About Us

Wylderne is a Community Benefit Society which is a type of co-operative structured to serve its wider community. We are regulated by and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Meet the team below.

We are excited to have acquired the Wilderness Centre, protecting it for future generations. After many years of uncertainty, its future is finally secured.

It belongs to the Forest of Dean.

We will be working with our community to make the most of what this site can uniquely offer. There are many exciting plans and ideas to breathe life back into this historic jewel.

If you’ve never come across a Community Benefit Society (CBS) before, here are some of its key characteristics:

  • One-member, one-vote: CBSs are based on the principle of equality between members

  • Business must benefit the community: CBSs must use any profits made for the benefit of the community

  • Asset lock: An optional statutory asset lock protects the organisation's assets from being transferred to private individuals or other companies

  • Shares can be bought from £50 to £100,000

  • Members can receive interest payments on their shares

Meet the Team

  • Paul Pivcevic

    Director

    Paul will oversee the strategic development of Wylderne’s role in serving the wider community of the Forest of Dean, working together with local stakeholders to support the transition to a new economy. He is also responsible for fundraising and press relations. With Simon and Jamie, Paul will be designing learning experiences for the many groups who come to the Wilderness.

    Paul is an experienced regenerative practitioner and systems thinker, trained with Regenesis in the US. His background is in organisation and leadership development. 

  • Nicki Williams

    Director

    Nicki has an extensive background in business, people and leadership development, and is a qualified and accredited executive coach and mentor and highly experienced in the Early Career development space.

    Nicki looks after the recruitment and development of operational personnel, including board members. She has a key role in the creation and execution of market and project delivery and also ensures E,D&I is properly represented.

  • Jamie Robinson

    Director

    Jamie oversees our customer operations.

    A former soldier, he has worked in Outdoor Education for 11 years, becoming highly skilled at helping people connect with nature. In this time, he has led and facilitated the development of over 10,000 children, delivered corporate apprenticeship programs and worked internationally in ecotourism. 

    He brought industry best practice to operations at The Wilderness Centre. 

    Jamie has recently trained with Fritjof Capra on The Systems View of Life, and alongside Paul and Simon, will be developing and delivering Wylderne's Ecoliteracy Learning.

  • Simon Dawson

    Director

    Simon has a MA in Learning and Change, and is a full member of AHOEC (Association of Heads of Outdoors Education Centres), the professional body for senior managers in the outdoors industry.

    Having been a soldier, sales manager, organisational consultant and outdoors educator - as Head of Centre at the Wilderness Centre - Simon’s interests led him to train in Regenerative Practice with Regenesis and Eco-Literacy with Fritjof Capra.

    Simon will oversee the Sales, Marketing and Strategy