Meet the team

I have been so lucky to spend the last 20 years mixing my passion for our environment with my work roles. Since working in environmental education at the start of my career, I have now come full circle by joining the amazing team at Bore Place. 

With fantastic experiences along the way including managing habitats with volunteers as a countryside ranger, teaching land-based courses as an FE tutor and leading Forest School sessions, young people have always been at the centre. I love learning from them and having my views challenged.

At home you will often find me out of an evening with a bat detector or covered in mud from some new gardening project! 

I live locally and have been coordinating events for the parish churches of Hever, Mark Beech and Four Elms including weddings, funerals, baptisms, as well as commercial events such as team buildings, meetings, seminars, and charity events such as treks for Sense International, the Hever Christmas Fair at Hever Castle and the Barn Dance in Hever.

I also bring with me extensive sales and marketing experience and I am looking forward to helping grow the corporate/other nonprofit visitors to Bore Place, as well as helping with our local profile.

I am a trained forest school leader, and enjoy sailing, foraging and swimming.

I have worked at Bore Place since 2012 and my role now is Community and Education Programmes Manager, creating opportunities for everyone to visit Bore Place. I work with lots of incredibly inspiring people to produce our programme of community events which includes guided wildlife walks, talks, art courses and family days, as well as supporting our volunteer programmes and coordinating trips for schools to come and explore nature and the farm. 

Becky is an experienced special needs teacher, and one of the lead tutors at our Short Breaks Sessions which is specifically designed to provide a fun and safe environment for young people with addtional needs, increasing social interaction and independence whilst exploring the farm and encouraging a love of the natural world.

Previously I was at Communigrow in East Malling working in the education team supporting SEN and home educated students and leading the outreach project in schools and community venues. Specialising in Horticulture, especially food growing, conservation and nature, I enjoyed building habitats at the Communigrow field.

My background includes 10 years as the horticulture trainer for the London Borough of Bromley adult learning disability service followed by a secondment to LBB parks and greenspaces to deliver support to community groups, from sports and recreation, Friends and volunteers groups and setting up wellbeing projects in allotments and schools.

For a period of 3 years during this time I owned and ran my own café, which I loved and has given me the skills to follow a ‘fork to fork’ lifestyle to pass on to my students.  Enabling people of all different ages, ability and backgrounds to achieve new skills and to inspire people to include growing and eating their own food is a massive buzz for me.  My mantra is “everyone can achieve everything; we just need to give them the right amount of support”.

Spare time sees me and my partner in our shed upcycling and repurposing furniture and vintage tat. I hate waste and see a purpose in everything, and I look forward to bringing these skills to Bore Place.

My role is to help host our guests to ensure they have an enjoyable, comfortable stay. We endevour to use environmentally friendly products and natural alternatives to harsh chemicals to minimise our impact on the environment.

Having been fortunate enough to spend the last 20 years developing commercial ventures for charities, I love working and being at Bore Place . Entrepreneurialism for social and environmental ends is where my heart lies. I’ve had a varied career, including being a tutor and course leader for the School for Social Entrepreneurs, setting up social enterprises for Community Links and running Product Development at the Charities Aid Foundation.

I now run Free Range Glamping, a glamping business at Bore Place, and project manage the visitor facilities programme here. I am also co-founding a start-up that enables charities to collect donations from contactless bank cards - CollecTin.com.

I’m married with two children, and love spending time outside as a family – camping, canoeing, cycling, walking, or just having a picnic. I briefly served as a trustee in 2017, before leaving the board, so that I could set-up Free Range Glamping.

I am the contract dairy farmer, working in partnership with Bore Place to build a successful dairy farm which integrates with the other enterprises on the site.

I have been an organic dairy farmer near Haywards Heath in West Sussex for the last 11 years, having previously worked in sales and marketing roles in London. My passion is to enhance the triple bottom line of dairy farming - social, environmental and financial. By working with Bore Place we can build on the work done at home, with school visits and other special interest groups, to build a picture for the our customers of where their food comes from. The bedrock of organic farming is in the soil and the biodiversity of the farm. I love to build diversity into everything we grow in order to benefit the farm ecology.

I started at Bore Place in April 1982 when Neil and Jenifer Wates, founders of the Commonwork Trust, owned the site. I was employed by them as an Assistant Farm Fitter and I worked on the research and development of the, then new, methane digester. I carried out plant growth trials and formulated the mixes for the compost range "Supernatural" which was produced at Bore Place as a bi-product from the methane digester.

