The Team

Meet the NWUK Team

MIKE ROLLASON - Founder of Exercise Anywhere/ Sante Solutions

Mike has created a number of highly successful Leisure based businesses over a 27 year period. He combines his passions for sport and wellbeing with a love of business and his portfolio of enterprises includes:

Ski and Watersports retail outlets
Watersports centres in the UK and Greece
Health Clubs
Ski Chalets
A major Leisure park that included a waterski cable tow and attracted over a million visitors a year.
A Lesiure industry consultancy business

Mike was a Director of the Fitness Industry association (FIA)for over 10 years and is a member of the Vanguard group that represents the industry at Government level he was also involved in the creation of the register of Exercise professionals (REPs).

Mike recognises that the key to success is belief in your product and a professional approach to every aspect of your business from sales to delivery. He is committed to helping all Nordic Walking UK Instructors to reach their potential and to provide exceptional service to the public.

GILL STEWART - Marketing and Business Development

A Sports Therapist and former long distance and ultra runner, Gill has over 30 years experience in the fitness Industry. She has a passion for wellbeing and was the creator of one of the first GP referral schemes in the UK - Since then her career has involved Community leisure, Health Club management and a National membership sales role - she has a unique insight into all aspects of fitness delivery and understands the pressures involved.
She still leads regular Nordic walking technique courses and delivers presentations and demo sessions all over the UK. Gill is the driving force behind the NWUK unique programmes because she believes that the way to encourage lifestyle change is to ensure classes/walks are inspirational and provide noticeable results.

MARTIN CHRISTIE - Master Trainer

Martin was one of the Founders of the original Nordic Walking trainer courses in the UK - a a qualified INWA national Coach, he developed the UK courses and he personally taught over 1,000 UK Instructors including other INWA Tutors.
In 2008 he developed the improved NWUK 2 level Instructor courses in order to ensure that Nordic walking was recognised as a creditable and professional solution to wellness in the UK. In 2008 he was part of a team of Fitness Industry experts that created the CYQ accredited Nordic and Fitness Instructor course aimed at providing an entry level fitness qualification for those seeking to devlop sustainable walking programmes.

NWUK EDUCATION TEAM

NWUK TUTORS
ALL NWUK Tutors are highly qualified CYQ Tutor, Assessors and specialists in their field. They all offer the NWUK Programmes in their locality and have completed our in house Tutor training.

JASON FEAVERS
Jason first tried Nordic Walking as part his Cardiac Rehabilitation instructor training. Jason found that Nordic Walking complemented his existing running and mountain biking training, as well as being a safe and effective method of training for clients with health conditions including heart conditions, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and many orthopaedic conditions including osteoarthritis.
Jason lectures on exercise referral and is the co-ordinator for the City of York scheme. Jason was the creator of the NWUK Wellbeing programme and has a keen interest in mindfulness.

NICOLA PARSONS

Nicky moved from 15 years in medicine to train as an exercise referral and cardiac rehabilitation specialist in 2001, in order to help patients improve their health outside the hospitals. She trained as a Nordic Walking Instructor in 2008 as she felt that, as well as being a fitness activity that could be enjoyed by everyone, Nordic Walking is an extremely effective rehab tool in a huge number of chronic medical conditions.
Nicky is also a BASI Nordic National Ski Teacher and a member of the Mountain Leader Training Association (Hill Walking Group Leader qualified).

TRISH COWIE
Trish Cowie has over 35 years experience in the Leisure Industry and specialises in GP Referral, Cardiac Rehabilitaion and Active ageing. She has spent the latter part of her career working with specialist populations as the exercise referral co-ordinator for the County of Wiltshire and is passionate about making a difference.


TANYA ADOLPHO
Tanya is an all rounder, her lively personality ensures she has packed group classes (she teaches Gymstick, Exercise to music and Aqua. She is also a specialist in exercise for children and currently works at Bromley College as an education programme Manager. A key Member of our team, she delivers Nordic Walking Instructor training, Smovey, Gymstick and some of our modules such as wellbeing.

CHARLES ALLEN
Charles Allen is NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney Exercise Referral Coordinator and the owner of innovative wellbeing company Active Lives. He has worked extensively in Private, Public and Voluntary Sectors and has 16 years experience working in the fitness, health and care industries, specialising in Exercise Referral Services since 2005. Charles has 2 Degrees BA (hons) Leisure Services Management, BSC Sport Science (modular degree). REPS level 4 instructor.

DAWN McLEAN
Dawn McLean joined NWUK as a Tutor in 2012 as she felt it would compliment her work with Later Life learning where she is the Lead Internal Verifier and Quality Assurance manager. She is also a PSI/CBE/OEP Practical Tutor and Senior Assessor. Dawn is a qualified Assessor (D32/33/V1) and has a Cert Ed in teaching. She has qualified in the YMCA Exercise to Music for Older adults, Chair Based Exercise for Older People and as a Postural Stability Instructor. She was previously Lead Internal Verifier with Leicester College for the Chair based Exercise Leaders Award and Tutor and Assessor with Northern Fitness & Education (ETM / Aqua ETM / Aqua Natal/ ETM Older Persons, Step / Modern Pilates) and Tutor and Assessor with Preston College (ETM, Gym & Circuit NVQ 2).


JAN HOWELLS
Jan is our South West Tutor - she runs one of the most successful and inspirational studios in Cornwall which she combines with a busy Age UK health walks programme. A keen educator Jan is also a qualified Tutor/Assessor and she ensures her team are fully skilled to deliver to all levels.

NWUK REGIONAL PROGRAMME MANAGERS
The NWUK Programme Managers are experienced NWUK Instructors who deliver our programmes and represent us regionally by providing demonstrations and mentoring new instructors on programming and business. Many of them are also on the NWUK Tutor development programme which includes CYQ Tutor and Assessor qualifications.

JOHN BRUNO
John Bruno is the owner of Cardiff's most exclusive personal training and health studio. John Bruno Total Training offers Pilates, Personal Training & Nordic Walking, Yoga & 10 Health Therapists. John has a holistic approach to Wellbeing and over 20 years experience as a personal Trainer


HQ OFFICE/ADMIN TEAM
LISA BORROMEO- Support Manager
Lisa provides endless support for all Instructors and Tutors. Her constant effeciency means Instructors get their marketing tool kits, commissions, websites and training days on time and she makes a point of contacting our delivery partners every month to offer advice.

LINDA WILSON- Learners support
Linda ensures that every future NWUK Instructor has all the support they need in order to acheive their goals. She follows their progress from booking to assessment and oversees the on line training, certification and numorous other admin tasks with her legendary military efffeciency!

HELEN INCHBALD- Accounts Manager
Helen is the sensible, organised member of the team who strives to keep tabs on the rest of us and the fast expanding enterprise that is NW HQ!

KAYE REDWOOD - TRAINING SALES MANAGER
Kaye has a wealth of experience in dealing with Local Authorities and understands the processes and budgetry constraints. She is passionate about helping projects to develop affordable and sustainable solutions. For Individuals she provides advice on finding the correct courses offerred by our academy.

FLOSSIE the office dog!
Small, white, fluffy and still determined to scare off the couriers! A great customer complaints Manager because she sounds much larger than she is (well she thinks so anyway!)