Lisa Dickinson
Lisa has nearly 15 years of experience working in the private sector, leading a wide range of people, cultural and IT change and transformation projects and programmes including a focus on strategy definition as well as Diversity and Inclusion.
With a background in Scouting and Guiding, Lisa has always had an interest in spending time in the outdoors. Most recently, she focused her efforts on her whitewater kayaking. She went from hating water and not being able to swim to becoming a qualified whitewater leader in 2021 and has spent the last year helping support other women who want to build their confidence in whitewater as a #ShePaddles Ambassador for British Canoeing. She’s now working towards her whitewater coach award. Outside of paddling, Lisa is also a keen climber and walker and has recently completed her Mountain Leader training.
Lisa has first-hand experience of courses at Plas y Brenin and is excited about the opportunity to use her corporate and outdoor experience to help the MTT further grow their mission of helping people get active in the outdoors.
Tony Halliwell
Tony started instructing in the outdoors as a volunteer, whilst working as a qualitative market researcher, first at agencies in London and then running his own business, but soon after qualifying as an MCI in the late 1990s he was offered his first “professional” work, at PyB, and thus began a transition to becoming a full-time instructor. Tony’s main work areas have been as technical advisor at centres/climbing walls, a provider of MTE courses, many years of Scottish winter climbing instruction and overseas trekking peaks expeditions leader (mainly Nepal).
Tony was Chair of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors from 2009-2011, a director of MTUKI 2014-2017, a director and then Vice Chair of Mountain Training England 2018-2023. He is now serving a second term as MTT director, nominated by MTE. He is almost (but not quite completely) retired and does his best to be a still-active climber and mountaineer.
Ben Coates
Ben is an experienced public sector leader having worked across a range of central Government departments including the Foreign Office and Ministry of Justice. He led the Foreign Office’s flagship international education programme Chevening and Marshall and is currently Chief of Staff at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Britain’s equality regulator. he is a Trustee for Diverse Cymru, a Welsh equalities charity, a mentor for the Social Mobility Commission and serves as a Magistrate on the Cardiff bench. Ben is a keen climber, hiker and runner with a passion for the outdoors.
Mike Rosser
Mike is a qualified teacher, Mountain Instructor and International Mountain Leader with 45 years of personal experience of trekking, climbing and mountaineering worldwide, and has built a career around managing risk in the outdoors and teaching others those skills.
Having spent 25 years as a teacher and lecturer of PE, Sports Science and Outdoor Education, Mike then began working for Mountain Training England, managing the providers of Mountain Training schemes.
For the next 15 years, Mike was Manager and Director of Jagged Globe/Adventureworks and Outlook Expeditions – companies that organised mountaineering and trekking expeditions for adults and school groups worldwide – from Everest to the jungles of Borneo.
Currently, Mike works as an Education Visits Advisor to schools across Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham, an Inspector for various accreditation schemes and consultant providing advice, training and guidance for bodies working in the outdoors. Mike is Chair of Mountain Training Cymru and the Adventure Activities Industry Advisory Committee, and a member of the UK Adventure Industry Group that is currently working with the Health and Safety Executive to develop an industry-led accreditation to replace the Adventurous Activity Licensing Scheme.
Fiona Sanders
Since my appointment in September last year, I have supported the CEO in bringing about financial stability and helped raise the profile with strategic partnerships in the sector to prepare the organisation for growth. I have also focused the Board on developing strategic intent, alongside good governance practise, reinstating committee structures and recruiting new trustees against a new skills matrix.
My concurrent roles comprise BMC – national governing body – Chair of the Partners Assembly which aims to enable membership and representative bodies to achieve more by acting together than they could achieve on their own. Outcomes include Your movement matters survey, agreement on safeguarding recording and the supporting of the mountain safety forum and Adventure Smart. Also, Friends of the Lakes- membership organisation that works to protect and enhance the landscapes of Cumbria. Trustee –sitting on the strategic review group and finance committee.
My business/work experience has always been in developing strategic intent, change management with associated leadership development and executive coaching. This began at the National Grid when it was privatised and led me into running my own company, and in more recent years to senior volunteer roles. My personal expertise was as a transformational organisational development consultant for over 20 years working with both profit and not for profit organisations to help them develop and implement strategies for making step changes in their organisations, dealing with difficult situations or creating new ways of delivering. Having been an employer/manager I understand the dynamics of human resource management, which is supported by a Degree in Business Studies and a Masters in HRM.
I’ve supported organisations such as: Lake District National Park, O2, Ventura, Basildon District Council, Gravesham Borough Council, Newsquest International, Cable & Wireless, Ministry of Defence, Emergency Planning College, Scottish Executive, Honeywell & Orange. I have also been a strong contributor as a consultant for the CIPD & Ashridge.
Since my retirement I have supported the outdoor sector through my work at the BMC which led me to obtain the George Band award for volunteer contribution to mountaineering. My most recent role was Director oversight for delivering the organisational review recommendations, EDI and chairing the partners assembly.
My passion for the outdoors started at a young age when I sailed with my parents, then moved on to caving, undertaking many tricky pot holes in the UK and going on explorative trips, including the then Yugoslavia and bottoming some of France’s deepest pot holes e.g. Gouffre Bourger.
I have been a traditional rock climber for over 25 years, starting much of my climbing in North Wales, many of my climbing partners having been instructors with PyB or more widely in the sector. I am a member of both the Pinnacle Club and The Climbers’ Club. Over the years, I have undertaken extended trips to the USA and Europe. I have also had a number of seasons in the Alps and progressed to climbing/scrambling higher mountains. These experiences taught me two things, it’s tricky to be successful when you are a part of a minority (I was the second only President of the Climbers Club) and training and mentoring is critical to survival and advancement (my club membership provided me with much support).
