Our Staff

The staff at Medina Valley Centre are here to make you feel very welcome and help you make the most of your visit to the Isle of Wight.

Teaching and Instructional staff are all qualified to a high level. They are all First Aid qualified and carry a first aid kit and other emergency aids, at all times. We are CRB compliant and each member of staff wears an identification badge.

Frank Cope - General Manager
BEd, RYA Senior Instructor, Level 3 Kayak Coach, Level 2 Canoe Coach

Kate Cope - House Manager
NNEB, Level 2 Canoe Coach

Frank and Kate joined the Centre in July 2007 as resident house managers and Frank as Sailing School Principal. They have extensive previous experience in youthwork and outdoor pursuits, including as resort managers in Turkey for Mastersun and proprietors of a watersports company in Wales. Both Frank and Kate learnt to sail at Medina Valley Centre in the late sixties and early seventies.

Tim and Marie Wells - Host Couple

Tim and Marie started work at Medina Valley Centre early 2009 - just a few weeks after they walked down the aisle together! Their energy and enthusiasm is catching and you are guaranteed a huge welcoming smile when you come through the doors. They live on site and focus on the care and welfare of visiting groups and are pleased to organise fun evening activities. Tim and Marie are committed Christians and have worked extensively with young people within the local authority as well as church settings. Marie has a Master's Degree in Public Health Nutrition and Tim is a keen musician and an active member of a band.  More on hosting...

Field Study Tutors

Keith Marston – Head of Field Studies & Deputy Centre Manager

BA (Hons), PGCE, British Orienteering Coach
Keith joined the staff in 1986 with responsibility for developing and teaching the Geography fieldwork at the Centre and was appointed Head of Field Studies in October 2006. Previously, he has taught in secondary schools in Tanzania & Buckinghamshire and co-led the Geology section of the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society. As an experienced ornithologist, Keith has published several major reports on the birds of the Medina Valley.

Helen Parry – Key Stage 2 and 3 Co-ordinator

BSc (Hons), MSc, PGCE, British Orienteering Coach,
Helen is responsible for developing and teaching the junior education programmes, teaching Geography field courses and co-ordinating local projects in the community. Helen joined the staff in 1999 after working for an educational charity in Bulgaria. Previously she has taught Geography in primary and comprehensive schools and a sixth form college.

Steve Taverner – Field Studies Tutor

MA MSc PGCE, British Orienteering Tutor/Assessor, BCU Canoe Coach

Steve has taught Biology and Geography courses at the Medina Valley Centre since 2003. Previously Steve has taught in a number of Island schools and at the Isle of Wight College.  He will often come up with a poem or two for a course.

Rachel Luxton - Field Studies Tutor

BSc Marine Biology, PGCE Secondary Science

Rachel joined the staff team in April 2010 and co-ordinates the Biology and Science courses. She has taught secondary Science in schools in Kent and Uganda, and has been actively involved with the Kent Wildlife Trust. She keeps herself fit by cycling, running, rock climbing and mountain walking!

Office Staff

Sandie Woodford – School’s Liaison Officer

Sandie joined the team in February 2010, primarily to deal with all the school bookings and liaise with teachers and group leaders. Due to her vast experience in all admin roles she also undertakes many of the general administrative tasks. Being an ‘Isle of Wighter’ she has a lot of local knowledge and of course a love for the water. Her hobbies are swimming, sailing, kayaking and walking, but her greatest love is travelling and she has been all over the world.

Geoff Jackson – Finance Officer

Geoff looks after the Centre accounts and finances, and also provides IT support in addition to trying to keep 25 plus Centre computers running and up to date.  He is originally from the North East, and arrived on the Isle of Wight due to more than just one or two coincidences! If you can catch him out of the office, do ask him to tell you how he came to be at Medina.  Rachel, Geoff’s wife, occasionally works as a Kitchen Assistant at the Centre, and their daughter Ruth has already completed her RYA Stage 1 and 2 here.  They live at Carisbrooke Priory, just outside Newport, where they are part of a Christian community that seeks to be an open house for prayer and Christian healing.

Sailing Staff

John Spalding - Chief Sailing Instructor

RYA Senior Instructor, RYA Powerboat Instructor, RYA Coastal Skipper
John has been working at the Centre for many years.  As chief instructor he organises the sailing courses. He and Simon do the maintenance for the rest of the year.

Simon Creedy - Bosun/Outdoor Activities Instructor

RYA Senior Sailing Instructor, RYA Powerboat Instructor
Simon first came to the Centre to learn to sail during his summer holidays and has now been working here 5 years full time with John, doing site maintenance and teaching the powerboating and sailing in the summer months.

Kitchen Staff

Carmen - Head Cook

Kitchen Manager
Carmen joined the kitchen team in September, as the head cook.  She used to run her own restraunt and makes great home-cooked food.

Geoff the Chef - Cook

Geoff works alongside Carmen in the kitchen to cook the food. His specialities are Thai curries and other Asian foods.

Martyn Hillman - Trainee Chef

Martyn worked in our kitchen as a kitchen porter but is now a trainee chef with his NVQ level 3.  His speciality is baking cakes.

Domestic Staff

 

Ann Wadham, Mandy Gwilliam, Hayley Gardiner and Tracey East are the hardworking team that keeps the Centre clean and tidy.

Seasonal Staff

We have a team of up to 40 seasonal sailing instructors who regularly work for the Centre throughout the year. They are all RYA qualified as either Senior Instructor, Advanced Instructor, Instructor or Assistant Instructor. We also run a training/briefing weekend once a year for these instructors.