Meet the Team

Central Team

Vicky, a white woman with long straight ginger hair, smiling at the camera in a field

Vicky Blakey-Archer

CEO

What is your favourite thing about working at St Nicks? I'm going to bend the rules slightly and choose two favourite things. Firstly, how inspiring it is to be surrounded by so many talented, knowledgeable and experienced people. Secondly, the infinite variety! No two days are the same and I am here for it.

Eliza is a young woman with tight curly blond hair and slim framed black glasses. She is smiling at the camera

Eliza Fergusson

Charity Support Manager

What is your favourite part of being involved with St Nicks? The wide range of activities with the same aim of protecting nature & helping everyone to enjoy it

David Walker, a white man with a grey beard and glasses

David Walker

Reserve and Maintenance Officer

What is your favourite part of nature? I always find seeing the stars in the night sky very reassuring - our view of them may change, but whatever is happening in life the stars are constantly there in their established pattern. Yet, at the same time, I am always intrigued by the fact that many of the stars I might see tonight have, in fact, long since died...

Green Corridors Team

Jonathan is a young man wearing a green cap, he has dark hair poking out of the front of his hat and a dark beard he is looking to the left of the camera and laughing

Jonathan Dent

Green Corridors Manager

What is your favourite part of your job? Getting to work with so many dedicated and inspiring people across York and North Yorkshire to protect and enhance nature.

Beki Hagger

Beki Hagger

Senior Green Corridors Officer

What is your favourite part of nature? You can be part of it and love it without needing to know the science. I also really love fungus and moss.

Nicola Ward is a woman with long dark hair tied back, she is smiling at the camera and wearing waders standing next to some water

Nicola Ward

Senior Green Corridors Officer

What is your favourite fact about nature? I don't really have a favourite fact but one thing that I can often be heard repeating at our volunteer sessions is "there are no straight lines in nature!!" usually when we've just planted a wonky hedge.

Maria Gill is a young red haired freckled woman. Her hair is incredibly long though it is tucked up into a rain hood. there is a very wet grass floor behind her, a bridge and a river.

Maria Gill

Senior Green Corridors Officer

What is your favourite part of your job? Playing in the mud and splashing around in rivers (sometimes both at the same time), whilst seeing a frolicking flock or birds or a flash of a fox as it sneaks on by

Maeve is a young woman smiling into the camera, she has shoulder length hair with dark roots and blue ends

Maeve Milliken

Green Corridors Habitats Officer

My favourite part of my role is the variety of practical tasks we do. I love working on different sites around York and seeing the results of our work!

Joe is a yound man with short dark hair

Joe Whitney

Green Corridors Habitats Officer

What is your favourite part of nature? I absolutely love nature! There's just something about its beauty, intricate designs, fascinating colours and being outdoors that never fails to stir my soul. One concept that resonates with me is the Japanese practice of forest bathing, "shinrin-yoku". This simple method involves taking a deep breath, being calm and quiet amongst the trees, and observing nature around you. It's a great way to reduce stress and promote better health and well-being in a natural environment.

Miranda is a woman wearing a purple wool hat, she is smiling at the camera

Miranda Dunstan

Green Corridors Ecology Officer

What's your favourite part of nature? I'm a big fan of the little beasties - invertebrates are much-maligned and under-appreciated but are a critical component of our ecosystems. I can often be found poking around under logs and rocks, and I can't pass a snail or earthworm on the path without moving them out of harm's way!

Gillian, a blonde woman smiling in front of trees

Gillian Astbury

Green Corridors Community Engagement Officer

What is your favourite part of nature? I love that there are so many different parts of nature, it means there is always something else to learn, a different way of connecting with the natural world and that means there is something for everyone to enjoy. My favourite thing is finding ways of being creative with nature. If it involves getting messy, that’s even better!

Waste and Recycling Team

Sam is a young woman with very long, straight brown hair. She is wearing eyeliner and mascara and a necklace over the top of her jumper. She is smiling at the camera

Sam Taylor

Waste & Recycling Manager

What is your favourite part of being involved with St Nicks? The people, they are so passionate about what we do. It's inspiring.

David Hammond, a man with dark hair, a prominant widow's peak and black framed glasses. He has a small amount of stubble and is smiling slightly at the camera

David Hammond

Community Recycling Officer

What is your favourite part of your job? Helping to make garden waste into usable compost.

