Meet the team

meet the Ribble Rivers Trust team of staff


Meet the Ribble Rivers Trust team, these are the staff delivering great projects on the rivers and countryside of Ribble catchment.

The data and evidence team

Ellie Brown
Strategic Evidence & GIS Manager

Ellie is a Conservation GIS professional who specialises in developing landscape-scale analyses to target works where they are likely to have the greatest benefits for wildlife, the environment and people. Ellie also leads Ribble Rivers Trust’s Data and Evidence Team.

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Luke Sherwood
Freshwater Scientist

As the trust’s Freshwater Scientist, Luke works closely with the Data & Evidence Team, where he uses his impressive knowledge of freshwater habitats, and their residents to design and carry out project-specific and investigative monitoring strategically around the catchment.

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Felicitas ten Brink
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

Felicitas joined the Trust to monitor and evaluate our work for the Room For Rivers programme. As her job title suggests, Felicitas uses her practical conservation skills and technical know how to collect and analyse wide range of important data.

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The Land management team

Kathryn Oddie
Head of Land Management

As the Head of Land Management, Kathryn manages the farm and woodland teams. The team aims to work with farmers and landowners to reduce diffuse water pollution, increase wildlife, improve water quality and most importantly support farm businesses.

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Ellie Schenk
Woodland Creation Officer

Ellie works in the Land Management team, working closely with the Woodland team to deliver project targets. Her role involves working with volunteers and other groups to bring about the practical side of woodland creation and maintenance.

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Hettie Varley
Farm Advisor

Hettie joined the Trust in 2023 and works as a Farm Advisor in our Land Management team. Hettie’s day to day work involves working with farmers and landowners to deliver farm based environmental improvements which benefit farm businesses and nature.

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John Harrison
Farm Advisor

John is a Farm Advisor at the Trust working alongside the Land Management Team to help deliver green infrastructure projects and on farm habitat and infrastructure improvements.

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Jonny Walker
Senior Woodland Officer

Jonny is the Senior Woodland Officer in the land management team at Ribble Rivers Trust; working with the farm and woodland teams to link and buffer rivers and wetlands, woodland and shrubland in our agricultural landscape.

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Heather Whalley
Senior Farm Advisor

Heathers day to day work involves working with landowners and stakeholders to deliver environmental works which tie in with the Trust’s efforts to improve Natural Flood Management and reduce Diffuse Water Pollution.

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The people and learning team

Neil Ashworth
Education Officer

Neil joined in 2013 to help run the Rivers in the Classroom project as part of the URES project in Burnley, and is now developing an initiative to run fishing lessons in schools as well as helping to develop further educational activities that can be linked into school curriculums.

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Cody Beaghan
Community Engagement Officer

Cody joined the trust in June 2024 as a community engagement officer at Ribble Rivers Trust whose day-to-day work involves engaging with local communities and bringing them face-to-face events, activities, and workshops.

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Rob Cooper
Projects Officer

Rob joined the team as an apprentice through Ribble Life Together, gaining skills and knowledge through working at the Trust, and attending college. Rob is now a Volunteer Supervisor; planning activities, and delivering improvements across the catchment.

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Harvey Hamilton-Thorpe
Head of People & Learning

Harvey joined Ribble Rivers Trust in 2015 and leads on partnership and engagement activities. Harvey manages environmental education, community projects, apprenticeships, work experience, health and safety, training and events.

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Leanne Macdonald
Outdoor Learning Officer

Leanne is the Trust’s Outdoor Learning Officer, and her role involves combining learning with the great outdoors. Leanne works on our Ribble Explorers project, developing and implementing fun, creative activities which aim to inspire young people to love their rivers!

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Helen Smith
Community Projects & Activities Officer

As Community Projects & Activities Officer, Helen engages with the public about all things rivers. Helen involves local communities in the work of the Trust via face-to-face events, activities and workshops, but also through information boards, digital events and social media.

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Emily Taylor
Education Officer

Emily joined the Trust in 2017 and, after a few years as a stay-at-home mum, returned in 2023. Emily is a qualified primary teacher and L3 Forest Schools leader and is dedicated to sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm through environmental education

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Naomi Walker
Community Engagement Officer

Naomi is one of our new community engagement officers and began her role in July 2024. Her day-to-day work involves engaging with local communities within the Ribble catchment, which covers a wide range of activities.

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The River Conservation team

Mike Flaherty
Conservation and Volunteering Officer

Mike is a Conservation and Volunteering Officer on the River Conservation Team. He joined the trust in May 2024 with the aim to work with volunteers and other groups to bring about projects in helping to reduce invasive non-native species in the catchment.

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Hannah Lederer
Project Manager

Hannah is a Project Manager on the River Conservation Team. Hannah joined the trust in 2024 to support project management of the Ribble Revival: Room for Rivers programme, under the Species Survival Fund.

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Adam Walmsley
Head of River Conservation

Adam is another long standing member of the Ribble Rivers Trust’s staff team. Having started as a volunteer in 2008, in 2011 he completed his Master Dissertation with the Trust. Adam then joined the team as the Lancashire INNS project officer before taking on capital projects.

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Adam Wheeler
Fisheries Officer

Adam is the Fisheries Monitoring Lead, responsible for delivering and reporting on the Trusts annual electric fishing programme. Outputs from these surveys help identify and support future works on the catchment as well as monitoring the impacts of river restoration.

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The core services team

Charlotte Ireland Pope
Fundraising and Administration Officer

Charlotte is a fundraising officer at Ribble Rivers Trust. Generally, Charlotte’s day-to-day work involves building relationships with corporate partners, and individuals, to raise money for the Trust’s endeavours.

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Catherine Jaggs
Office Manager

Catherine Jaggs is one of the longest-standing members of the Ribble Rivers Trust’s staff team, having worked there for over a decade.  Over the years, she’s been involved in almost every aspect of the Trust’s work, from tree planting and ecological monitoring, to publicity and partner relations. 

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Jack Spees
Director and CEO

Jack is at the head of the Ribble Rivers Trust staff team. Having started at the Ribble Rivers Trust in 2008 as the Fisheries Scientist Jack was made Trust Director in 2010. Jack now oversees the work undertaken by the Trust and the team as well as providing a wealth of information on all aspects of the river environment.

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