Helen Betts

About Helen

Helen is our Vocational Training Officer, hosted by the Peak District National Park Authority and delivering our Future Custodians and SWP Mosaic projects. Helen will be organising work rotas, training and placements for twelve apprentices in the South West Peak.  The apprentices will be Farm Workers and Countryside Workers and Helen will be ensuring they have a busy schedule to become competent workers and appreciate the business of getting food on everyone’s plate while keeping the wildlife in our hedgerows. Helen’s role will also involve promoting the area to under-represented groups and supporting them to visit and explore.

Helen has worked as a science teacher in mainstream schools and helped set up an alternative education provision for children missing from education.  While doing a degree in Environmental Studies she did a placement year with BASF agrochemicals and volunteered with Working Weekends on Organic Farms at the weekends and holidays, so is used to resolving conflicts about how we work in our countryside.  She has worked on conservation projects in Hungary, Malaysia and a small nature reserve in East Leeds where she spent many happy summer weekends making charcoal. More recently Helen has been leading Junior Rangers groups around Leek and lecturing at the University of Derby.

Helen has in interest in forest gardening and foraging and is attempting to grow perennial veg and weeds to eat in her own back garden.