Meet the Greenwich Park Revealed team

Job title:
Greenwich Park Revealed Programme Manager

What does your role involve? 
Co-ordinating the delivery of Greenwich Park Revealed, on time and on budget.

What is your background?
After graduating in botany I worked in Botanic Gardens at Oxford and Kew. Then came twenty years managing Country Parks in Staffordshire and Kent before landing my dream job as Park Manager of Greenwich Park in 2009.

What excites you about your role?
It took three years of hard work by a large team to get a successful National Lottery Heritage Fund award and just as we were about to start delivery the pandemic struck. Eighteen months later and we’re just getting going - I can’t wait! There are so many aspects to the project it’s hard to single out one; making the iconic view from Wolfe statue worthy of a World Heritage Site, then there is the archaeology, interpretation and some of the engagement events will be lots of fun – salsa dance classes around Wolfe anyone?

What do you think will be the biggest challenge?
The one thing about Greenwich Park that keeps me awake at night is tree pests and diseases. Our amazing historic avenues of trees are under attack and we need to plan for the future or they will not survive for another 350 years.

Job title:
Partnerships & Community Engagement Officer

What does your role involve?
I’m responsible for delivering the project’s activity plan. It’s a very varied role that involves recruiting and supporting volunteers and placement students, promoting the project to local communities and coordinating events and activities.

What is your background?
I worked with volunteers and conservation trainees at London Wildlife Trust for 11 years and prior to that worked as a Community Tutor teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

What excites you about your role?
I love being outdoors and going out into communities, meeting different people. I’m most excited about the project’s biodiversity enhancements and discovering the park’s social history – the lives of ordinary and extraordinary people connected to the park and how this links with the present day.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge?
Londoners are busy people so building a team of committed volunteers to help deliver the project – mobility buggy drivers, guided walks leaders, butterfly surveyors and history researchers will all play a vital role.

Job title:
Project Support Officer

What does your role involve?
Providing project administrative and organisational support for the delivery of the Greenwich Park Revealed Project.

What is your background?
My background is in cultural heritage and project management. Before joining The Royal Parks, I spent three years at the British Museum, supporting heritage and archaeological training projects in Sudan, Egypt and Iraq. I have a master’s degree in Cultural Heritage Studies and a BA in Spanish and History of Art.

What excites you about your role?
I am excited to work with a wide range of people, both within and outside The Royal Parks, and to help engage new communities with Greenwich Park by supporting the project’s delivery. I am interested in learning more about the Park’s heritage and helping the project to communicate its stories to new audiences. I can’t wait to see the transformations that the project will bring.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge?
As I’ll be new to The Royal Parks, my biggest challenge will be to learn how it operates as an organisation as I’ll work with colleagues from different departments and disciplines. I look forward to the challenge!

Job title:
Community Archaeologist for the Greenwich Park Revealed project

What does your role involve?
Being the first in-house archaeologist for The Royal Parks! I will develop and deliver community archaeology activities for the Greenwich Park Revealed project, working with the public, schools, volunteers, specialists and contractors, to uncover some of the park’s archaeological secrets.

What is your background?
I’ve worked as a community archaeologist for Kent County Council for more than ten years. We’ve run a series of fun and engaging projects in Kent at country parks, on commons and across Romney Marsh with local schools and even in collaboration with Leicester University, looking for evidence of Caesar’s landing place!

What excites you about your role?
Although digs have taken place in the park before, this will be the first project to look at the archaeology as a whole. There are an amazing collection of sites present, from Roman buildings to Anglo-Saxon burials, huge 17^th landscape features, to buried World War Two archaeology. I love the breadth of archaeology present and the opportunity to explore this historic landscape further.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge?
Making the most of the three years we have to run projects. This is a unique opportunity!

Job title:
Technical Officer -  promoted to Assistant Park Manager

What does your role involve?
I manage the Apprenticeship Scheme across the parks and work closely with Greenwich Parks Maintenance contractors in the day to day running of Greenwich Park.

