The Team
Ben Cuddon - Founder and Programme Director
Ben grew up in London. He studied History at Edinburgh University and was a Frank Knox Fellow at Harvard where he took an MA in Middle East Studies. He also has a PGCE from Cambridge University. He taught History and Sociology in two London schools (Ernest Bevin College and Archbishop Tenison's High School) before co-founding Climate Ed in 2018. He currently coordinates the Climate Ed programme in schools.
Abi Jermain - CEO
With over three decades of experience across environmental charities and research organisations, Abi has dedicated her career to helping people and organisations understand and respond to the climate crisis. Her work at Earthwatch saw her collaborate with large businesses on sustainability learning programmes, and as Climate Ed’s Fundraising and Development Manager she is shaping the charity’s new strategy and growth ambitions. Abi is passionate about empowering children with the knowledge they need to face a changing world.
Elliott McDowell - Regional Coordinator, West Midlands
Originally from Shropshire, Elliott moved to Birmingham a decade ago to study Modern Languages before completing an MA in Sociology. He then worked for three years with CoachBright running academic coaching programmes to support disadvantaged secondary school pupils. Alongside coordinating the Climate Ed programme in the West Midlands, Elliott is also an Actor for Freshwater Theatre Company, performing fairytales in French in primary schools.
Victoria Collier - Regional Coordinator, North West
Victoria studied Russian at Oxford University and worked as a solicitor in London and Manchester after graduating. After leaving law to look after her family, she later studied for a Primary PGCE and has spent the last 16 years working in an area of high deprivation in South Manchester, most recently as Deputy Headteacher and English Lead. Victoria loves working in schools and believes that every single child deserves the very best in education. She is balancing her role as English Lead in her school with her new role as North West Coordinator for Climate Ed and is excited to be involved in educating the next generation about the single most important issue of their time.
Trustees
Dominique Airey (Chair) has worked in a range of leadership roles in start-ups and non-profits. She is passionate about scaling organisations that deliver sustainable social and environmental impact by blending evidence-based and market-based approaches.
She is Partnerships Director at Cur8 and Adviser to Rethinking Removals, who both focus on accelerating carbon removals. She previously co-founded a carbon removal start-up and led commercial/impact functions for two other start-ups. Dominique has also worked extensively for youth-focused non-profits as CEO, Head of Partnerships, independent advisor, and trustee. She brings significant fundraising, strategy, and governance experience to the board.
Mark Blackett (Treasurer) is a Chartered Accountant who worked for multinational companies before leaping into development work. He has worked for large and small NGOs leading work on inclusive agribusiness development and sustainable food system programmes, as well as emergency responses in Africa and Asia. He currently leads the Agribusiness Market Ecosystem Alliance (AMEA), a global network of development organisations, foundations and businesses. Mark is also a Parent-Governor at an independent school and Treasurer of an RNLI branch. Mark brings significant experience in change management, fundraising, programme design and financial management to the Board.
Hoa Doan is a climate policy expert with experience in consulting, public sectors and entrepreneurship. Some of her work includes developing the Net Zero Plan for the UK National Health Service (the fifth largest employer in the world) for COP26, making it the first national health service to commit to a net zero target. She then joined the Prime Minister’s Office in Downing Street to oversee the delivery of decarbonisation programmes across the building and transport sectors, a portfolio worth over £7 billion.
Hoa is currently the Head of Impact and Sustainability at Notpla, a UK-startup that recently won The Earthshot Prize for its plastic-free consumer packaging products made from seaweed and plants.
Angy Knill is a strategic communications leader. She is currently Head of UK and Ireland Communications for Stripe, a financial platform for businesses, which has also led a $1 billion pledge to support early stage carbon removal companies.
Before Stripe, Angy worked at HM Treasury where she was responsible for climate and financial services communications—from new green funding in Budgets, to new sustainability reporting rules at COP26.
Victoria Hewett is a passionate geography teacher, middle leader, and education consultant. After university, she intended to pursue a career in environmental education, but after working at the Centre for Alternative Technology, she was inspired to train to teach. Since then, Victoria has been dedicated to designing and delivering a curriculum that embeds education for sustainable development whilst empowering students to be active, global citizens.
In addition to her classroom work, Victoria is the teacher behind Mrs Humanities, a highly respected and influential voice in the online education community. Through her blog and social media presence, she shares her expertise and insights, inspiring and engaging teachers and educators around the world.
Tim Quick has 11+ years’ experience leading global social impact, sustainability, and humanitarian programmes. He specialises in
🚀 Designing & delivering high-impact initiatives for major NGOs, corporates & foundations
🤝 Building strategic partnerships with donors, governments & private sector
💡 Driving innovation in climate action, human rights & inclusive economies
👥 Coaching teams to deliver positive change at scale
