Celebrating our Outdoor Trainees
How one successful traineeship led to another in the North West

I feel very lucky that I was able to be part of a traineeship that allowed me to explore myself and learn new skills to further my career and development.Abbie, former Trainee (right) with Theonitsa (left)

Theonitsa at our Low Beckside Farm Learning site in Cumbria

Outdoor Learning Officer, Alison, with Outdoor Learning Trainee, Theonitsa celebrating the National Lottery, as the Heritage Fund is one of CPAN’s funders

Providing opportunities for young people to forge careers in Outdoor Learning is an important part of The Ernest Cook Trust’s work, so we are proud that one project we are involved in – Connecting People and Nature – has already led to two traineeships.
And while our first trainee, Abbie, has moved on – but, luckily for us, continues to work on the Connecting People and Nature (CPAN) project – we have now welcomed a new trainee, Theonitsa, in her place.
CPAN is a three-year project based in Lancashire, and launched in 2023. It is being delivered jointly by the Trust with the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust.
Its focus is on promoting nature, wellbeing and Outdoor Learning by engaging with communities and schools, and training community leaders in how to plan and run their own outdoor activities.
Abbie spent a full and immersive year with us, learning a wide range of skills including working with children, young people and families, understanding a young person’s world, and she even took a hedge laying course. Abbie also became Forest School leader. It’s testament to the quality of training she received through the Trust that she was able to move on in her career so quickly, joining our CPAN partner, Forest of Bowland National Landscape, as Connecting People and Nature Community Engagement Officer.
Now we have welcomed Theonitsa to the Trust. She works closely with our Outdoor Learning Officer, Alison, and was recently involved in the second community leaders training course. She is making great new connections and taking advantage of a wealth of training opportunities.
A primary school teacher, and hailing from Cyprus, Theonitsa wanted to develop her career beyond mainstream education,
I was looking for a direction to go into, and had grown up enjoying taking part in youth camps in the mountains, which I became a volunteer for when I was older. I was interested in learning, working with children and with nature and wanted a career that would combine these.
Theonitsa moved to the UK to take a Masters in Outdoor and Experiential Learning at the University of Cumbria. When she graduated, she became an education assistant in Pembrokeshire, before joining the Trust as our new Outdoor Learning Trainee for CPAN.
“My role involves working with schools helping to train teachers in how they can take their curriculum outside, and working with communities to arrange sessions around the needs of the people of the group, to get them outside.
“I feel this role is very interactive, with lots of opportunities for me to explore different paths, and many people for me to talk to or shadow. I would really encourage people to go into an apprenticeship, especially those who want to explore an area they are passionate about but need some scaffolding to gain experience and deeper understanding of the options available to them.”
Theonitsa is loving her role, and one of her most memorable moments so far has been helping to move hay bales by wheelbarrow, at our farm in Cumbria.
I loved doing it, and people really understood and saw what I like – being outside and doing things in nature.
Abbie said the traineeship with The Ernest Cook Trust had given her an opportunity to follow a passion for nature and explore a new career path, which she would otherwise have struggled to get into.
She said, “I left school and entered the working world of leisure, but always has a strong rooted passion for nature. This traineeship offered me a more practical, hands-on learning environment and every experience I had during my traineeship has led me to where I am today, and I am very grateful for that.”
Vicki, our Head of Learning, Operations & Partnerships (Cumbria/Lancashire), said:
It’s great to see Abbie’s career progression, through the trajectory of connecting people with nature. Her training, alongside the experience of working with the team, has enabled her to step into her new role, which is a great success. This in turn has opened up an opportunity for Theonitsa to join.”
To find out more about the Connecting People and Nature project, follow this link:
View our privacy policy.