MEET The Team

Raised on an English vineyard, Fiona has always loved the physicality of the great outdoors. Now, after twenty-three years of active service in the Army, she is excited to have come home. Passionate about helping people find meaningful and fulfilling careers, she founded RuRALink to help improve career pathways into the land-based sector.

Fiona also maintains a portfolio of other executive and trustee roles.

Fiona takes on selected employment consultancy roles; do please email to discuss how she can help. fiona@ruralink.org.uk

Andy is a resettling service-person looking to develop his new career in environmental conservation. He has been the Ruralink Volunteer Coordinator since the end of 2019 and will shortly be looking to hand over the mantle. The role serves the dual purpose of providing real sector management experience as well as facilitating and project-managing volunteer experience for the wider resettling community. Both roles make candidates for conservation and related land-based roles more credible  when applying for paid roles.

Whether you are still serving or have recently left the service and are interested in a career in environmental conservation, volunteering is a great way to develop new skills and qualifications. You will also build up a peer network of fellow veterans - an invaluable source of support, encouragement and expertise as you go through resettlement.

See you out in the field soon! 

Contact Andy by emailing: volunteering@ruralink.org.uk

Tess joined us in October 2020 specifically to work on an exciting project building an education and training pipeline into conservation, community and regenerative agriculture. 

She is an Organisational Development Psychologist and former army educator and holds Masters degrees in Organisational and Business Psychology and Adult Education.

Welcome Tess!

Contact Tess by emailing: Tess@ruralink.org.uk

Sam left the Army in 2017, spending a year at the Royal Agricultural University studying for an MSc in Business management and undertaking various work experience and voluntary roles to build his network in environmental conservation. He now works as a Catchment Coordinator  at the Environment Agency.

Sam has been a useful contact for resettling personnel  for some time and came onboard as a formal mentor in January 2021.

" In all my endeavours I bring a passion for conservation and the outdoors. 

I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in as a mentor."

Connect with Sam through LinkedIn.

Volunteer Project Manager: Op KINGFISHER

This will ideally suit an individual serving their resettlement period based on or near Salisbury Plain.

Op KINGFISHER is a partnership between Ruralink, DIO and The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust which delivers bespoke training and experience days to resettling personnel interested in a follow-on career in environmental conservation.

Because these experiences are offered totally free of charge, we rely on volunteers to help coordinate them.

Benefits to you: 

Quality in-sector work experience which looks good on your CV

Access to a rich network of conservation professional

Opportunity to shape and develop opportunities which support your resettlement goals

Great days out in the field with fellow resettling personnel and veterans

If you are interested please get in touch via either:

fiona@ruralink.org.uk

volunteering@ruralink.org.uk