Paul Cobb

From a Yorkshire farming family, Paul Cobb (CEnv MCIEEM FACTS) has 35 years experience in environmental land management. Following an MSc in Environmental Resources, Paul was FWAG Adviser in Kent from 1984-2011, where he also ran projects with partners in France. Paul has worked with every version of the Stewardship scheme since 1992, and in resource management (soil and water protection, NVZ and CSF). Experienced in fieldwork and surveys and as a trainer delivering group workshops, Paul also produces whole farm plans, policies and reports to industry standards such as LEAF Marque. Currently he is Campaign for the Farmed Environment Kent coordinator delivering e.g. Greening advice.

Tim Clarke

Tim Clarke (MBPR, MIAM) has been farming since 1978 and was managing an arable farm in Berkshire until 2008, when he joined FWAG. He delivers practical advice to farmers on all aspects of resource protection, managing farms for biodiversity and wildlife and Environmental Stewardship. Tim continues to work with farmers in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire (BBO) advising on the new Countryside Stewardship scheme and Greening and helping them to access the new grants that are available. This fits well with his part-time role as BBO coordinator for the Campaign for the Farmed Environment.

Prim Duplessis

Prim grew up in rural Ireland in an agricultural community. She graduated from Brighton University/Plumpton Agricultural College with a BSc(Hons) in Biological Science, taking modules on agriculture, in 2005. Working for FWAG from 2004 – 2011, she delivered habitat advice, ELS and HLS applications, soil management plans for CSF, resource protection advice in NVZ’s, workshops on nutrient and grassland management. As an Independent Advisor, joined the FWAG Association as part of FWAG South East. She holds the BASIS cert in Soil & Water, and is the Sussex Co-ordinator for Campaign for the Farmed Environment, delivering advice on the new Countryside Stewardship Scheme and Greening.

Colin Hedley

Colin Hedley grew up on a family farm on the Hampshire Coast and kept a suckler herd until 2007.  He took an HND at Shuttleworth College before joining Sussex FWAG in 1991.  He was the CLA’s conservation adviser from 2002 until 2005 dealing with issues such as the development of the ELS and HLS schemes and cross compliance.  Starting his own consultancy in September 2005 he has been highly active in applying for and then managing HLS agreements.  He started Three Harbours Beef to market meat reared on coastal grazing marshes and has a particular interest in uncommon arable plants.  

Karen Davies

Karen was an advisor for the Pang, Kennet and Lambourn Valleys Countryside Project (part of FWAG).  Before then she spent five years as a Reserves Officer for the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.  During her time with the Trust she had hands on practical experience of managing BAP priority habitats such as chalk grassland, water meadows, heathland and hay meadows this included managing stock and discussing and adjusting mowing and/or grazing levels.  Karen has 14 years experience of submitting successful agri-environment applications and is able to offer ongoing management advice as well as wildlife surveys and habitat specific advice.

Helen Theobald

Helen is an enthusiastic environmental consultant working in the South East.  She has excellent knowledge of new Countryside Stewardship, cross-compliance, NVZs, industry initiatives (CFE, VI, Tried & Tested) and farming best practice.  This is combined with a sound working knowledge of UK agriculture (arable and livestock) nationally and locally.  Helen has a particular interest and expertise in organic management.  She is experienced with on-farm advice, field based working, report writing, and organisation and delivery of farmer demonstrations, workshops, farm walks and other Knowledge Transfer meetings.  She enjoys working with farming businesses for positive environmental outcomes, such as biodiversity or water quality as required in the locality.  She co-ordinates the delivery of the Campaign for the Farmed Environment in the South East for CFE partners, encouraging voluntary management of farm areas for wildlife, pollinators and soils across the region. 

Matthew Norris-Hill

Matthew grew up in Hampshire where his father, Peter, was farm manager for Tom Parker Farms. After attending Sparsholt College Hampshire and Writtle College in Essex he graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Rural Resource Development, specialising in Wildlife and Landscape Conservation.  On graduation Matthew worked at Brinsbury Agricultural College in West Sussex before joining Surrey & Hampshire FWAG in 1999 as Advisor for Hampshire.  Matthew has continued to support FWAG as a committee member and chairman and more recently as part of the founding group of the new South East FWAG Association.  Matthew works as a farm conservation advisor and a part-time Curriculum Leader at Sparsholt College where he lectures on Agri-environment & Habitat Management and is course tutor for the BSc Ecology and Conservation.

Shaun Page

Shaun is a Sussex farmer’s son who studied agriculture and farm management at Merrist Wood College and worked on arable, beef and dairy farms for 15 years before retraining in business and environmental management. He worked for FWAG in Surrey from 2001-2011 and then, as an independent adviser and professional member of the Institute of Agricultural Management, joined the FWAG Association as part of FWAG South East. His main interest is livestock farming; dairy farming in particular and is a member of the West Sussex Grassland Society. Mapping farms and estates and plotting agri-environment schemes and land use using geographic information systems is also an important aspect of his work.