Meet the team! – Hamish Mackay-Lewis, coach and facilitator

Based in Somerset with a background in the British Army, Hamish specialises in leading groups and individuals to connect more deeply with the natural world. And when he’s not with clients, he’s outdoors himself. “I like to head out into the hills and woods as much as I can. The great outdoors feeds my soul and I just can’t get enough of it. And the more it can feel like an adventure – unplanned and with a little bit off risk – the more fun it is!” Hamish also trained with John P Milton (Way of Nature), with whom he is undertaken several long periods of solitary time in nature, notably once spending a month alone in the wilds of Colorado.

Hamish feels a deep connection to the natural world. “I fear for the more than human world and all the extraordinary species that are struggling and going extinct. This lies at the centre of my anger and grief and my desire to act.”

Hamish has been a member of the Climate Change Coaches team since the very start. He remembers: “I met Charly at an event many years ago. When she first had the idea to coach people on their relationship to climate change, I was all in! Climate Change Coaches is full of people who genuinely care, not only about climate change coaching and the planet, but also about each other in the team. This creates more trust with the people we work with, which in turn brings about greater transformation and impact.”

He enjoys being a coach for the opportunity to open up new ways of thinking and new self-awareness in his coachees. “It is such a privilege. There is a moment, that I can’t put a price on, when people have a new insight into who they are. It’s contagious and soul enriching. It inspires me and I’m reminded again and again of the generosity of the human spirit and how, really, despite what some forces in the world would have us believe, we are all motivated by similar desires and needs.”

As we head into what for many can feel like the post-Christmas slump of January, Hamish encourages us to embrace the winter. “To follow our Celtic ancestors, the time of winter solstice is all about resting, welcoming in the darkness and being consciously lost. I’m enjoying giving increasingly more time to the darkness at this time of year – ironically, it helps me to see things more clearly.”

To find out more about how your organisation can offer our coaching to you and your colleagues, get in touch or check out the coaching area here.s