Konni has worked professionally in the fields of music, BBC local radio, hospitality, and was a digital content manager for the London School of Economics and UK Home Office, making their web sites more user-friendly. Since 2023 she has been co-ordinator of Edible High Town, a community gardening project based in Luton, Bedfordshire, and more recently founded the Luton Orchards Project, a community project researching old orchards and creating new ones. She is a member of the Beds and Luton Orchards Group, Beds Head Gardeners’ Network, is an external tutor for the London-based Orchard Project and has close links with orchard networks in Germany.
From a background of food and drink business and consumer journalism, Robert has enjoyed a 30-year career helping food and drink brands achieve commercial, communication and marketing goals. He has worked extensively with agrifood and fresh produce sectors and closely at senior levels with blue-chip marketers across the globe, as well as numerous other businesses, brands and organisations. He is co-founder and advisor to the employee-owned sustainability and wellbeing behaviour change business Green Rewards /Jump and is a CIM Chartered Marketer.
After studying land and wildlife management at Easton and Otley College and marketing, sales and finance management at UEA Business School, Archie worked with high-end Somerset and Shropshire-based retail companies, as well as Norfolk-based hospitality and farming operations. He recently became sales manager for his Norfolk-based family’s portfolio of food brands. This produces a wide range of products for UK and international wholesale and retail markets using locally grown ingredients, so helping support Norfolk’s rural economy.
Clare studied Environmental Science at the University of East Anglia, which led her into environmental promotion in Norfolk as a founder member of the Norwich Wildlife Group, and then publicity and education officer for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. She then moved to the Broads Authority as their information and interpretation Officer, arranging their public events programme and introducing the national park’s first visitor newspaper. Following early retirement due to ill-health, she was a co-founder of the Norfolk Apples & Orchards Project in1998, and then of EEAOP in 2003.
Neil rejoined the EEAOP Board in 2026 after a short break, having served previously as treasurer and helping to create our new headquarters. Neil worked in oil and gas engineering where he oversaw global technical standards. Since retiring he has involved himself in many community activities, including the Essex Beekeepers Association, serving as a parish councillor and as a cabinet member for his district council, responsible for the environment and climate change. At his Essex home he has planted a complete county collection of apple and pear varieties.
