Prior to opening BOTF with Chris she spent 8 years working as a teacher in Nursery, Reception and Year 1 classes both here and in Australia. Vikki is a bit of a child development geek. She is very interested in how children play and passionate about the benefits of truly child-led, open ended play. In addition to Forest School, Vikki is inspired by the principles of the Reggio Emilia approach which she tries to incorporate into BOTF.

Prior to setting up BOTF with Vikki, Chris worked in swimming and as a therapy manager in a specialist college. This role involved supporting people who have special education needs and disabilities (SEND); and people with profound, multiple learning disabilities and physical impairments. Chris has a passion for breaking down the barriers to learning and seeking ways to improve people’s quality of life.

After completing a Social Work degree, Lauren spent most of her career working with Looked After Children. After having her own children, she developed an interest in play & early years development. She is super passionate about reading and the power of sharing stories with children.

Lauren spends half of the week working at the Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library and half of the week in the forest. Børn of the Forest is her absolute dream job! She is also a Beaver Scout Leader in Harrogate (Beaver name: Wren) and loves going on camp – campfire songs being her speciality.

Before coming to BOTF, Candice spent 23 years teaching from EYFS to Post 16, specialising in teaching Science from Year 2 to Year 9. She is passionate about using outdoor spaces to improve children’s engagement and emotional and physical well-being, and for the past few years has also been leading in-school Forest School sessions to children aged 4 to 15.