About me

Early Basic - Born Derby in 1981, I did pretty well at school, met some quality friends and tried my hand at most things, sport being the favourite with language having the fear factor. Below is me (in the blue) at my leaving party with Kush and Mike (Steve Holt).

More recent – Spent an incredible gap year teaching at Chevalier College 2 hours from Sydney. Had a quality fellow gappie in Oli, the students were a laugh and the boarding house tutors and staff were legends. Three years at Leeds University getting a BA Economics and Politics. Easily the best thing was the amazing friends I made, however, still trying to work out exactly what I learnt there. This shouldn’t be seen as some masculine boast of all the ‘dedication to the lash’ I was involved in but the sad state of higher level education where 100’s pack into lecture theatres, seminars are like morgues and exams just encourage regurgitation rather than the ability to critically analyse – although recently I realised that having a population of critical analytical adults would be a bit of a bitch to govern, they might ask questions! So perhaps standardised production line education is for the best?

After Leeds I had an awesome 4 months in north Ghana doing volunteering and that was when I realised I wanted to be involved in development. A fun 6 month round the world trip via South East Asia, Oz, NZ, Fiji and the perfect San Francisco followed. I then spent a grueling 12 months in Manchester doing an MA in International Development where I learnt the world is a tad unfair, that the luxurious lifestyle we enjoy in the industrialised world is a large contributor to poverty and became a bit critical.

After my MA spent 4 months searching for work before I was rescued by securing an internship at Village AiD – a superb international development organisation based in Bakewell, Derbyshire who work in partnership with community based organisations in West Africa, www.villageaid.org and if anyone is looking for a worthy cause to donate to get on their website and give give give! 

Interests outside Development/travel etc.

I’m a big music fan and so hate the X-factor and all that manufactured trash that’s currently being churned out. I’m more into hip-hop, soul, funk, alt-folk and whatever you call Aim. Artists I like – Braintax (a god), Bloc Party, King’s of Leon, The Roots, Terri Walker, Sharon Jones, Jurassic 5, Quannum records, tru thoughts records, Turin Brakes, anything Kush throws my way.Random comedy and cinema are all good, and give me my friends and family anyday. Don’t do much else.