Experience

Senior Outdoor Instructor, Mountain Training Course Director & Coach
Leicestershire & Midlands

Operations & Safety Lead: Experienced Senior Instructor and Course Director specializing in site operations, staff mentoring, activity safety, and equipment compliance. Over 15 years leading outdoor education, high ropes, and climbing delivery across local authority, commercial, and voluntary sectors.

Core Qualifications & Accreditations

• Mountain Training Qualifications: Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI), Climbing Wall Development Instructor (CWDI), Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI) + Abseil Module, Foundation Coach (Climbing)
• Site Safety & Inspection: ERCA High Ropes Course Instructor & Generic Rescuer, Lyon PPE Inspector (Approved Competent Person)
• First Aid & Rescue: 16-Hour Outdoor Activity First Aid

Outdoor Leadership & Site Operations

Senior Instructor • Beaumanor Hall (2026 – Present)

• Overseeing site operational standards, group safety protocols, and activity delivery for high ropes, abseiling, tower climbing, and adventurous outdoor education.
• Managing equipment compliance and conducting activity PPE inspections across site inventory as Senior Instructor and during casual instructing (from 2017).
• Mentoring instructors and maintaining quality delivery standards across multi-activity outdoor programs.

Provider & Course Director • Mountain Training (2019 – Present)

• Directing, assessing, and delivering the Indoor Climbing Assistant (ICA) qualification for climbing facilities, schools, and voluntary youth organizations across the Midlands.

Lead Instructor • Climb Leicester (2018 – Present)

• Managing NICAS Climbing program delivery, maintaining instructional standards, inducting and mentoring instructing staff, and conducting internal PPE and equipment compliance inspections.

Freelance Coaching & Instruction • Various Midlands Venues (2012 – Present)

• Outdoor Skills & Improver Coaching: Delivered outdoor improver coaching (top-rope, lead climbing, anchor building, seconding skills) with Peak Climbing School (2019 – 2025).
• Outdoor Activity Delivery: Leading climbing, high ropes, and outdoor education sessions across centres including The Mill Adventure Base and The Outdoor Education Company.

Chief Instructor • The Climbing Station (2017 – 2018)

• Coordinated facility-wide instructional sessions, managed instructor-to-client safety ratios, delivered staff training, and managed junior NICAS Climbing delivery.

Youth Work & Community Leadership

Climbing Assessor • Leicestershire Scouts (2016 – Present) • Volunteer

• Assessing candidate instructors for Single Pitch Climbing and Abseiling permits on artificial walls and natural rock.

Climbing Manager • Fox Coverts Campsite (2012 – Present) • Volunteer

• Managing volunteer instructor teams, facility equipment inspections, tower maintenance, and route setting.

County Leadership & Governance • Leicestershire Scouts (2012 – 2019) • Volunteer

• Held county-level leadership positions including Queen’s Scout Award Coordinator (2015 – 2019) verifying award standards, and County Scout Network Commissioner (2012 – 2016) managing Network Leaders and sitting on the County Executive.

Scout Leader • 1st Sapcote Scouts (2009 – 2012) • Volunteer

• Completed Wood Badge leadership training; rebuilt and expanded the local Scout section.

Assistant Youth Work Leader • Leicestershire Youth Service (2005 – 2011)

• Facilitated local Youth Councils, supported youth democracy initiatives, and trained young people on digital content platforms.

Senior Sessional Support Worker • Connexions Leicester Shire (2004 – 2006)

• Led groups of young people participating in community development and civic participation projects.

Career History: Software Engineering & Technical Leadership

A background in backend API development, systems architecture, and technical team management.

Tech Team Lead & API Engineer • CrowdLab (2013 – 2016)

• Led backend development, designed PostgreSQL/Ruby on Rails APIs, managed developer workloads, and conducted performance reviews.

Programmer • Bulb Studios (2012 – 2013)

• Developed RESTful APIs, backend systems, and server infrastructure for client applications.

Graduate Developer • Cuttlefish (2005 – 2012)

• Architected databases, built custom content management systems, and developed web APIs.

MComp Computer Science (2:1) • Loughborough University (2003 – 2009)

• Master’s Degree in Computer Science.