Leadership College
The ACCESS Leadership College is a cohort of 20 emerging leaders working in Environmental Social Science.
It is a diverse group of people from academia, business, charities and the public sector all coming together for 4 annual residential retreats. The College provides opportunities for the group to network and learn from each other and from experts across ACCESS and beyond.
The first retreat had a focus on Health, Wellbeing and the Environment. Find out more about the first Leadership College retreat from Saffron O’Neill, ACCESS Leader Successful first ACCESS Leadership College retreat
The second retreat was held in April 2024. Richard Bridge, Head of Monitoring & Evaluation in the Trees and Forestry Division at Defra, reflects on their second meet up.
The third retreat, in April 2025, featured keynotes from Prof. Michael Winter OBE, head of the ACCESS Nature Recovery Task Force, and Dr Gemma Harper OBE, Chief Executive of the JNCC. Watch Gemma talk about the Leadership College, or see her full interview here.
Our next Leadership College is due to take place in April 2026.
Project: Advancing Leadership in Environmental Social Science Through Reflective Practice
Members of the ACCESS Leadership College have just started work on a new project, led by Jaya Gajparia and Richard Bridge. The project will explore how leadership development could look within Environmental Social Science, enabling new ideas, approaches, and practices to emerge through collaboration and reflection.
Read more here
Walking & Working in Nature – Leadership College Blog Series
Five ACCESS Leadership College Fellows – Jaya Gajparia, Susi Power, Mandi Bissett, Helen Roberts, and Jennifer Rudd – shared their very different experiences of walking and working in nature through this blog series.
Find the introductory post and links to all five pieces here.
Meet some of the Leadership College Fellows
Leadership College Fellows
Elysia Barker Davies
Kent Wildlife Trust
Sarah Bell
University of Exeter
Mandi Bisset
Independent Climate Action Researcher
Richard Bridge
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Pamela Buchan
University of Exeter
Emma Claydon
Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
Laura De Vito
University of West England
Jaya Gajparia
Independent Scholar
Anika Haque
University of York
Becki Jepson
Nifty Sustainability CIC
Helen Kendall
Natural England
Ruth Lamont
Natural England
Laurie Laybourn
Institute for Public Policy Research & Chatham House
Susann Power
Ulster University
Helen Roberts
Met Office
Jennifer Rudd
Swansea University
Stephanie Weir
Scottish Government
Caryl Williams
Welsh Government
Rebecca Windemer
Regen
Lewis Winks
Lestari Environmental Education Consultancy
