Trustees

Mike King

Chair of Trustees

I was appointed as a Trustee in Feb 2010 and have now the privilege of supporting IOL in becoming the Chair of the Trustee Board. I started working in the outdoors when I was a 16yr old apprentice and now 30 years later I have the privilege of continuing to enable people to engage with the outdoor environment. Through this journey in the outdoors I have overseen the development of Releasing Potential which is an education charity that comprises of an Independent Special School, Academic Institute and Forest Schools amongst its interests. I became a trustee as I believe that interaction (in any form) with the outdoors is a positive vehicle for change in people’s lives, enabling them to understand who they are and what they can become.

I look forward to serving the Institute, meeting members of the organisation and helping to develop relationships that supports a positive interaction with the outdoors for the whole of society.

Mark Lavington

Trustee

I was honoured to be appointed to the Board in March 2018 as a Trustee. I have been enjoying the outdoors since escaping inner-city Cardiff in the late 70s with the Scouts, canoeing in the Lakes with Lancaster University, and 25 years of walking and cycling all over the UK, Europe and more exotic locations including Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan and China – interspersed with teaching science and 25 years working for PGL. The Outdoors can be transformational – not least for those of us who grow and develop through working in it. My passion these days is for working to ensure that the outdoor workforce has access to fit-for-purpose training and assessment programmes that can stand shoulder to shoulder with other better understood sectors. This is hugely interesting time for IOL and I look forward to working with the Trustee team and Executive.

Nick O'Loughlin

Trustee

II have been involved in outdoor learning all my professional life, although I don’t really remember a time before spending it in the outdoors. I have been a Trustee since 2017 and I am currently Head of Geography and Curricular Coordinator at AKS Lytham; using the outdoors to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the students whenever possible. I organise at least two whole year group residentials each academic year, and often either coordinate or accompany many more! Following on from completing an MA in Educational Management and Leadership, where I looked into the perceived benefits of educational visits on GCSE attainment, I am currently working towards a PhD, investigating the lived experiences of subject leaders who are prepared to organise learning outside the classroom opportunities. Before becoming a teacher, I worked at an outdoor centre in the Lake District and I am also currently a trustee for the Field Studies Council.

Asa Gurden

Trustee

It was a privilege to be co-opted as a IOL trustee in 2018. I’ve been working in the outdoors since volunteering at my local Scout site at the age of 15. Having got the bug for being in nature and sharing adventures and I went on to do one season in an instructor role. Many years later, in what must surely be the longest season ever, I now work in the voluntary sector for the Scouts looking after Scout Adventures.
I’ve joined the trustees of IOL as I think the voluntary sector plays an important role in both enabling young people to have truly life changing experiences outdoors well as providing a great route into becoming a practitioner either as a volunteer or in a paid position.
It’s an exciting time to be part of IOL and I look forward to working with the team to bring our aspirations to life whilst making sure we also represent the vast voluntary sector that contributes so much to young people getting outside.

Dan Cook

Trustee

Growing up in and having a heritage in the outdoors meant it was inevitable I would continue along that path albeit with various dispersions into other sectors such as engineering and food manufacture. From working in outdoor centres, local authorities, national governing bodies, adult education and in commercial and third sector environments, I am currently the National Cycle Infrastructure Manager at Forestry England. In order to provide fantastic outdoor learning experiences for visitors to the nations forests, I continuously draw on my own and others shared learning; often returning to my initial motivations in the outdoors where my groups returned from activities saying ‘that was brilliant’ and ‘when can we do that again?’.

Having innovated and developed NGB qualifications and directly benefited from the IOL qualification pathway, I am committed to enable engagement in the outdoors across society and to help in being part of IOL’s increasing support in positively transforming lives.