Who we are
Our mission is to promote a greater public engagement with Antarctica, through heritage conservation, storytelling and effective advocacy.
Through the care and conservation of six designated historic sites and monuments on the Antarctic Peninsula, we aim to engage, inform and inspire current and future generations with Antarctica’s heritage. We deliver and support a range of innovative public programmes to engage and inspire people of all ages with 250 years of British human endeavour in Antarctica.
Meet our Patrons, Trustees and Team
HRH The Princess Royal Patron
Since our foundation as a trust, we have benefitted from exceptional support from our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal. Her Royal Highness takes a keen interest in our work as well as wider Antarctic matters and has visited the region on more than one occasion, including Port Lockroy in 2007.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes Vice Patron
Undoubtedly one of our greatest living explorers. Sir Ranulph has broken countless world records and led even more expeditions to remote regions all over the world. His Antarctic achievements rival those of Scott and Shackleton and his knowledge of the Polar Regions is probably unrivalled. His biography of Captain Scott is a must-read and his support of our work as a Trust is hugely welcome.
Dr Dafila Scott Vice Patron
Dafila is one of our foremost wildlife artists. Her connection with the Antarctic stems from her grandfather, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, as indeed does her passion for wildlife. In his final letter to his wife Scott asked of his son, Peter, “Make him interested in natural history” - a trait evidently passed down to the next generation. In 2012 Dafila was Artist in Residence for the Scott Polar Research Institute, travelling to Antarctica to capture the wildlife and scenery on canvas.
The Hon. Alexandra Shackleton Vice Patron
Alexandra has been a key figure in Antarctic matters all her life. As Sir Ernest Shackleton’s granddaughter, she has worked tirelessly to share her grandfather’s story and ensure his legacy is passed to new generations. Alexandra is also the President of the James Caird Society and has been patron of several expeditions retracing Shackleton’s expeditions.
Kim Crosbie Chair
Kim has been working in the polar regions for over 25 years including, formerly, as the Executive Director of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), one of UKAHT’s key stakeholders. Kim started in the polar regions as a post graduate researcher at the Scott Polar Research Institute where she gained an M.Phil in environmental management in the Arctic, before embarking on a PhD that focused on ecological monitoring and management in the Antarctic, spending three austral summer seasons in primitive conditions at a temporary field camp. On completing her PhD Kim remained in the field of visitor management, leading expeditions to the Arctic and the Antarctic, primarily onboard expedition vessels, supporting groups of students, film makers, authors, artists and other visitors. Subsequently, she worked for IAATO for 12 years working with the Antarctic tour operators to develop a strong framework of visitor management practices and as such was a regular visitor to Port Lockroy.
Jane Arthur Vice Chair
Jane has worked in the museums and heritage sector for over 35 years in Birmingham, Stoke on Trent and the West Midlands. She has served on a number of national committees, the Arts Council Accreditation committee and Museums Association Ethics Committee and worked as a Heritage Lottery Fund mentor. She is a freelance museum consultant specialising in strategic development for collections management and care, governance standards and facilitating organisational change. From 2010-16 she was a trustee then Chair of the Birmingham Conservation Trust overseeing the development and opening of the award winning Newman Brothers’ Coffin Fitting Factory. She is fascinated by Antarctica, it’s history and stories of endeavour, science and discovery. She has visited twice and plans to return.
Camilla Nichol Chief Executive
Camilla has worked in the museums and heritage sector for 20 years. She read Geology at Edinburgh followed by Museum Studies at Leicester and went on to work with collections as diverse as geology, zoology, scientific and medical instruments, anatomy and pathology, the early oil industry and Scottish football. Previously Head of Collections for Leeds Museums and Galleries, she led the science team at York Museums Trust as Keeper of Geology and whilst at the Hunterian Museum at Glasgow University she was fortunate to curate the Antarctic rock collections including specimens collected from Elephant Island by the marooned men from Endurance and the first rocks collected from the Antarctic mainland and by Carsten Borchgrevink in 1895. Camilla holds an AMA from the Museums Association, is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and is a trustee of the Burton Constable Foundation and Chair of the Cromwell Museum Trust.