What is your background?
I have worked in The Royal Parks for 10 years, starting as a seasonal gardener at St James’s Park and Hyde Park before being accepted onto The Royal Parks horticultural apprenticeship scheme. I continued to work as a horticultural team leader in Hyde Park before being given the opportunity to be trained by and a part of the Royal Parks management team in Greenwich Park in 2018.

What excites you about your role?
The creation of opportunities for people to connect with the park and its rich history through volunteering, apprenticeships and work placements is exciting along with the landscape and biodiversity enhancements that improve these opportunities.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge?
Ensuring the project sets the park up for the future. The increase in visitor numbers and the way the park is used has changed dramatically over the years. These pressures would take a toll on the park, its historic features and its biodiversity if nothing was done.

What’s your first task?
I joined in 2018 and my first task was to facilitate University of Greenwich students in setting up a mini-air quality station to record air quality inside and compare it to outside the park. It’s a long time since Charles Dickens used the description but the parks are still the “Lungs of London”.

Job title:
Technical Assistant

What does your role involve?
Providing administrative and organisational support for Greenwich Park, working with landscape maintenance and facilities contractors. Supporting the delivery of the Greenwich Park Revealed National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery Community Fund- funded project to reveal and restore the extraordinary heritage of Greenwich Park. This funding is supporting my role as part of the project delivery.

What is your background?
My background is in horticulture and community engagement. Previously, I was an apprentice gardener at St James’s Park, where I was able flourish in this field and secure the Technical Officer role at Greenwich Park.

I am the chair of my local tenants resident’s association (VGERTA) and have experience in guerrilla gardening neglected areas. With funding from the Mayor’s Grow Back Greener fund and working with Lambeth and Incredible Edible Lambeth, I was able to create a community garden called the Community Healing Garden. The main aims were to address food access, improve and increase biodiversity and build community cohesion through engaging with residents. You can check out the garden @communityhealinggarden on Instagram.

What excites you about your role?
I’m excited to work in a park steeped in so much history, from the ancient Saxon burial sites to the incredible old trees, some of which are more than 300 years old. I’m keen to learn as much as I can to ensure I help to deliver the Greenwich Park Revealed project to a high standard. I know that this project will bring huge benefits to the park itself and the local community who use the park, therefore I am looking forward to not only delivering this project, but exceeding expectations.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge is that I am new to the park and will have to get used to the different procedures and working with new staff from different departments. However, I believe I will get the support from colleagues to help ensure I perform to the best of my ability.

Job title:
Head of Landscape

What does your role involve?
I lead the Landscape Team to design and deliver landscape projects across all the Royal Parks. I develop strategies such as our park management and operations plans, tree strategies and area masterplans and lead our horticultural apprentice scheme.

What is your background?
I have spent the last 5 years developing the Greenwich Park Revealed project. I’m a landscape architect and project manager with a wide-ranging career including a decade working in environmental and social justice in Latin America. I’m a chartered landscape architect, have a masters degree in environmental management and a BA in Geography.

What excites you about your role?
To welcome a new team and starting work to deliver this awesome project! This is really big news in the landscape world and I can’t wait to recreate Le Notre’s vision. Ensuring the park will be here for another 500 years, improving facilities, creating habitats and welcoming new and diverse audiences is equally important.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge?
Developing good communication and teamwork with all the challenges the pandemic may throw at us. The scale and scope of the project is a challenge: making sure it delivers benefits for people and communities alongside the physical transformation. I hope that the huge amount we learn will be shared with colleagues and the wider landscape profession.

Job title: 
Landscape Project Manager

What does your role involve? 
I’m responsible for the landscape project management of the delivery of the landscape elements of Greenwich Park Revealed. This includes contract management, making sure we follow the industry regulations - called ‘CDM’, monitoring progress and ensuring the project is sustainable long-term.

What is your background?
I’m a Chartered Landscape Architect having previously worked in private practice in London and Kent. I’ve extensive on-site experience, notably acting as a Landscape Supervisor during the legacy transformation of the Olympic Park.

