The UProjects Team
Alan Keane
Alan holds the Summer Mountain Leader Award, the Climbing Instructor Award and a registered provider of the National Navigation Award.
He is a British Nordic Walking instructor, Cascade Trainer and Walk Leader for The Walking for Health Scheme, he is an England Athletics trained run leader and has Nutrition Skills level 3.
Alan has worked with the British Mountaineering Council’s Equity steering group, organising symposium events, both locally in the Peak District and at the British Mountaineering Centre Plas y Brenin, to engage with hard to reach groups to promote access to adventurous activities and qualifications in the outdoors.
Alan manages the UProjects enterprise with his wife Gaynor, they both have backgrounds in community health development and a passion for the outdoors .
Gaynor Keane
Gaynor is an inspiring athlete and has an empathetic approach to lifestyle improvement.
She has degree in Leisure Studies focusing on Countryside and Recreation Management,holds the Climbing Instructor Award and is a registered provider of the National Navigation Award
She holds a Level 2 NVQ Gym Instructor Qualification, The Wright Foundation Exercise Referral Qualification, level 3 Health trainer qualification, she is a Cascade Trainer and Walk Leader for The National Walking for Health initiative and is a England Athletics trained run leader.
Gaynor is a keen sportsperson and undertakes many activities including fell running, climbing, mountaineering, cycling and swimming. She has undertaken several long distance fell running challenges and is a member of the Bob Graham 24 hour club.
Emily Thompson
Emily is a valued member of The Uprojects Team
She is a freelance instructor for a number of companies working with adult groups with a variety of abilities and interests, as well as families with young children, providing mountain days around England, Wales and Scotland
She holds the Summer Mountain Leader Award and is working toward her Winter Award, she is a registered provider of the National Navigation Award.
Emily is an active call out member of the Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team and a qualified casualty carer. She is active on the BMC Access and Conservation Trust board and in 2017 joined the board of directors of Mountain Training UK.
Emily has been a Duke of Edinburgh Expedition Leader since 2003, supervising and assessing young people on their Award, primarily Gold candidates on expeditions in the Lake District and North Wales.
Scott Archibald
A valued member of the team since 2012, leading and assisting with outdoor activities locally and in mountain areas of the UK.
Scott fits with the UProjects ethos, friendly and professional he is happy to spend time reassuring and building confidence for those new to adventure activitiesHe holds the Climbing Instructor and Mountain Leader awards; he is also a tutor for level 3-day Walk Leadership and Basic Expedition Leader Awards. National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme (NICAS) instructor delivering GCSE, QCF and Duke of Edinburgh Awards
Scott holds specialist awards for working with young people with disabilities
Scott can often be spotted with Frank the friendly mountain dog!
Darren Shepherd
Darren has extensive skills, knowledge and experience in the outdoors, always on hand to help with our sessions, an engineer and practical minded he is often in the background, maybe at the top of the windy crag looking after the technical side of things ensuring double safety at sessions.
He holds the Climbing Instructor Award.
Having started his climbing on the Peak District’s gritstone edges, in particular Stannage, he has climbed throughout the UK including the sea cliffs of Wales and amongst the mountains of Scotland and Skye. Darren has also climbed further afield on sport holidays in Kalymnos, Sardinia and Mallorca, done Via Ferrata in the Dolomites and successfully summited Mont Blanc self-guided