Tom Wright CBE Trustee
Tom Wright has extensive experience in the heritage sector as a Trustee of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the Imperial War Museum and Leeds Castle. He has also worked globally in tourism as the CEO of VisitBritain and prior to this as Managing Director of Saga Holidays, and in challenging environments as a Board Member of the Disaster Emergency Committees. Tom has been CEO of two of the UK’s largest charities, most recently Guide Dogs. A lifetime fascination with Antarctica and naval exploration coupled with human endeavour has drawn Tom to UKAHT.
Jamie Anderson Trustee
Jamie’s love of everything polar led him to join the Royal Marines to get cold and wet as a Commando in Arctic Norway and then onto leading expeditions across the Arctic. He has worked in disaster response, reacting to shipping incidents, natural disasters and oil spills across the world. For the last three years, he has also collaborated with the British Antarctic Survey, helping them prepare for crisis and environmental incidents. He travelled south on the RRS Sir David Attenborough for her maiden voyage to Antarctica as part of the ship's ice trials team and was lucky enough to be onboard when the ship visited Port Lockroy for the first time. Jamie’s current role is as a director of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Polar Regions and as a special advisor to the Environmental Audit Select Committee for inquiries into the Arctic and Antarctic.
Bob Kidby Trustee
Bob was a City solicitor for over 30 years and Head of Real Estate at Lovells (now Hogan Lovells). Since leaving the law in 2010 he has been a director (executive and non-executive) of a number of commercial and charitable organisations. He currently owns and runs a commercial recording studio in Suffolk and is an Appeal Steward of the British Boxing Board of Control. He has had a strong lifelong interest in the Antarctic and those who have explored it.
Sumit Paul-Choudhury Trustee
Sumit Paul-Choudhury is a writer and consultant specialising in science, technology and the future. Trained as a physicist at Imperial College, he subsequently turned his hand to journalism, spending fifteen years writing about finance and risk. In 2008 he joined New Scientist, becoming where he served as editor-in-chief from 2011-2017 and as the founding creative director for New Scientist Live. His creative studio, Alternity, focuses on unexplored possibilities and he is fascinated by the geographical, cultural and social uniqueness of Antarctica.
Clive Sanders Trustee
Clive started out in the commercial sector working on a range of global sporting events and has since gone on to work in a range of leadership roles spanning fundraising, events, marketing, innovation, sponsorship, operational management across the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. Clive was privileged to help deliver the 2012 Olympics, and at Cancer Research UK, led the largest fundraising event series outside the USA. Currently, a Director at Save the Children, Clive leads a number of fundraising, data, and operations departments throughout the UK. He has a keen interest in exploration and the history of human endeavour.
Victoria Snowden Trustee
Victoria has had an interest in Antarctica and its wildlife for several years, which following her own expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula in early 2020 was cemented into a fresh interest in the history of Antarctic exploration. Victoria is a qualified Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries and a Partner at Lane Clark & Peacock, a pensions consultancy, advising pension trustees and companies on their long-term pension commitments. She hopes to visit Antarctica again in the future, in particular the UKAHT’s flagship site of Port Lockroy.
Claire Warrior Trustee
Claire read Social Anthropology at Cambridge and began her career at the Pitt Rivers Museum and World Museum Liverpool. Since 2001, she has worked at Royal Museums Greenwich where she curated the recent Polar Worlds gallery. Claire’s research focuses on the history of British polar exploration, and the connections between families, memory, museums and national identity. She has written widely on these subjects and has appeared on TV as a polar expert, including on BBC News, Sunday Brunch, Museum Secrets and the documentary Hunt for the Arctic Ghost Ship. She has served on the committee of the Museum Ethnographers Group and is a Trustee of the Dickens Museum in Bloomsbury.
