantaged backgrounds by developing the use of local assets, and providing families with an informal/ non judgmental gateway for advice and guidance.My second placement, within ICT Services presented me with the opportunity to lead on a number of business critical work streams. During my placement with ICT Services I led on the re-design of Shropshire Council's DR strategy, as well as supporting the roll out of Microsoft Lync telephony to 3000+ council employees.

Local Government recruitment, in a time when there is so much political and public focus on the delivery of services, has become more critical than ever. Local Authorities are some of the largest, most complex organisations that exist within the United Kingdom – local government recruitment at the highest level requires a deep understanding of the specific challenges individuals will face.In my role as a LG Recruitment Consultant I was responsible for placing high caliber individuals, across a diverse range of role and placements, within numerous London based local authorities.