Mrs Denise Leonard BSc (Hons), PGDip, APIOL

• Lecturer – Outdoor Adventure Education (BA)
• Admissions Tutor
• Personal Tutor

I am an experienced outdoor practitioner with over 20 years' experience across a broad range of settings. I have worked extensively across the sector including primary through to tertiary age groups, corporate team development, youth at risk including alternative to custody programs, expeditions and guiding.

My dominant professional focus has been on mental and emotional wellbeing. This has included working with both harder to reach young adults, using the outdoors to foster positive behaviour change; as well as developing outdoor programs to integrate with existing mental health intervention.

I am a qualified Paddlesport coach at BCU level 4 white water and level 3 sea kayak and open canoe. I hold the advanced white water and sea kayak leader award and can assess personal skills across all three disciplines. Alongside this, I have achieved mountaineering, climbing and mountain biking qualifications. I have worked professionally in the UK, Canada and New Zealand and competed at a regional, national and international level in kayak slalom and white-water rafting. I am an 'Accredited Practitioner' and 'Registered Professional' of the Institute for Outdoor Learning and a mentor for IOL members. My research interests focus on gender equity within outdoor practice and the value of our relationship to the natural environment for wellbeing.

My lecturing responsibilities include leading on one first-year module, ‘Adventure a risk worth taking and two second-year modules, ‘Understanding Adventure Leadership’ and ‘Discovering Outdoor Lifestyles’. During the year I will take the students on several residential trips both as part of the module delivery and as extracurricular opportunities to gain personal skills in areas such as winter mountaineering and sea kayaking. I represent the University to the Pembrokeshire Outdoor Charter Group and am the school lead for coasteering. I have delivered aspects of the postgraduate masters Outdoor Education program and am the undergraduate admissions tutor for the BA (Hons) Outdoor Adventure Education degree.