Hugh Broughton Trustee
Hugh is an architect and is considered one of the world’s leading designers of science research facilities in Antarctica. His completed projects include Halley VI British Antarctic Research Station, the world’s first relocatable polar research station and Juan Carlos 1 Spanish Antarctic Base on Livingstone Island. Ongoing projects include the redevelopment of Scott Base for Antarctica New Zealand on Ross Island; a series of projects for the Australian Antarctic Division in East Antarctica as part of their Antarctic Infrastructure Renewal Program; and the Discovery Building at Rothera Research Station, designed in partnership with the British Antarctic Survey’s Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme. Alongside work in the polar regions, the other mainstay of Hugh’s career has been working on heritage projects of international significance. Recent award-winning projects include the conservation and interpretation of Sir Christopher Wren’s Painted Hall in the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich and of the medieval Clifford’s Tower in York for English Heritage
Oliver Darke Trustee
Oliver has extensive experience delivering construction and building maintenance projects in the polar regions. A keen interest in the heroic age of exploration, mountaineering and extreme engineering led him to join the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Estates team in 2015. After the challenging project to relocate Halley Research Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf, Oliver went on to lead the Estates team through its response to COVID-19 and the early establishment of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme. Today, he is the BAS Director responsible for Operations and Engineering, a British Antarctic Territory Magistrate and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Mehmuda Mian Trustee
Mehmuda is a former solicitor, with significant non-executive regulatory and governance experience. She has been a non-executive director of Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and a board member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation. She was a disciplinary committee member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and an associate director of the Lokahi Foundation. In addition, she has previously served as a non-executive director of the Disclosure and Barring Service, the Independent Safeguarding Authority and a trustee of the BBC. She had earlier roles as a Commissioner at the Independent Police Complaints Commission and as a member of the Police Complaints Authority. She is currently a Lay member of the Committee on Standards in the House of Commons. Mehmuda's interest in Antarctica began at a very early age when she read about the race to the South Pole. She finally made it to Antarctica in 2022!
Mark Potton Non Executive Director
Mark brings more than two decades of digital marketing experience and expertise, much of which has been gained at Booking.com. He joined them in 2005 and since then has helped to shape and support its mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world. Mark is enthusiastic about leveraging his skills and passion to further the Trust’s goals to increase awareness and engagement in Antarctica's environment and rich history.
Katrina Nurse Non Executive Director
Katrina Nurse brings extensive experience as a CFO in the retail sector working for household names in fashion (Selfridges and Topshop), grocery (Asda) and sportswear (Berghaus, Speedo, Canterbury and Endura) to name but a few. These days she busies herself as a Non-Executive Director on the boards of two British businesses, one in the not-for-profit medical sector, the other in engineering, bringing her financial and commercial experience to support their growth agendas. But it’s her 25 years of owning and working with Siberian Huskies that ignited her fascination with Polar travel and adventure. She has yet to visit the Antarctic but her sled-dog exploits have taken her to the Arctic on 4 occasions.
Lorna Court Non Executive Director
Lorna began her commercial career at leading high street retailer WHSmith’s before moving into the not-for-profit sector. With almost 20 years of experience working for English Heritage and the National Trust, she has expertise in identifying and delivering commercial opportunities including buying and merchandising, licensing and partnership agreements, and, space planning strategies. Lorna currently works for the UK’s largest veterinary charity, PDSA, leading central retail and logistics teams. She is an active member of the charities Governance and Modern Slavery committees. Lorna has a love of nature and travel appreciating varied natural landscapes. At home, she can most often be found walking her dog in the countryside.
Sophie Montagne Head of Operations
Sophie runs the Trust's activities in Antarctica and manages the seasonal teams at Port Lockroy. She spent three months in Antarctica in 2017/2018 as part of the British Army's record-breaking Ice Maiden team, the first team of women to ski across Antarctica using muscle power alone. She trained in Arctic Norway with the Royal Marines and the Norwegian Army, learning how to survive, and be comfortable, in a frozen environment. Prior to joining UKAHT, Sophie was the Director of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Polar Regions, helping to improve politicians' understanding of the polar regions, and has spoken to over 30,000 young people across the UK about Antarctica and exploration. Sophie is an Army Reservist, a military ski instructor and always happiest in the mountains.
Rachel Wilkinson Operations Officer
Rachel is the Operations Officer at the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust. Having previously worked in television production and the adventure travel industry, both in the UK and overseas, she brings a wide range of experiences to the team. Her interest in nature, history and the polar reasons has led her to UKAHT and she is here to help with all things operational. In her spare time, she enjoys baking sourdough, wild camping and watching sitcoms.
