Ray Mears
Position: Founder
Founded: 1983
Ray Mears founded Woodlore in 1983 as a way of passing on the skills and knowledge which he had learnt throughout his early life; he achieved this by running the very first dedicated Bushcraft courses in the UK, at first just by himself.
In the decades that have followed, Ray has never swayed from his original aim, and continues to bring Bushcraft to the rest of the world via his books, television programmes and Woodlore's ever-expanding range of courses. Despite the various commitments that come from being an author, lecturer and presenter, Ray continues to be hands-on with the running of Woodlore, and is involved in all major areas of the company today.
Ray's biography is also available to read.
Becky Brewster
Position: Leatherworker
Joined: 2009
With some 20 years of leather working experience, Becky started out in the saddlery trade but quickly realised that her passion lay in designing and producing other leather goods. Luckily, her saddlery training was very diverse and set her up well to pursue other avenues of leatherworking. She loves to make and create in any material; canvas has proved to be a particularly popular combination with leather at Woodlore. Becky has been producing leather goods for Woodlore for many years - it all started with a single knife sheath for Ray. Working for Woodlore full-time has now allowed for an expansion in the range of leather and canvas goods.
Becky's favourite pastimes include country walking, gardening and more recently Zumba. Attending the Wilderness Navigation course in 2011 opened up the beautiful South East countryside for Becky; she says her weekend rambles have become far more interesting – no more guide books.
Courses Attended: Introduction to Bushcraft, Wilderness Navigation.
Favourite Woodlore Memory:
My favourite Woodlore moment has to be on the Wilderness Navigation course, when it all suddenly started to "click"; I suddenly realised "I can do this".
Diana Taylor
Position: Assistant Director
Joined: 2005
Diana joined Woodlore in 2005 as a packer in the kit department. However, this soon changed into a career in Woodlore's course department in 2006; first as an administrator, progressing to Operations Manager. More recently Diana has also taken an active role within the clothing and equipment department alongside managing social media and marketing. In 2017 she became Assistant Director.
As such, Diana is your first point of contact in the office with regard to any queries you might have about our courses, and also assists Ray with the running of the Woodlore.
Diana was born and raised in East Sussex and has spent much of her spare time in the outdoors with horses. Her hobby is mainly just for fun, however she has done some local level competitions in the past. Diana now enjoys being part of the thrills and spills of British Eventing, spending most of her weekends and holidays grooming for and assisting her friend who takes part in Eventing with her horse Marni, training and competing throughout the South East.
Courses Attended: Walk in the Woods with Ray Mears, Introduction to Bushcraft, Fundamental Bushcraft, Woodlore Tracking Course, The Journeyman, Arctic Experience and Canoeing in the Ardeche.
Favourite Woodlore Memory:
The amazing feeling of achievement after The Journeyman course.
Lisa Semple
Position: Packing and Distribution
Joined: 2024
Lisa doesn't consider herself an outdoors person though despite this is no stranger to remote places, in all weathers. 10 years serving in St John's Ambulance had her on duty in various locations throughout the South East. Her most memorable duty however was for the funeral of Princess Diana. Through St John's Lisa developed an interest in horseback riding and showjumping, and while never competitive she enjoyed learning the skill and gained a greater appreciation for the sport.
Lisa has always had an interest in winter sports and learned to cross country ski while living in Norway. Though if you ask her, she would rather be on a snowboard, a skill she learnt in the USA. She is a keen traveller and is working through an ever-growing list of places to experience.
Back on her native soil now, she is fostering her long standing interest in Archery, just a beginner she still has much to learn. A fair portion of her spare time however is taken up with a myriad of artistic and crafting hobbies or spending time with friends and family.
Callum Hilder
Position: Purchasing and Marketing Manager
Joined: 2024
Callum has been part of the outdoor team for 15 years and continues to lead and assist on our courses. He has now joined the office team as Purchasing and Marketing Manager.
Having owned and run a premium landscaping and fencing company since the age of 19, plus brought products to market himself, Callum has experience in commercial sales, marketing, business, and product development.
His knowledge of the products we sell and use rigorously, effectively enable him to continue Woodlore’s successful online shop and pioneer new products and lines for our valued customers.
The amazing feeling of achievement after The Journeyman course.This dual role is very exciting; I can work closely with a wide range of suppliers and contacts to contribute to Woodlore's long history of product development and use in the most extreme climates. I still have an absolute passion for the outdoors, bushcraft and adventure and my role in marketing our courses and products give me a new aspect into the industry.
Lisa Semple
Position: Packing and Distribution
Joined: 2024
Lisa doesn't consider herself an outdoors person though despite this is no stranger to remote places, in all weathers. 10 years serving in St John's Ambulance had her on duty in various locations throughout the South East. Her most memorable duty however was for the funeral of Princess Diana. Through St John's Lisa developed an interest in horseback riding and showjumping, and while never competitive she enjoyed learning the skill and gained a greater appreciation for the sport.
Lisa has always had an interest in winter sports and learned to cross country ski while living in Norway. Though if you ask her, she would rather be on a snowboard, a skill she learnt in the USA. She is a keen traveller and is working through an ever-growing list of places to experience.
Back on her native soil now, she is fostering her long standing interest in Archery, just a beginner she still has much to learn. A fair portion of her spare time however is taken up with a myriad of artistic and crafting hobbies or spending time with friends and family.
Matthew Meade
Position: Packing and Distribution
Joined: 2024
Matthew (or Matt) likes to immerse himself into the world of computers and technology, exploring its innovations and possibilities. Whether it's assembling computer hardware, or programming software, he very much enjoys his passion, saying that it's what drives him to learn and experience new things.
Beyond the digital realm, Matt finds balance through his love of landscape and nature photography. The peace and quiet of the outdoors helps him disconnect from technology and reconnect with nature. In this, he has taken a liking to camping in, and exploring the beautiful woodlands of the country. In his free time at home, he indulges in the creative, albeit fiddly hobby of painting miniatures – particularly of Warhammer and Dungeons & Dragons figurines.
Matt settled well into working at Woodlore, having spent 8 years working with online marketplaces and mail order services. He says that it's a role that meshes surprisingly well with his tendencies to learn and experience, and that he enjoys seeing this experience put to good use.
