OUR TEAM

As Willowgate’s Centre Manager, Adam has been here since the start. He sets his mind towards making sure the charity is always moving forward and that the local community always has a place here.

When not pushing Willowgate forward, Adam spends his time delivering a large range of British Canoeing courses and helping people from all over get a start on their outdoor career journey. When not at Willowgate you’ll find Adam either on a paddleboard, testing his limits, white water kayaking or hanging out with his favourite pal Tulla the Black Lab.

Contact: [email protected]

As our Senior Instructor, Dave is tasked with rallying the troops as well as organising and delivering our D of E programme. He has heaps of experience in a range of outdoor activities and has spent many a summer on Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, bestowing his skills onto others.

In his canoe, he’s ran thrilling descents down rivers, although he’s just as at home nimbly scooting through white water in a kayak. When we’re not keeping him busy at Willowgate, he’s well out of our reach walking up mountains and climbing some precarious rock faces.

Contact: [email protected]

Sam was the very first instructor we brought on board many years ago and we've yet to find an activity he hasn’t aced. He’s particularly experienced at working with people with additional support needs and runs our ASN Club and Wednesday Club. He now helps to lead our team from the front and is a great example and help to all of our new instructors.

A mad cyclist, if you see someone speeding past you at Willowgate, give him a wave because it’s probably Sam.

Adam T, and we can see why! He’s our resident Robin Hood, known for his impressive archery skills. Nowadays though, his agile white-water paddleboarding technique could probably give his archery skills a run for its money.

For three summers he’s returned to our team and he is always raring to learn something new.

Our very own admin-receptionist extraordinaire has been with us over 4 years and can be found behind her desk smiling, sorting out the customers' every need and keeping us all in check. Most mornings she braves the cold and goes open water swimming in our lagoon, before getting warmed up and settling in for the day’s work in reception. Sometimes she will even get roped into helping run a shelter build or team challenge session, which she is more than happy to do because, like everyone else who works here, she loves the outdoors. Val is the warm welcoming face every organisation needs!

You'll see Bob all over Willowgate; either in his tractor, helping a fisherman, fixing something we've broken or building us something new!

Bob is an experienced groundskeeper, gamesman and fisherman and we're very fortunate to have him as part of our team. Always happy to help out and a dab hand at almost anything, you'll never see Bob without his smile or quick wit!

Hayely is always working behind the scenes to help with everything from staff admin, marketing, design work to occasionally helping us deliver activities.

Like the rest of us Hayely is an outdoor lover and since starting at Willowgate has joined in with almost every tour or course going! She's particularly fallen for paddleboarding and can often be seen joining in with our Thursday SUP Club or being persuaded by instructors to head out on to white water on a SUP.

Always ready to get stuck in to anything and brings an uplifting, happy and positive vibe to our office!

Stu is one of our most experienced team members. He is as Scottish as they come and has all the Scottish phrases to boot. He likes to show people around Perth on our river tours, is a whiz at bushcraft during our survival days and is happy to share his knowledge on our 5 week kayaking courses. A lovely fella, you’ll appreciate his banter.

Though often mistaken for a Viking, Graham is harmless. A nature lover and recent graduate of BA (Hons) Outdoor Education and Learning at Perth College, Graham fills his sessions with enthusiasm, fun and lots of games.

Ross may be the baby of our group but don’t let that fool you; he’s over 6 foot tall, a jack of all trades and good at the lot of them. Even on white water he has mad paddleboarding skills.

He started out as a volunteer, but we quickly realised his potential and now he is a qualified instructor. When he is not being a super instructor here, he is at Perth College UHI, gaining a qualification in Outdoor Studies (HNC). He’s super fun to be around and kids love him!

Grant loves getting people out on the water and is a big fan of all those brave souls who take the plunge at our open water swimming sessions.

He began his life here at Willowgate as a valued volunteer, and with practice, and putting him through his qualification, he finally become our oldest instructor! He sometimes reverts back to his volunteering days, fixing things that have broken, but he soon gives them a new lease of life!

When Ellie’s not working at a forest school nursery, she’s hanging out with us. She’s been crowned the bushcraft queen and could sure show that Bear Grylls a thing or two! The little ones love her and if you saw her doing a headstand on a paddleboard, you would too.

Sasha, at the young age of 13, came to us on a 5 week kayaking course. She clearly loved it, as she then joined our kayak club on a Saturday.

At the age of 16, she volunteered for us, and you would regularly see her at our ASN club. Now, at the tender age of 17, she has gone through all the relevant qualifications to become an assistant instructor! She is great at encouraging the children that are a little unsure and soon has them loving the water, just like she does.

Mike has been a volunteer here pretty much since we started. He loyally comes once a week and always has a smile on his face, no matter what job we ask him to do.

He is pretty handy with a saw and drill and usually goes around fixing and building things we need. He is our unsung hero and we don't know what we would do without him! He also speaks fluent French, a man of many talents!

Ellie has been coming to us every week for a few years now. We've watched this young lady grow from quite a shy lass to a confident and enthusiastic young woman. She has the biggest smile ever (as you will see from her photo!) and is always happy to help us out in anyway she can. She brightens up even the dullest of days!