Rural climathons – transitioning to net zero

Research Assistant

I am a Research Assistant at NICRE and the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI). At NICRE, I work with rural businesses and communities to deliver and evaluate innovation projects in the South West. My focus at the CCRI is the Horizon Europe RUSTIK project, which aims to improve knowledge exchange between rural businesses and communities across Europe. Specifically, I am exploring innovative approaches to societal transformation in Monmouthshire.

I continue to support research projects in areas related to my doctoral research which focused on the social dynamics of farmer groups in receipt of Countryside Stewardship Facilitation funding in England, and was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and Natural England. These include monitoring and evaluating agri-environment policy and understanding the drivers of farmer and land manager decision-making.

Business Development Manager

I’m the Business Development Manager at NICRE. With 25 years working in rural business support in a variety of roles from practical environmental projects, supporting businesses to start, grow and export as well as training both businesses and community organisations, I bring a wide range of practical and applied experience to NICRE. My role is to engage with the wide range of organisations, businesses and stakeholders operating in rural areas to promote the work of NICRE, to help them find the support that they need to grow and to provide a range of training and best practice sharing events. I also support the Living Lab innovation projects, supporting organisations and communities to get involved and disseminating their findings to interested parties. As someone who lives, and raises a family in a rural community, the work of NICRE provides an exciting opportunity to play a part in shaping the future of those communities and helping to tap into their natural ability for innovation and extend their business talents for a sustainable future.

Research Associate

I am a Research Associate at NICRE, working to deliver and evaluate our innovation projects with communities and businesses in the North East, and manage our partnerships. My previous research focused on farmer networks, including coordinating farmer participatory trials in seven European countries as part of an EU-Horizon 2020 project and assessing farmer experiences of regenerative agriculture in the North of England. I am interested in local and regionalised supply chains, having worked with a grain co-operative in Northumberland to grow, process and market spelt, rye and buckwheat through collaboration with rural businesses. I am particularly drawn to projects with an emphasis on engagement and outreach, looking to collaborate and facilitate knowledge exchange. Originally from the United States, I have lived in Newcastle since 2013, completing an MSc and PhD at Newcastle University.