Andrew Jones Field Operations Manager
AJ delivers UKAHT's field and conservation operations in Antarctica. He ensures they are safe, successful and sustainable. He has over 14 years of experience planning and leading operations all over the world, including over 10 years in the Royal Marines. During his military career, he planned and directed complex logistics operations in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. He also led operations in the Norwegian Arctic, Yemen and Sierra Leone and worked in Libya, the US and Europe. After the Royal Marines, AJ earned a degree in Human, Social and Political Sciences and an MA in Development and Emergency Practice. Most recently, AJ was a senior leader in a UK-based technology company where he built their operations from the ground up. For the last 12 years, he’s held a seasonal leadership and management role with Crisis, a UK-based homeless charity. AJ is an avid traveller, a passionate hiker, and a prolific coffee drinker. On his days off he can be found wandering remote locations in all weathers with his long-suffering spaniel, Saffie.
Ruth Mullett Head of Buildings and Conservation
Ruth is interested in understanding the historic environment through the stories of those who have lived and worked in it. In her role Ruth seeks to ensure that the heritage sites and buildings in our care are conserved according to their significance and special interest. Ruth has previously worked as a heritage consultant on projects ranging from medieval hall houses to WWII air bases, and from country houses to historic ships. Before entering the historic environment profession, Ruth trained as a medievalist and taught manuscript studies and cultural history at the University of Geneva (Switzerland) and Cornell University (USA).
Ruth Lee Heritage Officer
Ruth is passionate about conservation and preserving history. Ruth has studied International Heritage Management, an area she feels strongly about and loves visiting sites of historical importance. Ruth has previously volunteered and worked in the heritage sector and various other sectors, from finance to facilities management. Ruth is excited to have the opportunity to work closely with the UKAHT team as the Heritage Officer and support their hard work in Antarctica. Ruth is your contact for heritage and conservation questions.
Camilla Johns Head of Development
Camilla is a fundraiser with a background in the arts, heritage and environmental sector. She has worked in development for over a decade, raising funds to support wide-reaching education projects, conservation work and capital appeals across the UK and for organisations including the Philharmonia Orchestra, Holburne Museum and Campaign for National Parks. She has lifelong interest in the world’s remote and wild places. Ask Camilla about how you can become involved in supporting UKAHT.
Heather Barrable Development & Content Officer
Inspired in childhood by her great grandfather’s copy of The Great White South by Herbert Ponting, Heather studied Geology at the University of Leicester followed by Vertebrate Palaeontology at UCL. Diverse roles in both the public and private sectors have seen her organising events, editing magazines and delivering babies! Combining her passion for Antarctica and its powerful stories with her customer service skills, Heather is your point of contact for membership and donations.
Helen Langwick Head of Programming and Engagement
Helen is at heart a storyteller with a passion for communicating the wonders of our world, from the every day to the extraordinary. As part of the UKAHT team, she is committed to making the unique heritage of Antarctica accessible to a global audience. Think of her as your personal tour guide to a place you may never actually visit but will feel like you have. Helen's career has been all about connecting people with the past and present, characterised by a focus on public engagement and strategic leadership within the museum and heritage sector. She has spearheaded capital projects, curated impactful exhibitions, and provided leadership across a range of organisations from regimental museums to large national groups. She is most proud of her ability to bridge the gap between specialised knowledge and public understanding – or as she puts it – bringing the awesome to all!
Sarah Blythe Head of Communications and Marketing
Sarah is responsible for growing the organisation's public profile through the strategic delivery of communications, PR and marketing initiatives. Sarah is responsible for broadening and diversifying audience, high profile media campaigns and brand management. An experienced senior communications specialist and former communications consultant, Sarah has led on a variety of projects – both here in the UK and internationally – spanning audience, creative campaign production, editorial, PR, branding and digital. She has written and implemented integrated strategies including communications, audience and marketing strategies for organisations in the charity, third and private sectors.
