Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is a charity which aims to connect people with their local wildlife and wild places. We are an ambitious and growing charity, supported by over 18,500 members and around 700 volunteers.We want a Wilder Future for Derbyshire where wildlife flourishes in our countryside, towns and villages; where children grow up inspired by the sights and sounds of nature, and where people live happier, healthier lives.In the past 5 years we have tripled in size and become a more dynamic, agile and innovative organisation. We have led on several large landscape scale programmes as well establishing numerous large partnerships. We are proud to have launched our wellbeing programme, working with other charities like YMCA to improve people’s lives, and to be leading on one of 7 DEFRA funded social prescribing pilots. We have increase our relevance and brand awareness as well as diversified our income streams by opening charity shops and cafe’s and we are increasingly working with several large national corporates and a number of major donors. Our membership has substantially increased over the past 18months as a direct result of digital transformation. We have reintroduced beavers into the Trent Valley and we are leading the UKs largest urban rewilding initiative, at Allestree Park in Derby City.I have led on several national issues for the Wildlife Trust movement including heading up our involvement in the recent Godfrey and Glover reviews. I currently chair the Goal 1 (Nature in Recovery) strategy group for the Wildlife Trust Movement.In addition to my role as CEO I have several non paid board level roles. I am a member of the University of Derby Business School Advisory Board, a member of the Derby SMART cities board and a member of the Active Derbyshire Advisory Panel, the National Lottery Heritage Fund Committee and the Natural England Landscapes Advisory Panel.

I was instrumental in growing my team from 10 staff, eventually managing a team of 70 including 3 regional managers and a development manager who each managed large teams of programme managers, project officers and assistants as well as hundreds of volunteers.My role involved leadership, strategic planning and organisational direction as part of the team of Directors as well as fundraising, partnership development, project development and management of a large and growing £3million team budget. I was also responsible for Leading and developing Education, Volunteering and Community Engagement Programmes.My team delivered living landscape projects and education and community engagement as well as providing advice to land owners, responding to planning applications and working with developers, partners and schools to develop and deliver green space improvements.I led on an exciting and innovative project, Stirley Community farm, where we created a wildlife friendly sustainable beef farm, with a large community engagement programme which encouraged local people to grow their own food. We restored the farm buildings as an office, a training centre, as well as a classroom and community resource.My team secured one of only 12 DEFRA funded Nature Improvement Area (NIA) projects nationally- a £5million multi partner programme in the Humberhead Levels.

I managed the Bike It project in the North East of England, managing a team of people encouraging primary and secondary aged children to cycle to school.

I managed a large nature reserve with an education & visitor centre, substantially increasing visitor numbers and family engagement.

I taught Field Studies and sampling methods to professionals and university students.