Green Recovery: Transform our Communities with Nature

David has been Chief Executive Officer at Trees for Cities for four years.  He has worked in the non-profit sector for a number of international organisations, prior to which he was a management consultant. 
He is a Commissioner for the London Sustainable Development Commission, a Trustee for the African Conservation Foundation and previously for the International Tree Foundation. 
He holds BSc degrees in Biological Sciences from Edinburgh University and Politics & International Relations from LSE, and an MBA from Cambridge University. 

Dr Amir Khan is a full time NHS GP working in inner city Bradford. Amir qualified with an honours degree in medicine (MBChB) from the University of Liverpool in 2004. He worked his junior doctor years and did his GP training (MRCGP) in and around Merseyside, qualifying as a GP in 2009. He has also specialised in minor surgery and joint injections. Amir’s passions outside of medicine include wildlife conservation and he is the first Ambassador for The National Wildlife Trusts, working closely with them to ensure access to green spaces for inner city children and spreading the word on how being outside with nature is good for your health. He is also fronting the “Insect A+E” Campaign” for The National Butterfly Association and Bumblebee Conservation Trust, a campaign set to launch in Spring 2020 encouraging everyone to plant insect friendly plants in their garden. He is also a keen gardener, runner, fitness enthusiast, traveller and baker.

Paul has been involved in community forestry for over 25 years, and for much of that time as Director of The Mersey Forest. This long term plan and programme of environmental regeneration aims to get “more from trees”, using trees and woodlands to provide a wide range of benefits. Paul is a member of the Institute of Chartered Foresters, the Urban FWAC and Chair of the National Community Forest Partnership. His role as Director of The Mersey Forest involves managing the multidisciplinary team, developing and delivering the partnership business plan and budget, and working within a wide-ranging partnership to deliver the Government-approved Mersey Forest Plan. Current major projects include Northern Forest, Natural Health Service, Urban GreenUP and developing innovative funding opportunities for woodland and green spaces.

Asher has spent over 30 years as a community activist, leader, management consultant and now local politician. She has championed the needs of the voice-less, with a particular emphasis on the social-economic development of BME and under-represented communities. She has led and Chaired a number of major partnerships and organisations at local, regional and national level and has worked in the field of employment & training, education & skills, recruitment, advocacy, equality & diversity within local government and the third sector. Asher was elected as the Labour Councillor for the ward of St George West, Bristol in May 2016 and was appointed to the Cabinet with the wide reaching portfolio of Neighbourhoods in August 2016. In March 2017 Asher was asked to step into the new role of Deputy Mayor – Communities, bringing into & elevating the issue of Public Health within her new portfolio. She is committed to address the inequities and multi-level public health risks that impact diverse urban populations through the lens of racial and ethnic health disparities at all levels. One of Asher’s proudest achievements is the development of a new groundbreaking and multiple award-winning Stepping Up leadership programme, using the Bristol “One City Approach”.

Ric Casale is one of the founding trustees of Carbon Copy – a solutions hub that helps bring together the initiatives needed to accelerate climate action, connecting local communities, councils and companies who share the goal of a carbon zero future. He is an entrepreneur with a track record in taking ventures from concept to market. Ric has studied renewable energy with the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) and urbanism at London School of Economics. He is the author of "Civic Revolution. A Citizen's Guide" about the power of place-based civic action in leading transformative environmental change.

As the host of this event series on accelerating local climate action collectively, Ric would like us to be inspired by the variety of practical projects and the different ways people collaborate to get things done.

Dan has worked in nature conservation for over 20 years managing a broad range of local, regional and national projects. Partnership working and community participation has underpinned much of his work, and he currently manages the Bathscape Landscape Partnership Scheme which seeks to ensure a greater number and wider range of people feel connected to the landscape around Bath and inspired to explore it. Previous projects include creating new meadows across 60 UK counties for the Prince of Wales’s Coronation Meadows initiative and engaging new audiences through the Bat Conservation Trust’s Count Bat project.