Management & administration
Having started out as a policy analyst for the Institute of European Environmental Policy, she worked in the public sector for a while. This included stints at Natural England and its precursor English Nature in various roles including agriculture policy, corporate governance, campaigning for marine conservation and stakeholder relationship management.
She then moved into charity management as Director of a charity promoting responsible tourism in the Lake District followed by some time in the far north of Scotland heading up fundraising and marketing for Trees for Life before returning to Cumbria.
Karen has developed and run courses on communication and campaigning for pro-environmental behaviour change and is a guest lecturer at the University of Surrey.
Working in administration for over 20 years, Kushti’s previous admin roles were mainly within the retail and education sectors. Her responsibilities have spanned a range of disciplines, including reception, retail operations, facilities management, corporate services and more.
As well as supporting the work of CAfS and other environmental organisations, she is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of her family and encouraging her young children into greener choices. Kushti is very proud of the work she has done to convert a small and messy front garden into a highly productive veggie patch.
Caroline was previously the climate change officer for South Lakeland District Council, and developed their carbon management programme, driving a 5% annual reduction in CO2 emissions and overseeing the council’s first renewable installation.
She is passionate about protecting our environment and is a founding director of Community Energy Cumbria, as well as a keen cyclist, runner and wanabee mountaineer.
As well as his background in finance, Tim has an MSc in Environmental Policy and Management and has also spent time working in conservation as a ranger on the Farne Islands nature reserve and for Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
A relative newcomer to Cumbria, Tim enjoys running on the fells with his dog and nature watching.
Project management & development
Roe joined CAfS in June 2015 and specialises in community engagement, project development and management. She has experience of leading sustainable, environmental and built-heritage community projects, including urban and rural regeneration schemes.
Roe works closely with communities to facilitate, develop and finance projects that will have a lasting beneficial impact on day-to-day lives. She’s led an impressive range of projects, from community transport and community-owned renewable energy schemes, to community land and food-growing plots, green business and green waste projects.
Her previous role at CAfS was leading the Alston Moor Greenprint, an exciting three-year programme funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, which concluded in spring 2020.
She previously led CAfS’ work to build the strategic partnerships and networks that will be instrumental in the drive towards a zero-carbon Cumbria. She co-chaired the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership, which she helped to form in 2019.
Hazel has wide knowledge of sustainability issues. She served as a housing association board member and environmental champion for six years, and holds an MSc in Environmental Sustainability.
Her past experience includes leading behaviour-change projects, developing energy-efficiency training programmes and working as a consultant to improve the financial viability of charities. She is also part of the local transition movement in Carlisle.
Molly qualified as an architect, then moved into project management in the construction industry. Since then she has focused on sustainability, working for a spell in a smart cities consultancy as well as supporting St Chad’s College, Durham University, to understand and reduce its environmental impact. She recently qualified as an IEMA Environmental Management Practitioner.
Outside of work, Molly is a governor at her local primary school. She is also an Eco Schools adviser, passionate about harnessing the enthusiasm of children to accelerate the transition to sustainable living. For fun, she loves walking, yoga and quirky off-beat films.
Following 24 years in education, she then worked in museums in Cumbria, where she developed and delivered carbon literacy training to a wide variety of groups in the community. The impact of this training was that individuals and organisations made changes to their practices and therefore reduced their carbon footprint.
Being a carbon literacy trainer changed her approach to reducing her own carbon footprint and she believes that if we all develop our own carbon instinct we could have an enormous impact on climate change.
Bernadette and her partner run a herbal soap and shampoo business just outside of Kendal. They grow bee friendly flowers naturally and use them to create soaps and shampoos. She also enjoys foraging, baking, knitting and generally creating in a sustainable way.
Low carbon communities team
Phil has been recognised by the EU Commission for his success in delivering an ERDF-supported programme of energy-efficient refurbishment, whilst managing a £1.6 million ESF programme of training in the low-carbon economy.
In his spare time, Phil is chair of Community Energy Cumbria and was a driving force behind its Killington Reservoir hydro scheme and solar arrays at the Lake District National Park Authority headquarters. He’s also a volunteer with Burneside Community Energy.
Energy team
Andrew leads our range of home energy advice services, including Cold to Cosy Homes and our retrofit advice service, Home Retrofit Planner and coordinates our non-domestic energy audits services. Andrew developed our professional training programme, leading our successful series on retrofitting for energy efficiency since 2016 and also wrote a series of short films on energy saving, dampness and condensation.
Andrew also provides energy audits and thermal-imaging surveys and delivers workshops on energy saving and draught-proofing techniques.
Her experience in energy efficiency includes leading behavioural change programmes, creating a project to support and inspire retrofit in her local community, home energy consultancy, working for a Green Deal Provider and editing and running the AECB’s CarbonLite Retrofit online course.
She also has hands-on experience of deep retrofit through coordinating building work on a previous home in Nottingham. This became one of the first UK homes to achieve the space heating target of EnerPHit (the Passive House retrofit standard).
Originally she trained as an earth scientist with a PhD on coastal response to sea-level rise driven by climate change.
Tina is a volunteer with Sustainable Keswick and likes to rock climb in her spare time.
Having previously worked in outdoor education and outdoor activities in Scotland, Wales, Maine and New York, Gareth moved to Cumbria and became the Senior Development Officer for the North of England for British Canoeing and became a national coach and coach educator.
He has also worked for the National Trust as the Outdoors and Sports programme manager for the Lake District and was part of the National Outdoor Experiences programme. Gareth managed a visitor economy and experiences programme with Morecambe Bay Partnership before coming to CAfS.
In his spare time, Gareth likes getting out into natural world to cycle, walk, canoe or swim and always has a future adventure up his sleeve!
