Our Team
Bushcraft experts, song singers, tent builders, and marshmallow toasting professionals!
We work with the very best instructors there are to make your school camp as amazing it can be. All of our team are fully trained and highly experienced. They are patient and inspiring educators and all of them are passionate about what we do.
"All the staff members were outstanding, the camp was fully inclusive for all the children."
"Great staff, nothing was too much trouble."
Would you like to join our team? Find out how here!
Craig Geddes
FOUNDER AND company Director
Craig has been providing amazing adventure education experiences to young people and adults for nearly two decades, and has lived and worked in high altitude mountains, artic, and desert environments. Having lead school camps and adventure activities with some of the best providers in the world, Craig founded The Outdoors People to allow him to deliver the very best adventure education experiences to as many people as possible.
From the smallest moment, to the loudest camp, to the biggest mountain – he is passionate about the power of the outdoors to change lives. He sees immense value in providing unique, safe and fun experiences that inspire people to be the best "them" they can be.
Craig is qualified in a wide range of adventure activities including bushcraft, climbing, mountain walking, power boating, canoeing and kayaking, and mountain biking.
Kelly Gimson
Programme Director
When not out delivering outstanding camps, Kelly is our Programme Director! With over 10 years’ experience working in the wildlife conservation sector, there has always been an element of the outdoors in everything she does. This experience led Kelly to start her journey of becoming an adventure education instructor. In her professional sphere, she focuses on paddle sports, mountaineering, and bushcraft.
Her favourite thing about instructing is watching students start their own outdoors journey, but ultimately she thinks there’s nothing more important than children learning to have fun in life.
In her spare time Kelly runs her own pet portrait business and spends as much time as possible in the mountains.
Mark McFadzean
Chief Instructor
Mark spends his winters leading expeditions in the Australian Outback and his summers running camps for The Outdoors People. He his passionate about bushcraft skills and devotes his boundless energy to inspiring the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts.
In his own time, Mark can be found hiking, running and camping; or exploring the countryside in his converted vans – one for each of the continents he calls home!
Dr Lucy Spencer
Lead Administrator
Lucy is a highly skilled administrator who is employed as a data scientist for the Department of Health. Beyond her paid work with us, she is passionate about the educational mission of The Outdoors People and donates some of her free time to design and build code that helps us work more efficiently.
When not staring at spreadsheets, Lucy can be found working on her Olympic style weight lifting… or being encouraged to get some fresh air by her outdoors instructor partner!
Clair Giles
Camp Director
Clair has worked in the Outdoor Learning sector for twenty years throughout the UK as well as across Europe and New Zealand. She is always passionate about being in the outdoors and is keen to share this enthusiasm with others. She gets great satisfaction from encouraging people to try new things and broaden their horizons and promises us this isn't just code for making people eat bugs!
Clair has a range of qualifications in both land and water based activities and is an Accredited Practitioner of the Institute for Outdoor Learning.
Dave Giles
Camp Director
More than twenty years ago, Dave studied Outdoor Education at college and hasn't looked back since! Whether he's out sailing or rooting around building shelters in the woods, Dave likes nothing more than introducing people to a challenge and encouraging them to succeed.
Dave has a very wide range of qualifications in both land and water based activities and is one of our most experienced, and loudest, instructors!
Maddie Sweetman
Camp Director
After discovering a love of the mountains and the outdoors whilst at University, Maddie has spent the last 12 years introducing a diverse range of adults and young people to the activities she loves. She has worked at both a delivery and strategic level, with a focus on designing activity programmes that are inclusive for people of all backgrounds.
Managing to balance her work with as many climbing trips as possible, she enjoys trying all the unusual foods you can sample on camp and in the wild, and always claims any leftover marshmallows once the children have gone home!
Duncan Kendrick
Camp Director
With over twenty years experience in Adventurous activities, Duncan has been able to mix his passion and enjoyment for the outdoors with the fulfillment that helping people develop and grow brings. With qualifications and experience in a huge variety of outdoor activities, he appreciates and understands the benefits and excitement of trying things for the first time.
Duncan’s organised and thoughtful approach to learning and development is reflected in his approachable style. He prides himself on being a “people person” and on being able to unlock the potential in everyone.
Katie Morrell
Camp Director
Katie has been an activity instructor for over 10 years, working at various centres and climbing walls throughout the UK. She regularly travels to the United Arab Emirates in the winter season to instruct climbing, archery, and paddlesports. Katie’s favourite thing about instructing is being able to give people new adventures and she loves nothing more than the sparkle in their eyes when they fall in love with the experience.
Having spent time teaching English as a foreign language in Thailand, and teaching Scuba Diving in the UAE, France and Spain; Katie’s newest endeavour is her company KT Outdoors UK.
Outside of all things outdoorsy, Katie loves nothing more than to make a mess with arts and crafts as well as practise juggling and slacklining, or, her most recent project: the Ukulele.
Jess Byrne
Lead Instructor
Even from a young age, Jess has always had a passion for being in the outdoors. As a teenager, she completed all levels of the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme and went on to do a degree in Outdoor Leadership and Coaching which she completed in 2018.
Jess has been working in the outdoor industry since 2016 and is a qualified Mountain Leader and Rock Climbing Instructor.
In her spare time, Jess can be found rock climbing with her partner, or training for ultra marathon races in the mountains with her two spaniels!
Vikki Jones
Camp Instructor
Splitting her career between outdoor education and adventure travel, Vikki has been working in these industries for 15 years. Living and working at at adventure camps in Australia, France, the UAE and the UK, Vikki enjoys sharing her passion for the outdoors with others, taking people on adventures, and delivering life-long educational outcomes through experiential learning. A lover of variety, in Iceland, she lead people on the frozen glaciers and in Africa she took groups out on safari!
She loves to travel, learn about other cultures, and learn about the flora and fauna in other countries. In her free time, she likes to climb, go for bike rides, and hike in the mountains.
