We have a team of highly skilled and experienced professionals with a focus on the forestry sector, woodfuel supply chain development and the provision of high quality training.

Staff Profiles

Will Richardson - Yorwoods Director

Will is a trained forester, graduating from the University of Aberdeen with an MSc in Forestry in 1996. He has gained experience in all sectors of the forest industry from woodland and tree work contracting and managing private woodland estates to working for a local authority as a woodland officer. Will is the project director of Yorwoods, a director of the Yorkshire Woodfuels producer group and a director of Rural Development Initiatives. Will has been leading on woodfuel developments in the Yorkshire region since 2003 and is a Lantra Awards approved instructor on the award winning Ignite woodfuel production and supply training courses. Will is responsible for the day to day running of the Yorwoods initiative, developing new projects and business and ensuring the intiative delivers to a consistently high standard.

Ben Scotting - Project Manager

Ben joined the Yorwoods team in 2004 taking on the role of project officer for the North Yorkshire Sustainable Woodlands Project. His forestry and rural development experience has been gained in both the public and private sector, having worked for a firm of forestry contractors in the East of England and for various Wildlife Trusts. Ben is now Project Manager for the West Yorkshire Working Woodlands project. He also has been responsible for running the Yorkshire Woodfair and lectures in Sustainable Woodland Management at Craven College, Skipton.

Andrew Kitching - Project Manager

In 2002, Andrew completed a B.Sc in Forestry and Conservation at the Scottish School of Forestry (part of the University of the Highlands and Islands).  Andrew then worked as a volunteer for the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority undertaking woodland creation schemes and woodland management planning before gaining paid employment as a Project Officer  and later Project Manager for ELWOOD (East Lancashire Woodlands Programme). Andrew joined YORWOODS at the beginning of 2007 and leads on biomass projects in the team.

Erica Spencer - Yorwoods Administrator

Erica joined Yorwoods in 2009 following a career break of 25 years to raise a husband and three children.  She is responsible for the general administration and upkeep of the Yorwoods office, assists in the organisation of events and ensures training records are kept up to date on behalf of LandSkills beneficiaries.  She is also involved in the administration of the England and Wales Wildfire Forum and the North Yorkshire Wildfire Group.