Martin Sweeney

Brief experience: Martin runs local adventurous activity provider Borderlands Outdoor along with his partner Laura. Alongside the outdoor pursuits side of the business, Martin is the lead trainer for Borderlands’ first aid training courses. The business has gone from strength to strength since being formed in 2015 and delivers outdoor adventures to families, schools and other groups across the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley.

Martin has had a varied career, beginning as a social worker in inner-city Hull before pursuing his lifelong love of the outdoors to become a qualified outdoor instructor and then founding Borderlands.

Martin has been an active crew member with the Severn Area Rescue Association and remains a volunteer casualty carer with the Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group and Community First Responder with the Welsh Ambulance Service.

Key skills: Organisation of events, understanding and experience of health and safety legislation and issues.

Reasons for being a member of the board: Our business has benefited from an increased profile through the hard work of board members and I’d like to be able to give a little back. I’m interested in exploring how we can all collaborate to improve the overall visitor experience in the area.