What excites you about your role?
The opportunity to be part of this amazing landscape-led project, from reinstating the Grand Ascent and re-commissioning the Victorian drinking fountains to utilising ground water to irrigate new trees. I am also very interested in addressing the emerging threats and effects of arboricultural diseases to the historic tree avenues.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge?
Greenwich Park is a much-loved and well used park by the local community. Managing the landscape works to limit disruption as much as possible will be a priority. I’m looking forward to talking about the project with the local community, as the project progresses.

Job Title:
Graduate Landscape Architect

What does your role involve?
Providing assistance in delivering the projects programme, working with the wider student landscape architect community. Providing technical drawings and documenting key information on habitat enhancement within Greenwich Park.

What is your background?
I started at The Regent’s Park on The Royal Parks’ apprenticeship scheme. I worked on planting schemes, especially around the waterfalls within Queen Mary Gardens. After completion of my Level 2-3 NVQ horticultural qualifications, I went on to graduate at Writtle University College in Landscape Architecture and this year I’ll have completed my Masters in Landscape Architecture.

What excites you about your role?
Starting to combine my educational experience and prior hands-on experience as a working horticulturalist, while working on fantastic landscape projects.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge?
Adapting to a new working experience in a studio/office and understanding the procedures of the day-to-day working pattern of a Landscape Architecture.

Job title:
Student Landscape Architect

What does your role involve?
I will be working alongside my landscape colleagues to enhance and restore the landscape of historic Greenwich Park, as well as making connections with the wider student landscape architect community.

What is your background?
I undertook an undergraduate course for Landscape Architecture at University of Gloucestershire and I am currently studying a postgraduate course here at University of Greenwich in Landscape Architecture.

What excites you about your role?
I’m excited to be connected to the park and to learn about its history while experiencing the changing seasonal look of Greenwich Park as I work here. I am looking forward to seeing all the restoration plans and designs being transformed into reality! Being able to keep the legacy of Andre Notre’s designs alive for many years to come and to many generation is what excites me the most!

What do you think will be the biggest challenge?
I’m hoping to deliver an exceptional job to keep this park incredible for generations to come! I’m up for a challenge!

Job title:
Volunteer Officer for The Royal Parks, supporting the work delivered through Greenwich Park Revealed

What does your role involve?
I’ll be working to expand the fantastic Volunteer Ranger Service that was recently introduced at Greenwich Park.

What is your background?
My background is in nature conservation, volunteer management, and environmental education. Most recently, before taking on this new role for The Royal Parks, I spent 3.5 years working as a Conservation Ranger in east London; leading local volunteers in practical conservation activities and projects, conducting wildlife surveys, developing and running our school sessions, and hosting nature inspired walks, talks, training, and community events.

What do you enjoy about supporting volunteers?
I enjoy having the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals who are kind enough to offer their time and expertise to promote the green spaces they love, and then encouraging and fostering that enthusiasm so that we can engage and inspire the local community and wider public about the fantastic heritage and wildlife that can be found on their doorstep!

What excites you about your role?
I’m excited to learn about the Park’s rich social and natural history, and then discovering the best ways these can be stories shared with the public.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge?
I think working alongside the teams on site and various stakeholder groups to develop a real understanding of the needs of this unique urban park, and then establishing a committed Volunteer Ranger Service that will deliver positive outcomes for Greenwich Park, its visitors, the local community, and wildlife.

What are the opportunities to volunteer at Greenwich Park?
We hope to open recruitment for the next round of Greenwich Park Volunteer Rangers at the end of April so do keep a lookout on social media and in our newsletter, but in the meantime there are lots of volunteering opportunities to be found on our website.

Job title:
Landscape CAD Technician

What does your role involve?
As Landscape CAD Technician I am tasked with delivering clear and concise drawings for the Greenwich Parks Revealed team and The Royal Parks.

What is your background?
I have worked extensively within the Landscape Architecture discipline for many years providing CAD support and training for both small and larger sized practices.

What excites you about your role?
It’s great to be a member of a team that is dedicated in delivering a project that will benefit so many people in the local community.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge?
Getting to know all the various projects within Greenwich Park and to provide drawings that will enable these to be completed efficiently whilst assisting other team members with advice in order to achieve this.