From 2001 I have been responsible for maintenance of the whole site at Bore Place, including our renewable energy installations.

I have taught within educational settings for 30 years. I get a lot of enjoyment working with young people helping and supporting them to master skills which will sustain them in the wider world. The ecological ethos of Bore Place compliments my own values and philosophy to life.

I am very interested in all things creative: making clothes, knitting, embroidery and home furnishings. I have completed various courses to further my creative skills to include: stained glass, felting and pottery. My next venture is wood carving. I am an avid gardener and love adapting recipes as well as cooking.

My role is to help host our guests to ensure they have an enjoyable, comfortable stay. We endevour to use environmentally friendly products and natural alternatives to harsh chemicals to minimise our impact on the environment.

I have always been passionate about animals and the environment. After finishing school and working in a veterinary clinic, I chose to study Wildlife and Conservation at the University of Kent and have worked in ecological consultancy for the past 5 years. I have a particular interest in hazel dormice and other small mammals, but am always happy to spend time with wildlife and out in nature! I am looking forward to sharing my love of the natural world and achieving common goals for both people and wildlife, as part of the We Are Nature project at Bore Place.

I first became involved with Bore Place in 2011 through the Education department's link with school gardens, one of which I led at the time. I joined the education team soon after, drawing on years of arts and amateur gardening experience. Beyond Bore Place, I am also a Level 3 Forest School leader, which draws together all my outdoor passions and lends itself well to the work we do here.

I joined Bore Place in August 2021 as one of the SEN teachers, after working at Hadlow College (based at Princess Christians Farm) for 5 years. In my previous role as a foundation lecturer, my job was to help young people develop work and life skills in a land-based setting, whilst working with animals, plants and the great outdoors. Prior to working at Hadlow, I studied there for 5 years too, obtaining a degree in animal behavioural science and welfare.

In my current role, I work with various school groups that attend Bore Place, supporting them to access the outdoor spaces that we have here, as well as teaching them about sustainability, wildlife and anything nature related!

Before joining the Bore Place team in June 2021 I worked in the Horticultural sector for several years and was also a volunteer at Kent Wildlife Trust. Here at the Commonwork Trust my role is to help share the Bore Place experience with others through our venue and accommodation and to welcome all visitors and assist with enquiries.

I’m passionate about wildlife and keen to encourage everyone to engage with nature in positive ways both for their wellbeing and in order to help protect our wonderful natural environment.

Before joining Bore Place in the Spring of 2023, I worked as a Science teacher. I worked in a special school, teaching a broad Science curriculum to girls with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Prior to that, I worked in inner-London schools, as Head of Department and Assistant Principal, with a focus on developing the Science curriculum to take into account the needs of our pupils.

I am passionate about the power of the outdoors to inspire and educate; the countryside is a special place to be and I am excited to teach and learn from the young people who come to Bore Place.

In my spare time, I grow cut flowers using regenerative farming methods, as I believe it is so important to put back more than we take out of our soils. I also love running, long walks with my dog and curling up with a good book (usually about gardening or nature!).

I started my working life as a voluntary conservationist for Trees for Kent, and began volunteering at Bore Place in the early 1990s.  I subsequently took over running the Green Wood Workshop here and also set up my own business in 1998.  As well as running courses at the Green Wood Workshop, I also make and sell baskets, living willow work, continuous fencing and hurdles.  I'm also a tree surgeon and am currently responsible for maintaining the woods at Bore Place. I am primarily a traditional craftsman, using the "underwood” or “coppice-wood” not only to make a living and promote the health and viability of our woodlands but to spread knowledge and enthusiasm for a traditional rural skill.

I started my farming career at the age of 11 working for a local dairy farm weekends and holidays, from there I went to Plumpton College and spent 3 years on a national diploma course, part of this was a year working so I spent 6 months in the UK and 7 months in Australia. 

After finishing college I spent 5 years on an organic dairy farm in Petworth as a herdsman learning all aspects of organic farming. 

The travel bug was calling again and I went out to New Zealand for a year working on various farms all around the country. 

