Hanpadge

I came into contact with permaculture for the first time when cycling across the Pyranees from Bilbao to Barcelona with Brake the Cycle, visiting permaculture projects and communities along the way, I was immediately hooked! As soon as I got back to the UK I signed up for a PDC with Shift Bristol and after three glorious months visiting incredible projects in the South West and Wales my focus had shifted (pardon the pun) from community engagement, which is my background, to encompass the whole magical ecosystem that permaculture weaves through. I couldn't believe that throughout my degree in ceramic design and my masters in design for development I hadn't heard of permaculture design, it provided the ethos and holistic approach I had been searching for. I wanted to go deeper so I signed up for the year long part time Practical Sustainability Course with Shift Bristol, also known as 'the shift course', it was life changing. I left my job with cycling and walking charity Sustrans and went volunteering for seven months to some incredible farms, market gardens, woodlands and smallholdings getting a feel for the direction I wanted to go. I ended up, after various twists and turns, in the Hay on Wye area where I make cheese for Neals Yard Creamery and work for the Ecological Land Coop as their community development manager. I also set up Hay Regenerative Soils CIC to run a compost club and have been involved in various ways with the Hay Food Resilience Initiative.