Staff

Karen Blincoe, Director

Karen became the Director of the Schumacher College in September 2006. As Director she is primarily engaged with leading and supporting the staff team and attending to her role as part of the management team of the Dartington Hall Trust. Since September Karen has been working on building a solid college platform including developing a new team of staff as well as new infrastructure, so that the campus will be able to function at all times. She is developing future plans for the college including new initiatives and educational programmes in collaboration with the college staff. This involves fostering new partnerships, researching different target groups as well as developing fundraising opportunities. Karen is also actively involved in college community activities including leading meditation, assemblies and discussion groups. Read more

Email: karen.blincoe@schumachercollege.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1803 860058

Satish Kumar, Programme Director

Satish oversees the creation of the short course programme at Schumacher College. He also contributes to the running of the college, known at courses particularly well for his stimulating cooking sessions and fire-side chats.

When he was only nine years old, Satish Kumar renounced the world and joined the wandering brotherhood of Jain monks. Dissuaded from his path by an inner voice at the age of eighteen, he left the monastic order and became a campaigner for land reform, working to turn Gandhi’s vision of a peaceful world into reality.

Fired by the example of Bertrand Russell, he undertook an 8,000 mile peace pilgrimage, walking from India to America without any money, through deserts, mountains, storms and snow. It was an adventure during which he was thrown into jail in France, faced a loaded gun in America – and delivered packets of ‘peace tea’ to the leaders of the four nuclear powers. Read more

To hear Satish speak: Schumacher College London Seminar, 8th March 2008

Email: c/o: admin@schumachercollege.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1803 865934

Stephan Harding, MSc Co-ordinator

Stephan oversees the MSc in Holistic Science, teaching on the core models and as part of several of the short courses at the College.

Stephan was born in Venezuela in 1953. He came to England at the age of six with his father and housekeeper, with whom he spoke Spanish (his mother tongue) at home. Since childhood Stephan has had a deep fascination with the natural world, and his scientific cast of mind lead him to do a degree in Zoology at the University of Durham and then a doctorate on the behavioural ecology of the muntjac deer at Oxford University. Read more

Email: stephan@schumachercollege.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1803 860059

Brian Goodwin, Scholar in Residence

Brian teaches on the MSc in Holistic Science and contributing to short courses. He was Professor of Biology at the Open University before coming to the College ten years ago, with an academic career that combined biology with mathematics in the study of evolution and development at universities and research institutes in the UK and around the world. He has a BSc in Biology, a BA in maths, and a PhD in theoretical biology, but his main learning came through travel and research trying to understand the complex world in which we live. This led to Schumacher and Holistic Science in which education is based on cooperative learning experience in the Schumacher communiity, both conceptual and practical. He has written a number of books, including How The Leopard Changed Its Spots (1994) and his latest one, Nature’s Due: Healing Our Fragmented Culture (2007). His favourite activities are communing with the wisdom and energy of the River Dart and climbing trees.

Email: b.goodwin@schumachercollege.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1803 869943

Mel Risebrow, Assistant Director

Mel has particular responsibility for the day-to-day operations. He came to Schumacher College in 2005 after a varied career in senior management in business and charities. For six years he created and ran a successful business in London and before that worked as Director of Marketing and Public Affairs for the British Diabetic Association. Mel’s favourite aspect of the College is the integration of the land, food, cooking and community commitment into the learning process, which ‘produces a kind of magic that is easier experienced than described.’

Email: mel.risebrow@schumachercollege.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1803 860056

Heather Gillard, Administrator

Heather is the administrator/receptionist at Schumacher College. She deals with general enquiries and administration. She takes care of participants from the time of their first enquiry to their arrival at the College. Before her arrival at the College in 2001 she worked as office manager for Kindred Spirit magazine. Prior to that she made a change of direction and downshifted after more than fifteen years of working for the US Government as UK Sales Manager for the Stars and Stripes newspaper. Her favourite place in the College is the window seat in the library at the opening meeting at the start of a new course, listening to new participants introducing themselves. ‘How incredible to be able to go to work and meet such an amazing assortment of wonderful people from all over the World.’

Email: admin@schumachercollege.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1803 865934

Melanie Stewart, MSc Administrator

Melanie administers the MSc in Holistic Science course, giving support to the academic tutors and the students. She works three days a week at the College, and her remaining time is occupied with studying complementary therapies, healing, astrology and related subjects. Before coming to Schumacher, Melanie had worked in central London for many years: in business marketing for the Financial Times and more latterly in government communications in Whitehall. Melanie has a BSc degree from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (Linguistics with Music) and in the Autumn will qualify as a reflexologist. When she left London she was keen to align her working life with her core values: ‘It’s fantastic to be working in a place dedicated to exploring and developing more authentic paradigms for living as opposed to the pursuit of profit and power without care for the environmental and social consequences.’