After returning I was really keen to work on an organic farm again and got a job working with Dan Burdett on his farm in Haywards Heath, I spent 6 years there progressing to herd manager. From there Dan gave me the opportunity to manage Bore Place which I have been doing since January 2020. 

I am really keen on farming in a sustainable way which is good for the animals, environment and business. I love the challenges that organic farming brings and I look forward to achieving all the goals that we have set over the coming years.

I graduated from Falmouth University with a first class degree in Sustainable Product Design where I led on sustainability projects, including working closely with Trink Dairy in St. Ives researching and developing concepts for refill milk dispensers. I joined the Trust in Dec 2019 as an intern which has led on my current role of Project Coordinator.

I work directly with the Chief Executive leading a number of projects directly linking to our strategic plan. With a background in sustainable design I have a natural ability to problem solve and provide innovative green ideas which enables me to advise the Trust to stay true to their vision, mission and values, including sustainable procurement and interior development of our properties. I have a strong relationship with all departments here at Bore Place providing the solutions to operational site issues.

On a personal level, I am a creative soul with a love for arts and crafts. I am a self professed foodie and can often be found in the kitchen experimenting and creating weird and wonderful bakes! 

I first joined at Bore Place in 1997 to work, part-time, with the Education Team, to share my experience in outdoor natural history teaching with primary and secondary students. I have always been passionate about wildlife, and have worked for Kent Wildlife Trust in outdoor education, and at other Field Centres.  I have also been involved, for over 30 years, as a volunteer helping to manage wildlife habitats, and leading conservation tasks. I am a licensed 'bat advisor', involved in amphibian monitoring, and with husband Peter, involved in a project to monitor and help barn owls.

I joined the Bore Place team in November 2017 as the Organic Market Gardener. I have been working in the world of organic vegetables all my life. I started by cooking with veg in a vegan restaurant and later moved onto becoming a market trader in organic fruit and veg in the Netherlands for 10 years. By doing courses and placements I acquired the skills to grow and I found work in the south of England as head grower for 2 seasons. In 2005 I rented a farm near Hastings and I have been growing organic vegetables since then. Bore Place has offered me the opportunity to mould the Market Garden into a commercially viable business that also offers young adults facing challenges a place to grow and learn.

Michelle is a member of the housekeeping team, using eco products to launder our linens and towels.

I have been a chef for 15 years, having started my career working in local pubs and hotels. I am self-taught with a passion for eating and cooking for other people and a solid commitment to sustainability and local produce. I am really excited to be part of the Bore Place team, working with neighbouring farms and producers to ensure the menu at Bore Place is seasonal and reflects Kent.

I also run an event company hosting supper clubs and pop-up events called The Dinner Table. 

I was a teacher of Geography and SEN who moved on to work for three decades in international humanitarian response to natural disasters and armed conflict for the Red Cross, UN and British Government teams. I have seen first-hand, the devastating impact that climate change inflicts on people’s lives and the conflicts that it drives. I was awarded the O.B.E. for “Services to Humanitarian Aid” in 2009.

All my working life, I have taught, mentored and encouraged young people to work to prevent and mitigate the effects of climate change, environmental destruction, conflict and famine. My new role at Bore Place provides the immense privilege to help take care of this beautiful site and to support the inspiring work of my colleagues

I lively locally, I am married, and we have two grown up daughters. In my spare time, I have many and varied interests; from walking and canoeing through to building my own car from reused and recycled parts.

I am the new Arts Award tutor and I am excited to work here at Bore place with students in a fantastic, inspiring environment to achieve their Arts Award. I hope to facilitate their journey into working as an artist and explore using recycled materials and working sustainably to produce some interesting, thoughtful and beautiful artworks for their Arts Award.  

I am a multimedia artist that loves experimenting with materials and different processes. Photography is always at the base of documenting, as is drawing and observing my surroundings. My current practice is painting landscapes. I love to walk and cycle in the local surrounding areas to gain inspiration.

For the past decade, I have been teaching Art and Design at local colleges and secondary schools, that have been SEND-specific. I have worked with a wide range of students that at times have found it difficult to access education. I found the time spent working at West Kent College and Broomhill Bank School valuable experiences, as this enabled me to gain a greater understanding of the difficulties and hurdles that a student can experience and how to better engage students individually and to differentiate their learning experiences.     

I am a Volunteer Task Leader at Bough Beech along with my wife, Lynne.