Mai Sussex

Forester

I have worked at Holkham since July 2022. I was a trainee for just over a year and have been a qualified forester since then.

What advice would you give to someone interested in a forestry career?

Get all the experience you can; you can learn from everything – good and bad, particularly practical but academic too. Forestry can seem like an intimidating environment but if you can find the right people and places and stay interested, you can do it.

How does your role contribute towards our vision of being the UK’s most pioneering and sustainable rural estate?

Our trees and woods have a huge part to play surrounding issues with climate change and resilience to that. So my role simply contributes by doing the best we can to keep our woods healthy and plant more young trees to support those dealing with climate change in the future.

Has your role changed or evolved since you started?

As I said, I started out as a trainee forester and learnt so much from my colleagues. We did a lot of in house training, particularly around felling and chainsaw use. Over time my role has changed to better suit my strengths as a person, so now there is more focus on planting and plantation maintenance for me. It has benefited me in my role by providing skills, confidence and competence.

Have you participated in any initiatives run by Holkham?

We always go to ‘Souper Tuesday’! During the quieter months of the year, the team in the Courtyard Cafe treat us all a complimentary homemade soup. It’s really nice to have a warm lunch and the opportunity to socialise with my colleagues and the wider estate. It benefits us by giving an opportunity to bond as a team.

Other team members

Vicki Uttridge

After attending the Recruitment Open Day in 2022, I secured a role in the Visitor Team where I have been for the past three years. No two days are ever the same in the Visitor Reception. The role is wonderfully varied and every day goes by in a happy blur.

As a member of the Visitor Experience Team, the number one priority is to look after our visitors. Our role involves meeting and greeting, dealing with phone and email enquiries, selling entry tickets and generally making sure everyone is having a great time whilst here. We are also on hand to support other teams where necessary.

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Curtis Austin

My day to day work in the forestry department can vary from carrying out thinning and clear-fell work with chainsaws, to using some of our machines to assist the others foresters with felling. During the winter we are focussing on planting which comprises many steps such as staking, making holes, tree selection, planting and tubing which you may have spotted throughout the estate.

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Jane Gooderham

I joined the Holkham team in March 2010, working in the Stables Cafe which is now the Courtyard Cafe.

I have worked in many of the Holkham cafes over the years, including the Rose Garden which is now Ancient House – accommodation at The Victoria.

Whilst the Stables Cafe was being refurbished, I worked in the pop up cafe which was situated by the front of the Hall in a marquee.

Now, I am mainly based at the Courtyard Cafe, but I do occasionally work at The Lookout and the Beach Cafe.

I started my job at Holkham as a general cafe assistant before being promoted to cafe supervisor in 2012.

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