Email: melanie@schumachercollege.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1803 869943

Inga Page, Programme Coordinator

Inga plans and coordinates the short course programme, working with Satish Kumar to identify new teachers and course topics, and liaising with invited teachers about content and logistics. She first came to the College in 1992 to study on a course with Vandana Shiva, who had inspired her MA thesis in International Relations. Her first degree was in philosophy, and following that she spent many years living abroad, first in Berlin and then in San Francisco, where she studied for her MA, worked in community conflict resolution and was involved in campaigning against US foreign policy and weapons development. She has worked at the College since 1994 and lives in nearby Ashburton with her husband, daughter and five chickens. ‘I’ve never forgotten the inspiring experiences I had on my first course – and the opportunities for learning here seem to be inexhaustible!’

Email: inga@schumachercollege.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1803 860052

Anna Lodge, Marketing and PR Co-ordinator

Anna co-ordinates promotion, marketing, website maintenance and development and press work at Schumacher College. She began working at the College in February 2007, keen to help develop the market for its courses. Previous to working at Schumacher College and after a period managing at a restaurant in France she was Events Manager at the Refugee Council in London. Prior to that she worked for BioRegional Development Group co-ordinating the green lifestyles project at BedZED. Anna has an MSc from the London School of Economics and BMus from the University of East Anglia. Her favourite thing about Schumacher College is the energy created by the people here – something that facilitates learning, cleaning, cooking, marketing or anything really. ‘If only we could bottle and sell it!’

Email: publicity@schumachercollege.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1803 860054

William Thomas, House Manager

Williams main responsibilities at the College are housekeeping and technical support. The College involves participants in the process of maintaining a positive work and living environment, and so, William has an important role in ensuring that essential work is meaningful and enjoyable. He feels that part of the answer is to do it in community, and to design systems that achieve the maximum results for minimum effort. William has been contributing to the running of the College for 16 years, when he arrived as a guest, and is a graduate in Psychology. He believes compost and beansprouts could save the world.

Email: william@schumachercollege.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1803 869940

Wayne Schroeder, Catering Manager

Wayne oversees catering at the college. He started working in January 2001 and has the challenge of keeping the college on the cutting edge of food policy with regard to organic, fair-trade and local ingredients. He used to work as a food technologist for a Marks and Spencers based company in South Africa where he grew up. He has also trained and worked as a chef and cheese-maker in Scotland and as a baker in Switzerland. He lived in Findhorn, on and off, for 11 years as a Craniosacral therapist. He is now being invited to take the ‘Schumacher food ethos’ out into the world through teaching and cooking. His favourite thing about the College is ‘FOOD’

Email: wayne@schumachercollege.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1803 860051

Julia Ponsonby , Senior Caterer

Julia looks after the kitchen for two days a week when Wayne is calmly attending to his cranio-sacral patients. Before the birth of Stephan and Julia’s son Oscar in 2001, Julia worked full time as the Catering Manager and put together the college cookbook Gaia’s Kitchen which won the gourmand world cookbook award
for best veggie cookbook in 2001. Julia has been at the college since the beginning and occupied various roles- as a participant on the first course (Gaia theory 1991), as then as craft teacher, housekeeper and rota-spinner. She originally came to the College to deepen her knowledge of ecology so as to become a more effective and coherent member of the Green Party. Long back in the mists of time she studied Social Anthropology and Philosophy at the University of East Anglia. ‘I have always loved cooking and making things, but never thought I’d end up as a professional cook! Only at Schumacher College where the steamier side of the culinary world eclipses under the banner of team work and love of good fresh local food could I have enjoyed this nurturing role for so long.’

Email: julia@schumachercollege.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1803 860051

Sarah Bayley, Catering Assistant

After leaving school with one O’level Sarah had a boring office job working as a legal secretary then moved into marketing and seminar organising. She moved to Devon to live in community and decided that she loved cooking which has eventually led to her role at Schumacher College. Sarah lives with her husband, two dogs and one cat.

Email: c/o: admin@schumachercollege.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1803 860051

Toni Spencer, Researcher and Project Developer

Toni is also the Facilitator and Course Co-ordinator for The Certificate in Education. She brings with her diverse experiences in the fields of sustainability, education and design. Previously she was a Lecturer in Eco Design at Goldsmiths College and Programme Leader for BA Eco Design, following a career in design and trend forecasting: as founding design editor of Wallpaper* Magazine and as an independent designer and consultant. She then spent a few years immersed in wider ideas and practices of change, working with The Institute of Contemporary Arts and Forum for the Future amongst others. She holds an MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice from Bath University.

Hailing from London, via recently living in an eco community in Dorset, Toni divides her activities beyond Schumacher between Embercombe, Transition Town Totnes adventures, foraging, facilitating ‘The Work that Reconnects’, and other creative projects.

Email: toni@schumachercollege.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1803 869941

Justin West, Permaculture and Forest Gardener

Email: c/o: admin@schumachercollege.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1803 869942

For more information about our visiting teachers please click here

Schumacher College is part of the Dartington Hall Trust, a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and as a charity (company no. 1485560, charity no. 279756). Registered office: The Elmhirst Centre, Dartington Hall, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6EL, UK.