Staff Profiles

Paul Birchell

Business Manager

Originally from Sussex, Paul has lived and worked in the South East and Scotland as well as Australia and Germany before settling in the South West.  After studying Business and Economics as a mature student his career has been a mixture of retail management, outdoor instruction and management development training.

Paul's main focus in recent years has been developing activity based and interactive development programmes which challenge people to think deeply about their own behaviour, communication patterns and effectiveness.  His areas of specialism include team facilitation, coaching, high impact training and development.

Paul's passion for the outdoors encompasses many activities:  he has climbed, mountaineered and skied widely across the UK, the Alps and in North America.  He has paddled many of the rivers in the West Country and Wales as well as much of the Devon and Cornwall coastline. He also surfs and kitesurfs.

Paul now lives in Plymouth with his wife, Emma, and two children, Katie and Thomas.
 
Favourite Place – Chair Ladder, Cornwall.  Fantastic sea cliff climbing with a great sense of isolation.
Favourite Cake – Anything homemade!
Mountain or Beach – Please don’t make me choose between them!  To quote Bill Tillman “It doesn’t matter where you go or what you do while you are there, what matters is who you do it with”.

Qualifications
BCU Level 2 Inland Kayak Coach
Summer Mountain Leader
Single Pitch Award
Mountain Instructor Award (Trained)
First Aid Trained
CIPD Certificate in Training Practice
Associate Member, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

Sean Rider

Lead Instructor

Sean became involved with the outdoors at an early age. His paddling career started with a one hour taster session at a local venue with his scout group and quickly progressed with a kayaking club, run from a small pool at his school. He studied Activity Leadership for three years at College, which opened the door to the outdoor industry. Sean has now been based in the south west for over 10 years and through his high standard of delivery and professionalism has earned himself an excellent reputation in the region.

White water kayaking is Sean’s main outdoor passion, one which has taken him on trips all over Europe, including Norway and Slovenia.

Favourite Cake - Lemon Drizzle Cake
Mountains or Beach - A valley in between two mountains.

Qualifications
Single Pitch Award
Summer Mountain Leader
BCU Level 5 Inland Kayak Coach Trained
BCU Level 3 Canoe Coach
BCU Level 3 Sea Kayak Coach Trained
BCU 4 Star Inland Kayak Assessor/Provider
Foundation Safety and Rescue Training Assessor
Power Boat Safety Boat (Coastal Endorsed)

Jamie Alcock

Lead Instructor

Ann Fisher

Instructor

Originally from Essex, Ann went to a youth club at a local outdoor activities centre at the age of 12. From then on she was hooked. Spending increasing amounts of time at the centre assisting the instructors and volunteering with various groups, she decided a career working in the outdoors was for her. Ann has worked in outdoor centres in Cornwall, Devon and North Wales. Ann’s favourite part of the job is getting others involved in the outdoors and seeing them develop, as well as getting to spend the summer days outside.

A keen climber and paddler she is happiest by the sea, be it hanging from a sea cliff or exploring the coastline in a boat. These activities have taken Ann on many trips around the world. She has enjoyed Sea Kayaking around the Greek Island of Milos, Canoeing the Missinaibi River in Canada and sport climbing in the Spanish sunshine. Next up, Ann intends on further exploring the many wonderful places the UK has to offer with some climbing and paddling in Pembrokeshire, Wales and the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

Away from outdoor activities, Ann has a love of anything sporty. Football, squash, netball, snowboarding and cricket are just a few of the sports she enjoys to play. If she can manage to find any other time in the day she also enjoys juggling, fire poi, photography and learning to play the guitar.
 
Favourite Place – Somewhere on the north coast of Cornwall, by the sea.
Favourite Cake – Eccles Cake
Mountain or Beach – Beach, but preferably one with a view up to the mountains!!!

Qualifications
BCU Level 3 Sea Kayak Coach
BCU Level 3 Inland Kayak Coach
BCU Level 3 Trained Canoe Coach
Summer Mountain Leader
Mountain Instructor Award
BOF Level 2 Coach
First Aid Trained

Jess Underhill

Instructor

Paul Bayliss

Instructor

Paul has been working in the outdoors for the last 10 years.  From an early age Paul was involved in the Cadets where he developed his passion for the outdoors both on land and in the water.  Following this, three years at university saw him complete a degree in Outdoor Education before he started working at the National White Water Centre in Wales. Since then Paul has worked as a Freelance Instructor across both England and Wales and has recently settled in Devon.

In his spare time Paul’s main passions are kayaking and mountaineering which have given him a good reason to travel around the world finding new places to have adventures.  Having just arrived back from a European winter season he is looking forward to filling his summer evenings with warm rocks and good surf.

Favourite Place - Mandakini River, India
Favourite Cake - Hot Chocolate fudge cake with cream
Mountain or Beach - Mountain - you’ll always find a beach on the way down a river!!!

Qualifications
BCU Level 4 Inland Coach
BCU 4* Kayak Assessor    
BCU Level 2 Canoe Coach
BCU 4* Canoe
BCU Level 1 Raft Guide – Canolfan Tryweryn
Rescue 3 White Water Rescue Technician
Rescue 3 Advanced Swift Water Rescue Technician
RYA Level 3 Sailing  (Coastal)
RYA Level 2 Power Boating  (Coastal)
RYA Level 1 Windsurfing
Single Pitch Award
Summer Mountain Leader Training
Basic Expedition Leader Award
GNAS Archery Leader
BSCA MTB Off Road Leader
BOF Teacher Leader
First Aid at Work

Rachel Driver

Sam Lanchbery

Housekeeper

Sam is a Devonshire lass and feels very lucky to live and work in Tavistock with everything she loves on her doorstep; her family, her dog, the countryside, Dartmoor and a bustling and vibrant town. Sam loves the friendly and welcoming atmosphere created by The Adventure Centre. Sam is also a Textile and Surface Pattern Designer, producing original designs for interior furnishings, giftware and ceramics (in her spare time!). She enjoys taking her collie dog for long walks on the moors and whenever she can she photographs the local scenery.

Favourite Place – I really like all of Devon’s landscapes, but as I have family in Scotland I love Edinburgh and the Scottish lochs too.
Favourite Cake – Carrot cake or warm chocolate fudge cake with lashings of clotted cream and ice cream.
Mountains or Beach – Although I love the sea it’s got to be the mountains, the views would be amazing.