My work experience showed that bringing out and developing communication; leadership and self-reliance qualities in people, teams and organisations, along with helping plan and implement strategies that actively help achieve organisational goals, can make a marked difference in what can be achieved.
Our national outdoor centre has been part of my community and its outcomes have enabled so many to deliver for the sector and as it is recognised as the go to place for excellence in outdoor development and assessment. I want to ensure that the centre remains a national asset for anyone wanting to get outdoors.
Frances Anderson
Frances Anderson is a co-opted director of MTT. She is a commercial lawyer with decades of experience in advising charities and not-for-profit organisations on governance and legal issues. She has historically advised MTT on substantial contractual matters. She was most recently a partner at VWV LLP, advising charities, universities, local authorities, manufacturing and commercial organisations on intellectual property and technology matters. Frances has served as a trustee/non-executive director of housing associations, arts and media organisations and educational establishments. She is currently a non-executive director of ABRSM and a trustee of the Moseley Society. She has a lifelong interest in mountains and related recreational activities.
Pete Herd
Early Life
I grew up in Northern Scotland where I felt a natural affinity with adventure sport. I had quite a traditional ‘apprenticeship’ in that it started with the hills: snowboarding, fell running and carrying my mountain bike up local Munros. This developed into scrambling and when I went to Uni, summer trad climbing became the focus. Naturally this segued into winter climbing too. We all learned a lot during those formative years. I enjoyed the social aspects of climbing and got some experience of responsibility with the uni club, so I thought I could make it my job too.
My career began...
in climbing walls and with local schools kids. I wanted to specialise in climbing and on the advice of a few more experienced friends, moved to North Wales to work on the Plas y Brenin ‘AI’ scheme. Fast forward a few years and I’ve ‘settled down’ in North Wales. I’m now a part time member of the the instructional team, specialising in climbing and mountain sports. I work year round on most of the skills courses and a few of the qualification ones.
Adventure-wise
I’m keen on new experiences and partnership. I like aesthetic lines and cool textures. I like the alchemy of putting it all together - the planning, the training the anticipation, the event. I like conspiratorially devouring a bag of sweets on a belay ledge and waiting for the sugar rush to take the mind off cramping arms. I like the quietness of focus and the rawness of an all out scrap.
Achievements
- Graduating from Uni.
- My first outdoor job. My then employer saw something in me he thought worth fostering. We’re still mates.
- Getting on the ‘AI’ scheme and passing the MIA (now MCI).
- Buying a house and getting a job.
- All the trips climbing, biking and hanging out in cool places with my partner, Amy.
- Scottish trip to the states questing about in an RV. Wide eyed and learning to jam quickly at Indian Creek, Castleton Tower, Moonlight Buttress, Rainbow Wall.
- Bikepacking trips through the Scottish mountains. Testing ‘hike-a-bikes’ and big descents.
- The stars (finally) alligning and getting to climb Parralell B and Polyphemus gullies, V,5, on Lochnagar in the same day.
- Winter Cuillin Ridge. An opportunistic skip along with my pal Lou. Crisp snow aretes, squeeky neve, light and free.
- Any of the trad scraps where I’ve really tested my tenacity and climbing skill. It’s happened at almost every grade.
- Catching the top of the crag on the first ascent of Hyperborea, E7 7a. Finding it, feeling inspired, working it alone, injury, doubt, falling off the top on redpoint, the supportive partners.
- The Disposessed E7 6c, Ogwen. A serendipitous belay from Tim, just before the door slammed shut for the season.
- Climbing my first font 8A, a cool arete in the Ogwen valley. I set a goal, trained hard and put the time in.
- Trips to Taghia with a load of mates. Utterly compelling doable-in-a-day climbs on perfect rock in a wicked place.
Aspirations
I’d be stoked to do more of the same really. Keep going with what motivates me at the time. I’ve been surfing and biking a bit recently so hope to continue enjoying those too. More ice climbing in the winter months would be nice. I’d like to further develop my coaching too.
Grace Alsancak-Hay
My first experiences of the outdoors came through school residentials and completing the Duke of Edinburgh award, it wasn't until many years later that it would become major part of my life. After spending over 20 years immersed in the world of 'Springboard and Platform' diving as both an athlete and latterly a full-time coach I decided to change up my career and registered on the Fast Track Programme at Plas y Brenin with the goal of becoming an outdoor instructor. I love the variety of working as an instructor and giving people the chance to challenge themselves and grow with new challenges and experiences.
Achievements
In the summer of 2014, I was part of a two-person team who kayaked source to sea of the Mississippi river in America for charity. In 2019 I walked 500 miles from Brest in France to Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Ambitions
I want to develop my skills as an instructor further by working towards my MCI and Winter ML. I want to go on many more adventures around the world and at home in the UK, exploring mountains rivers and crags, seeking out scenic places and exciting challenges.
Gareth Davies
I started climbing and mountaineering with my father at about the age of 8 or 9 and loved big adventures in the Hills of Eryri and the Lake District. I started working in the outdoors in the Yorkshire Dales and first came to work at Plas y Brenin in 2001. For most of my career I have been involved with Outdoor Education, introducing people to the great outdoors and training and assessing on National Governing Body awards such as Summer Mountain Leadership.
I still love climbing and mountaineering and am looking forward to more Scottish Winters and Alpine Summers.
I would love to climb Aber Falls in winter, traverse Dream of White Horses with my daughters, make an ascent of Salbitschijen West Ridge and complete the new Traws Eryri mountain bike route.