Peter Watson Communications Officer
Peter is a travel writer, photographer and founder of outdoor travel blog Atlas & Boots. His work has been published by The Guardian, The Telegraph, BBC Travel, The Independent, Lonely Planet and National Geographic among others. He’s also contributed to several travel books published by DK Eyewitness. A keen trekker and climber he can often be found on the trails of the Greater Ranges. He’s visited over 90 countries, across all seven continents, and is currently focused on climbing the seven summits – the highest mountain on every continent. Five down, two to go…
Lesley Johnston XR Producer
After almost a decade working in the engineering and renewables sector Lesley pivoted back to her interests in history and heritage by undertaking a postgraduate degree in Heritage Visualisation with the Glasgow School of Art. Here she developed the skills to digitally document sites and artefacts and develop innovative methods for interacting with both tangible and intangible aspects of heritage culture. More recently, Lesley has been working as a freelance Heritage Visualisation and Photogrammetry Consultant and is excited to have the opportunity to work with the UKAHT team. In her role she will be developing ways to bring aspects of UKAHT’s historical archive into the public sphere and bring its stories to life through immersive and interactive technologies.
Claudine Maya Head of Finance
Claudine is a qualified accountant (CIMA) with 19 years experience working in the Pharmaceutical Industry. She has a successful track record for leading and motivating teams, as well as delivering key financial projects to plan, including statutory reports, budgets and management accounts. Claudine has a keen interest in the environment.
Roddy Bedford Retail Operations
Roddy has over 20 years of experience in the heritage retail sector. She combines creativity with business acumen to maximise profit and develop carefully thought-through and brand-conscious ranges. Roddy is adept at working collaboratively with clients to sensitively realise their commercial potential and delight their customers. Roddy has a keen interest in social history and is fascinated by feats of human endurance and our ability to overcome adversity.
Amanda Tyndall Wildestan Producer
Amanda is a self-confessed geek (and proud!) with a passion for engaging people of all ages and from all walks of life with science. Originally a science writer and editor, for over 20 years she has focused on delivering amazing events and experiences for everyone from young people to politicians and in venues as varied as the UK Houses of Parliament and Australian sports stadiums. Highlights include working for the Science Museum in London and on the Royal Institution of Great Britain’s renowned Christmas Lectures (including on their Antarctica series), as well as a 12-year stint as the head of the Edinburgh Science Festival, one of the largest and most respected science festivals in the world. Now working as a freelance consultant, this temporary role with UKAHT combines some of her greatest loves: science and environment, history and telling inspirational stories. When not devouring books/films/podcasts on these topics, she can often be found roaming the Scottish countryside, taking a dip in the North Sea with her trusty part-husky dog, Bruce, or carrying out culinary experiments on her unsuspecting friends.
Mairi Hilton Consultant Wildlife Biologist
Mairi was the wildlife monitor at Port Lockroy during the 22/23 season and is now a consultant wildlife biologist for UKAHT. She is leading the development of new environmental management plans for UKAHT’s sites in Antarctica. Mairi recently spent four years living in Melbourne, Australia, where she completed a PhD in conservation biology. Prior to her PhD, she graduated with an MA in Geography and an MRes in Ecology and Environmental Biology at Glasgow University, where she developed a keen interest in glacial environments. During her studies, Mairi was a member of the Glasgow University Exploration Society, where she took part in wildlife research expeditions to the Peruvian Amazon and Trinidad and Tobago. She has also worked as an ecologist, conducted fieldwork in the Australian Alps and helped to run a restaurant on the remote Scottish Isle of Barra.
Laura Büllesbach Interpretation Consultant
Laura was the museum manager and postmaster at Port Lockroy during the 23/24 season. She is now an Interpretation Consultant and will be reviewing the museum interpretation for all our historic sites in Antarctica. Laura has a background in social anthropology and has for the past eight years worked in heritage organisations across Germany, Sweden and the UK. Most recently, she was an assistant curator at the Science Museum in London, where she took care of collections, conducted research and developed visitor interpretation. Passionate about making museums accessible to a diverse range of people and increasing LGBTQ+ visibility in the sector, she also co-founded the Science Museum’s Gender and Sexuality Network. Originally from the Bavarian Alps, she has had a lifelong passion for the outdoors, hiking and rock climbing.
Lou Hoskin Base leader, Port Lockroy
Lou is the Port Lockroy base leader for the 24/25 season. Brought up in Birmingham, she developed a love of the sea from her family holidays in Cornwall, and now lives in Devon, with the ocean at the end of her road. With a background in marine ecology and community outreach, Lou has previously worked as a research assistant in the Philippines, undertaking a baseline population assessment for elasmobranchs in the Apo Reef Natural Park and as a field project manager, running a jungle camp and turtle conservation project in Malaysia. She is looking forward to taking this fieldwork experience to the Antarctic. In her spare time, Lou can be found drinking coffee with her best friend Wes, running (she recently completed her first marathon) or in and on the water often as crew for a big orange lifeboat. And finally, in case either situation should arise, she has also worked in an emergency department and a circus.