Stuart Watling a portly white red haired man with long beard looking into the camera he is tipping a box of aluminium into a bin

Stuart Watling

Senior Community Recycling Officer

What is your favourite fact about nature? Bored ducks become cannibals

Meet the team staff template (1)

Marc Hodgson

Senior Community Recycling Officer

What is your favourite fact about nature? Ancient creatures such as dinosaurs and scorpions the size of cats.

Chris is a tall white man with red hair and a red moustache, he is riding a tricycle and is sat straight backed looking into the camera

Chris King

Community Recycling Officer

What is your favourite part of being involved with St Nicks? Riding the tricycles, always being made to feel welcome whether it’s on a break or volunteering with the Green Spaces team

Charlotte Hanson is woman with dark hair tied in a bun at the back of her head she is wearing an orange hi vis top and glasses and is smiling proudly at the camera with her hand on her hip

Charlotte Hanson

Community Recycling Officer

What is your favourite part of your job? Exploring the little known snickets and courtyards of our city.

Meet the team staff template (4)

Martha Tookey

Community Recycling Officer

What is your favourite part of your job? Exploring York on a trike!

A grinning male with spiky dark hair, large round dark glasses and a bear looks straight into the camera. He is holding a steering wheel and there is an open vehicle window behind him

Sam Dredge

Community Recycling Officer

What is your favourite part of your job? Love being outside, chatting to our lovely customers and residents and getting good exercise in the process!

Mark Claridge, a man with a large cheeky grin, dark hair and glasses grins at the camera. He has his hands on his hips and is wearing a long sleeved blue grey tshirt under a high vis orange polo shirt.

Mark Claridge

Community Recycling Officer

What is your favourite part of your job?: Getting out and about in York, staying active and the people I work with!

Nature Based Wellbeing Team

Andy, a man smiling at the camera, wearing outdoors walking gear and holding a mug and a sandwich, trees in the background

Andy Harper

Nature Based Wellbeing Manager

Favourite fact about nature is: trees communicate with something referred to as the “ Wood Wide Web” using a massive network of underground fungi. This ‘mycorrhizal’ network benefits both the fungi and the tree and is used to share and exchange nutrients. Not only that, but some trees and plants are even able to send ‘messages’ along the network.

Jane is a middle aged white woman with a short brown bob, she is wearing small spectacles with half frames and smiling at the camera

Jane MacKay

Ecotherapy Officer (Thriving at Work)

What is your favourite part of your job? I love seeing how small changes can make big impacts for people when they start to implement new strategies to benefit their mental health at work.

Eleanor is a middle aged woman with brown hair shoulder length wavy hair. She is looking directly into the camera and smiling slightly.

Eleanor Tookey

Senior Ecotherapy Officer (Mentor)

What is your favourite part of being involved with St Nicks? I love the positive environment we have created. I love the energy and enthusiasm that people bring to the nature reserve. I love the passion that people have for the environment around them and making a difference to it. I love that everyone involved cares.

Eithne, a young woman with brown hair tied back from her face, she has a fringe, two ear piercings visible and toroishell glasses. She is smiling widely at the camer

Eithne Phillips

Ecotherapy Officer (Green Corridors)

What is your favourite fact about nature? I am always mesmerised by nature. My favourite fact is from the findings of Dr Qing Li, professor and leading researcher of forest medicine. He has found that certain species of tree release phytoncides, chemical compounds or "tree essential oils". The positive impacts on human health is amazing; enhanced sleep, focus, energy levels and mood have all been reported as a direct result of time in spent woodlands.

christine, a white woman with long straight dark brown hair and blue eyes

Christine Banham

Ecotherapy Officer (Youth Mentor)

What is your favourite part of your job? I love sharing my love of nature with others. Seeing the spark of joy on a child's face when they spot a fox through a bush or a frog hopping by a beck is absolutely magic!

Sara Addy

Ecotherapy Officer (Mentor)

My favourite thing about nature? I love dahlia season on our family flower farm. Walking along the tall rows of dahlias, in every colour of the rainbow and seeing how they reach for the sky to get the maximum sunlight. I like to stand and watch the bees visiting all the different flowers. I find their gentle hum really relaxing and soothing. I love growing and using seasonal flowers to make bunches that I can give away to people, it brings me such joy.

Catriona, a young woman with long straight brown hair and blue eyes, in a woodland with bluebells

Catriona Strachan

Ecotherapy Officer (Admin)

What is your favourite part of nature? My favourite part of nature is the arrival of bluebell season, when my local woodland transforms into a sea of vibrant blues and purples. I look forward to it every year and am always mesmerised by the beauty and sense of calm it brings - so much so that I even named my cat ‘Bluebelle’ in honour of these gorgeous flowers.