ABOUT US

ABOUT US

Shared Earth Learning is a Charitable Community Benefit Society

Our objectives are:

• To enhance local people’s relationship with the natural world, simultaneously developing their personal and social skills and awareness of the importance of environmental sustainability; 
• to offer a range of challenges, activities games and tasks to build self-esteem, emotional literacy and social skills outdoors; 
• to nurture a love of the natural environment in people, encouraging them to respect and protect the natural spaces within our local community; 
• to make our services accessible and affordable; 
• to improve community cohesion by working across generations and integrating people from different backgrounds in our programmes. 

Shared Earth Learning has three directors, Alex Hart, Sam O'Malley & Non-Executive Director Jenny Macdonald. We constantly strive to work closely with other members of our Co-op, volunteers and collaborators. Would you like to get involved? Get in touch!

SELco evolved out of collaboration between Alex Hart and Helen Moore. Since 2014 it has been constituted as a Not-For-Profit Business and run as a co-operative.  It is supported by Chris Smaje and Cordelia Rowlatt who own and farm the Vallis Veg site on the outskirts of Frome, from where the group run the core of its activities. (For more details, visit www.vallisveg.co.uk )

Alex Hart: Director & Level 3 Forest School Leader

 I have been working with young people in and out of schools since 1999. I qualified as a teacher in 2002 teaching English literature, language and English as a second/foreign language, but finding that most children and young people are more relaxed outside than in, and struggling to get them outside at mainstream schools I gained my Forest school leadership qualification with Archimedes in Spring 2011. I now happily work as a forest school leader in a variety of diverse settings and schools.

Sam O’Malley: Director and level 3 Forest school leader. 

Growing up in the Cornish countryside fuelled my passion for nature and the need to protect it. I’ve gained qualifications in environmental conservation, animal science/care recently gained my level 3 forest school leader qualification. I started at Shared Earth Learning helping out with play rangers and have become more involved as my children got older. I want to help as many people as possible build a connection with nature and make forest school accessible to more children.    

Kirsty Staines, level 3 Forest school leader.

Hannah Hallet: Teacher and play-worker.I have recently joined Shared Earth Learning after 10 years in teaching. I did a PGCE in Primary Science and then went on to teach secondary maths, science and literacy to pupils with a range of additional needs. I ran a weekly gardening and nature club and took my classes outside at every opportunity, as well as taking groups to weekly forest school sessions. I have also been a trustee since 2018, for a charity in Kenya which trains rural communities in sustainable agricultural practices and natural medicines. I am passionate about inspiring a love of nature in others and I am a keen gardener, particularly making floral displays and growing organic produce. I am really excited to be working outdoors with this wonderful organisation.  

 

Jenny Macdonald: Non-Executive Director I joined SELCo as a volunteer in 2017, and began helping Alex with digital marketing and business planning. In 2020 I became a non-executive director, and my focus now is on supporting our co-op as it grows, and helping the Forest School leaders to develop and promote outdoor learning and wellbeing sessions. I’m not as practical or weatherproof as the Forest School leaders, but I can help them organise and publicise SELCo’s work.  

 

Ginny Appleton: Level 3 Forest School leader. I grew up on a farm in Suffolk, so have always felt a fundamental connection with nature, and her power to teach and heal. My background is in complementary therapies, but I’ve been interested in outdoor learning for years and qualified as a Level 3 Forest School Leader in 2014. 

 Shared Earth Learning had been on my radar for a while, and since joining this amazing team of passionate, loving and creative people, I have been assisting with children’s sessions and have recently had the privilege to lead the SELgrow Wellbeing Outdoors group for adults.  

This is a wonderful adventure to be on, and I’m proud to be part of a team that celebrates and encourages a love of nature in our community.

 Hannah Doe: Level 3 Forest School Leader

 I have had the wonderful opportunity to work primarily outdoors for the last 8 years, leading Forest school sessions and facilitating outdoor learning within schools. I am level 3 trained and have specialised in working with children with SEND and incorporating forest school activities and methods within the curriculum, helping them manage within a school setting.  I believe it is critical for all children no matter the ability or age to reach their full potential by spending time in the outdoors.

My other interests are spending time in Cornwall with my dog and partner and going for wild walks and cold swims. I also work at festivals facilitating children workshops and making wild jewellery.

Charly Le Marchant: Level 3 Forest School Leader I am a Forest school practitioner who comes from an off-grid, permaculture background. I am a beekeeper, and before I moved to Frome, lived in a yurt I built myself. I have a passion for learning about and using wild and natural materials, whether that is for food, fire or shelter and love to share what I've learnt with others, especially young ones. I love the way that fire, song and story in forest school sessions can really hold a child's attention. I really like that forest school creates a safe container to allow children to enjoy the woodland in a free and relaxed way and also how the setting provides diverse materials for craft 

and play throughout the changing seasons.

 Hannah Doe: Level 3 Forest School Leader

 I have had the wonderful opportunity to work primarily outdoors for the last 8 years, leading Forest school sessions and facilitating outdoor learning within schools. I am level 3 trained and have specialised in working with children with SEND and incorporating forest school activities and methods within the curriculum, helping them manage within a school setting.  I believe it is critical for all children no matter the ability or age to reach their full potential by spending time in the outdoors.

My other interests are spending time in Cornwall with my dog and partner and going for wild walks and cold swims. I also work at festivals facilitating children workshops and making wild jewellery.