Maggie Coll Wildlife Monitor, Port Lockroy
Maggie grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland and has spent most of her adult life working in Scottish tourism roles. A big fan of exploring new places, she took a two-year career break. She headed off to Canada and Australia to work various seasonal roles including a stint at a remote roadhouse in the Australian Outback and a summer managing a Wilderness hostel in the Canadian Rockies. Maggie is happiest outdoors in nature and can often be found in the Scottish Highlands walking and enjoying the scenery with friends. She is also a big fan of multi-day hikes and in the last year, has walked the Patagonian ‘O’ Circuit, the Salkantay Trek and the West Highland Way. Having long been fascinated by the polar regions, the role at Port Lockroy sounded like an incredible opportunity to Maggie. She is delighted to be selected as Wildlife Monitor at the world’s southernmost post office. This will be her first time in Antarctica.
Dale Ellis Shop Manager, Port Lockroy
Dale is our 2024-25 shop manager at Port Lockroy. She joins the trust with almost 20 years of experience working across media, awards, museums and the arts. She has been interested in working for the trust for 15 years and finally decided this was the year to apply. In her spare time, she enjoys rollerskating, learning aerial hoop and cooking her way through a sauce recipe book – she’s made 80 already!
Aoife McKenna Museum Manager, Port Lockroy
Aoife will be our museum manager at Port Lockroy for the 2024/25 season. She has a background in museum curation and has previously worked in the Sub-Antarctic at the South Georgia Museum as their Curatorial Intern in 2022/23. Working in South Georgia sparked a love for Antarctic landscapes, wildlife, and heritage that she is excited to bring further south to Port Lockroy! Most recently, Aoife has been working as a museum curator in Inverness, Scotland, combining a love of museum work and a passion for the outdoors. A lifelong fan of penguins, Aoife is thrilled to be returning to the Antarctic region.
George Clarke Postmaster, Port Lockroy
After graduating with a Fine Art Degree, George started working in music events, originally in set design and progressing towards building and maintaining large tensile structures across Europe. He has combined his fondness for the outdoors, creativity and events with the creation and curation of an outdoor art gallery outside the centre of Bristol.
Lisa Ford General Assistant, Port Lockroy
Lisa trained as a doctor and then spent much of her time travelling and working abroad in New Zealand, Nigeria, Ecuador and Borneo. She completed a Master's in Tropical Medicine and then worked as a medic for the British Antarctic Survey for 18 months for the final wintering season at Signy Island, South Orkneys. Lisa returned to complete further studies in remote health care in Aberdeen and her training as a general practitioner in North Wales. She moved to specialise in travel medicine, combining her two loves, and has worked at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine for the National Travel Health Network and Centre for over 20 years. She has also recently worked at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. Lisa is returning to Port Lockroy for her second successive season to support the new team at the beginning of the austral summer.
Graham Gillie Conservation Carpenter
Graham is a fifth-generation Scottish joiner. The first 20 years of his career were spent in Edinburgh working on a wide range of projects including historic buildings and landmarks. A winter of working as a carpenter at Halley Research Station in 2004 consolidated his love of the Antarctic. He also spent two summer seasons at Port Lockroy. Initially, Graham was an assistant shopkeeper and carried out maintenance on the building. He returned in 2010 to build the Nissen accommodation hut. Graham lives in the Scottish Borders with his wife, two sons and chickens. He is a keen skier, hiker, ex-rugby player and amateur sourdough baker.
Jim Brearley-Ratcliffe Conservation Carpenter
Originally from North Wales and now living in the Peak District, Jim has an enthusiasm for traditional craft skills and historic buildings. He has travelled the world studying historic buildings and traditional craft practices as part of the William Morris Craft Fellowship Programme which is run by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB). Outside of work, Jim loves running on the hills and competing in fell races at the weekends, as well as making music with his brothers.
