Farmer Guardians of the Upper Thames
About us
The Farmer Guardians are a group farming land within the Upper Thames catchment, roughly between Lechlade in the east, Swindon in the south, Tetbury in the west and Charlton Abbots in the north.
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The group gathers at least quarterly for training, events and meetings with the intention that we can achieve more together to improve our natural environment. It is currently funded via the Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund, which was set up to provide support and encouragement to farmers to manage land in ways that meet the goals of the Countryside Stewardship scheme, but members are not required to in a CS scheme, nor indeed BPS claimants.
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Membership of the group comes without specific requirements - just a will to improve the natural environment and a willingness to work with others. It gives access to free events, training, professional and peer support. If you'd like to join, you can click the link below.
If you'd like to find out more you can phone our facilitators Jenny on 0787 668 7272 or Bea on 0748 305 1794.
Scroll down to see the catchment map and information about the group's facilitators.
Our
Aim
To be a collaborative group of farmers and land managers that delivers integrated socio-economic and environmental benefits in the Upper Thames.
Catchment map
Jenny Phelps
Jenny has facilitated the Farmer Guardians group since its inception in 2015 and is a key connector and convenor of people working in the landscapes of Gloucestershire.
Jenny pioneered the use of
Integrated Local Delivery.
Bea Oliver
Bea does a lot of the day-to-day work behind the scenes to keep the group activity and communications ticking over. She's a trained facilitator and project manager and specialises in agroecology and food systems policy.
Alex Robinson
Alex is the group's chair. Alex farms at Moor Wood in the Churn catchment. He is a rural surveyor and natural capital specialist who works to regenerate ecosystems.