Kim has come from a charity background, working in community engagement, volunteer and events management and fundraising. She has managed projects in Cumbria for the NSPCC and Leonard Cheshire Disability, and worked as a consultant for an environmental and ecology business.
Kim is passionate about Conservation, Regenerative Futures and Dormice and is a holistic therapist and reiki master. She lives on the west Cumbrian coast and loves being close to the sea and walking the fells on her days off.
Rick’s background is in logistics – and he has moved to us from the corporate sector where he has spent the last 25 years planning and running events all over the world.
He has a wealth of experience of eco-renovating old properties and is currently planning his own zero-carbon self-build as part of a small ecological co-housing project in South Cumbria.
Modules on energy flows in buildings, coupled with Jenny’s keen interest in “nudging” climate-friendly behaviours, led to a dissertation on reducing domestic energy use.
Jenny has volunteered on eco-ventures in 12 countries, and more recently on projects for CAfS. Her key environmental interests include sustainable transport, nature recovery and the circular economy.
When not busy at her screen, Jenny may well be running in the fells, outdoor swimming, singing with a local choir or attempting to make progress on the guitar.
She has a background working in support roles across a number of sectors including Financial Services and Education where she developed internal systems and processes and delivered training.
Laura has a huge personal interest in sustainable living and tackling climate change and has held voluntary positions working in an animal sanctuary and a zero-waste shop as well as with local and national conservation projects.
In her spare time she enjoys running on the fells with her dog, open water swimming and wildlife gardening.
She previously worked in education, teaching R.E, Independent living skills for young adults with learning disabilities, outdoor education and Health and Social Care.
Laura is pleased to be working for an environmental organisation and aims to live as sustainably as possible. She especially enjoys the cycle commute to the office.
While not at work she is kept busy with a lively golden retriever, running, walking in the fells and helping out with fundraising for local mountain rescue team.
She is Norwegian and moved to the UK and Cumbria in 2018 to try out a new way of life closer to nature.
Most of Vibeke’s career has been in Norwegian residential building companies as a client consultant and accountant. She soon shifted towards the CRM system, both with support and best practise internally, and as a tester for the CRM supplier.
Her hobbies include running and walking in the fells. She spends a lot of time in her garden enjoying and supporting its wildlife and trying to improve thenew vegetable patch.
Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership
John was delighted to join the team at CAfS in late 2020. He is really impressed by the ambition, community involvement and strength of the Zero Carbon Cumbria partnership and is very much looking forward to working with the community and all the partners in the project.
Alongside his passion for the environment, John enjoys hill walking, cycling, music and woodworking.
Angie’s background is in the public sector and finance. She also provides financial and admin support to the Mountain Heritage Trust in Threlkeld.
Angie moved to Cumbria from Newcastle in March 2017 to live closer to the Lake District. In her spare time, she enjoys fell walking, yoga and dressmaking.
Following a degree in natural sciences, Helen began her career as a science teacher. She has spent some time volunteering overseas in Bangladesh and in rural Lesotho, where she developed an awareness of how climate change will disproportionately impact the poorest and most vulnerable.
Helen has supported community groups, including networks of BAME and refugee organisations in the north east of England. She also provided infrastructure support as a Regional Development Officer for the National Lottery Community Fund. Most recently, she has led a criminal justice charity in the north east.
A recent offcomer from the other side of the Pennines, Helen is a keen walker and volunteer walk-leader and is inspired by the landscapes and wildlife of Cumbria.
He’d previously organised and evaluated our 2019 Cumbria Green Build & Sustainable Living Festival and been part of our team working to install electric vehicle chargepoints across the North of England.
Nigel has been connected with CAfS for a decade, supporting our work as a volunteer and as a founder member of Penrith Action for Community Transition. He’s also produced some of our films over the years, through his role as a film-maker at Eden Lighthouse.
Nigel brings a diverse range of skills, with a professional background that includes event management, project management, training and engineering.
He has hands-on experience of low-energy building, having renovated an old farmhouse recently, which equips him well to plan a diverse range of events during our festival. He’s also a dab hand at upcycling with pallets.
Central support
She has previously been internal communications manager with the City of London Police, Metropolitan Police Service and Lancashire County Council before moving to Cumbria. Since coming to the county, she has been running her own communications consultancy, mainly supporting charities and civic organisations.
She’s a volunteer with Penrith Action for Community Transition and the Penrith and Eden District Freegle group.
He has previously been a regular face on Cumbria’s screens as the lead presenter for That’s TV Cumbria. During his time there he travelled the length and breadth of the county to uncover stories and interview the people making things happen throughout the region.
His experience is in media production including recording video and audio, scripting and post-production as well as presenting, public speaking and customer services.
During his spare time, he enjoys peak bagging, reading and visiting his local cinema.
She supports all our project managers with delivering their wide range of activities – from liaising with customers, to reporting and analysis and everything in between.
Gemma also helps to organise CAfS events across the county. She joined CAfS in November 2017, initially to provide maternity cover for Kushti as our administration officer and she continues to support with our business and financial management.
Gemma moved to Cumbria from Scotland in August 2017. Her background is in the public sector, having previously worked for the Procurator Fiscal’s Office in Kilmarnock.
She has previously worked as a Volunteer Coordinator and has a background in the outdoor charity sector, specifically working on programmes supporting marginalised young people. Her roles have ranged from coordinating remote overseas expeditions to helping administer European Social Fund grants.
Having moved to Cumbria in 2017 to live closer to the fells, Jo enjoys walking, rock climbing and cooking up vegan feasts. She also volunteers with ‘Waste into Wellbeing’ in Kendal, helping to redistribute to the community food that would have otherwise gone to waste.