Dale Perrin Carpentry Consultant
Dale is a conservation carpenter and has been working in the industry for 16 years, based primarily in the southeast of England. In 2017, he was awarded the William Morris Craft Fellowship (overseen by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings); a year of study, travelling the length and breadth of the UK exploring all aspects of current conservation projects, methods and philosophy. Dale has worked on many prestigious projects including Westminster Hall, Windsor Castle and, most recently, the Austrian Parliament. He is keen to share his knowledge and present the world of traditional crafts and trades to new generations and interested parties alike. Outside of work, you will find Dale travelling, exploring and exercising. Having always been intrigued by human exploration and remote and wild environments, he is looking forward to the opportunity to combine interests by working for the UKAHT.
Lizzie Meek Artefact Conservation Programme Manager
Lizzie is currently the Artefact Conservation Programme Manager for the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust. For the last 11 years, Lizzie has led and worked with teams conserving the heroic-era expedition bases in Antarctica, including a winter at Scott Base and many summers in the field. In her spare time, she is Vice-President of Lyttelton Museum and is attempting to learn to ski. She completed a Diploma in Craft Design in 2008, then moved to the UK for six years, where she achieved her Post-graduate Diploma in Conservation of Library and Archival Materials. Prior heritage conservation posts include Senior Book Conservator, National Library of New Zealand, and Book Conservator at the British Library. In 2018 Lizzie worked for UKAHT at Stonington and then at Port Lockroy in 2019 alongside Sophie Rowe.
Michael Duff Filmmaker
Michael is an Australian-born filmmaker with 20 years of experience across 30 countries producing documentary, factual entertainment and non-profit video content. Michael’s passion for visual storytelling, travel and adventure has seen him travel along the Mekong River from the Tibetan Plateau to the south of Vietnam; through the jungles of Burma with rebel armies; cover the Ebola outbreak in West Africa; document trauma surgery in Iraq, explore water issues across four continents with Alexandra Cousteau; and many more amazing adventures. His work has been broadcast on the BBC, National Geographic, CNN and Netflix among others. In addition to broadcast television, Michael also regularly produces content around the world for the United Nations, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation and other development agencies. Michael has spent the last 10 years mostly living in West Africa and is now looking forward to joining the UKAHT conservation team in Antarctica this coming season.
Jonathan Selby Advisor, ICT and Communications
Jonathan, whose company, Xaxero is listed on our sponsors’ page, provides the know-how and advice, as well as hands on installation, for all our vital communications equipment and software at Port Lockroy. He visits each season to help the team with the satellite communications and ICT on base.
Sally Owen Falkland Islands Co-ordinator
Sally qualified as a Dental Surgeon in 1987. A short service commission with the Royal Army Dental Corps allowed her to develop her passion for mountaineering and travel. This started with two years attached to the Royal Navy, including an expedition to Nepal, followed by two years with the British Antarctic Survey, based on RRS Bransfield. During her BAS days, she visited all the British bases, including the HSMs UKAHT cares for today. During this time, Sally fell in love with the Falkland Islands and decided to relocate, finding a dental officer job. However, Antarctica beckoned again, so she set off for Antarctica as the Postmistress at Port Lockroy for the 2007-08 season. Since then, Sally has acted as our local agent in the Falkland Islands and often returns to support the Port Lockroy team as a General Assistant as she did in 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2020/21.
Work for us Join the UKAHT team
We have small dedicated teams in Antarctica and the UK who work hard to keep our operation going, preserving our Antarctic heritage and sharing it with the world. Each year we recruit a team to run and manage Port Lockroy in Antarctica and occasionally also have vacancies for other specialist roles in the UK. Job vacancies are advertised on this website and on social media. Check out our jobs page for up-to-date vacancies. We politely ask that you keep an eye on these pages for any updates rather than contact us directly.
Strategy and Anniversary Report
Here you can find our 2020 - 2030 strategy and our 30th anniversary report.
Strategy 2020 - 2030 30th anniversary report
Impact reports
Every year we publish an impact report along with a short video showcasing our activities and successes over the previous 12 months including during the austral summer season in Antarctica.
Our Supporters
We work very closely with our three main stakeholders British Antarctic Survey, International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to ensure our strategies will ensure the best possible future for the historic sites in our care.
