The first Virtual Rural Week of 2025 has just concluded and what a week!

Although lighter on numbers than usual, all the participants engaged asking insightful questions and providing useful snippets of advice and information that always make these courses so successful.

This week we had presentations from:

Jamie Ranson of Langore Tree Services – Jamie is a HighGrounder and now successful self employed tree surgeon who has diversified into hedge-laying and traffic management. His perspective on self-employment is always useful to listeners and provides a useful foil to the employed route.

Kirsty McNicol and Lee from Hi-Line Training provide a practical and hugely successful guide to employment and training for arboriculture and the possibilities for long term career progression.

Jonathan Petit from BALI – Go Landscape gives an overview of landscape gardening and the breadth of opportunities available. This is wonderfully complimented by Daniel Hale of English Heritage who’s revelations about Heritage Landscaping, the complimentary skills to gardening that are useful and the wonderful results of restoring 200 year old gardens always makes people think.

Steve Davies from Dorset Wildlife Trust explores the ways into environmental conservation and in particular the important role voluntary work plays in helping network and raise your profile. He always emphasises the ‘back office’ support roles that are often not thought of when looking at land-based employment opportunities.

Archie Forrest, another HighGrounder, is new to our presenting team, but comes to us from long time supporters VelcourtAgriculture can often seem to be a difficult area to get into, but Archie provides clear pathways and advice that attract interest.

Steve Fowkes of Forestry England skilfully navigates the public sector forestry world; together with Richard Hunter of Confor who presents the private sector, this presentation provides clear and incredibly useful advice on a sector that is always popular with military service leavers.

Rural Estate Management is another very popular sector for post-military careers and Rob Honan of Ascott Estate experience and advice helps those across the rank structure understand how and where they might fit.

All our presenters are long-time supporters and bring a unique and valuable mix of military service, experience or transition to the civilian world, advice on skills and the value service leavers bring to employers and always, bucket loads of encouragement and off-line support. We are so grateful for their generosity and time – it makes such a difference to so many.

Finally, our deepest thanks to the vastly experienced Chris Shepherd, who pulls together the programme and draws out all the learning as well as facilitating discussions.

If you think this course might be of interest in your post-military career planning, please see here