Close-up of a woman with reddish-brown hair, piercings, and a green top, smiling at the camera.

Chelsea Rose -

Registered Manager

Chelsea looks after the day-to-day running of Same Roots. She can be found anywhere on site, from organising retreats in the office, to batch cooking in the kitchen, to being waist-deep in the pond clearing weeds.
She's also the bridge between the Board of Trustees and the people putting in the work on the ground, ensuring there isn't ever a 'disconnect' between the two.
Her role is varied, but everything she does ultimately helps our guests have the best experience possible, ensures staff and volunteers enjoy their roles, and guides the charitable work of Same Roots in the right direction.

She brings together the practical, people-focused, and creative sides of the charity, helping to hold the vision for what Same Roots can become.

Martine -

Manager’s Assistant

A person with short hair, sunglasses, and a blue sweater holding two large black and brown cats outdoors on a grassy path with houses and trees in the background.

Much like Chelsea, Martine can be found working just about anywhere on site, from gardening and cleaning, to admin and finance support. The only place you won't find Martine is in the kitchen, which she assures us is best for everyone! Martine was a part of this space long before Same Roots arrived, and the place just wouldn't feel right without her here.
Not to mention the fact, she's the only one who knows where everything is! On the odd occasion that Chelsea steps away from the site for a few days, Martine is on call, so it's always in safe hands.

When Martine isn't working, she can be found knitting the most beautiful rainbow creations or playing her violin.

Lucy -

Administrative Assistant

A woman with black, blue-dyed hair sitting on a wooden bench near a pond, surrounded by trees with orange and green leaves, in a lush garden during springtime.

Lucy does a huge amount to support management and keep Same Roots running smoothly behind the scenes. She ensures every room is made up to a high standard and is always adding little 'extras', such as fresh flowers, blankets and dog biscuits, to ensure our guests (even the 4-legged ones!) always feel special and well cared for.
And despite this role keeping her very busy, she still finds time to support the office by producing all of our quotes and invoices, keeping records of everything and ensuring our documents are all saved properly and everything is where it should be. Quietly keeping the rest of us organised along the way.

When Lucy isn't working, you can usually find her crafting, baking, or playing her ukulele.

A man with long hair, glasses, and a beard sitting on a wooden park bench in a garden with blooming trees and bushes, wearing an orange shirt and colorful scarves and jewelry.

David Cassian -

Spiritual Guide & Breathwork Practitioner

David is the spiritual heartbeat of Same Roots. As a Spiritual Guide and Breathwork Practitioner, he creates space for people to slow down, reconnect and explore their own path. He also helps with the wider running of the centre and brings a calm, grounded presence to community life.
If you see David walking in the grounds, you can always go and speak to him about your own journey, and get a grounded, compassionate and thoughtful response.
In David's spare time, you can find him meditating in the chapel, reading history books, Tolkien books, or walking out in the trees somewhere.
He also runs his own business, A Quiet Life, where he provides people with resources for coping with the stresses and pressures of everyday life.

Vic -

Site & Pool Maintenance

Man standing indoors near large window, smiling, wearing black t-shirt and shorts, tattoos on arms, surrounded by various tools and equipment including a yellow wheelbarrow and a shop vacuum.

Vic keeps this beautiful site running despite the many challenges an old farmhouse brings. Some days, he may be tasked with changing a lightbulb, whereas other days he's tackling major works required following a flood back in 2023. He also helps to care for the grounds, ponds, and equipment. And despite this work keeping him busy, he still finds time to do daily checks on our pool systems, ensuring they're cared for and making sure our water quality is as high as it can be. He keeps the site cared for, so we can concentrate on making sure our guests feel cared for.

When Vic isn't working for Same Roots, you can usually find him out in nature talking to animals (he's our very own Doctor Dolittle!), or playing his electric guitar. He also runs his own private business, VLG Engineering.

Portrait of a young person with long dark hair, fair skin, and facial piercings, looking at the camera against a plain background.

Eli Cole (Cole Adaptive Services)-

Tech Support & Website Manager

Eli helps keep things running both online and behind the scenes at Same Roots. He manages both the software and hardware in the office and around the site, and is supporting us to move the charity forward with more modern systems and effective ways of working.
He also built, and now maintains, our website, and is the face behind the messages on our Airbnb communications. His role is varied, practical and usually involves making sure things work when they need to.

When Eli isn't working, you can usually find him gaming, coding or tinkering with tools. He's recently started his own business, Cole Adaptive Services, and he's also training under Vic to gain mechanical, engineering and welding skills. We're sure he sleeps, but we're not sure when!

A young girl with blonde hair in a braid, wearing sunglasses, a colorful jacket, and pink pants, standing on a sidewalk by grass, smiling and holding her sunglasses with one hand.

Nova-Rey –

Junior Allotment Caretaker

Nova-Rey might be young, but she takes her role as Junior Allotment Caretaker very seriously! Along with her good friend Martin, she helps look after our growing spaces, learning about plants, food, medicine and caring for the land along the way.

Her curiosity, creativity and enthusiasm are a lovely part of life at Same Roots.

Close-up of a white mushroom with brown spots growing on green grass in a forest with trees in the background.

Martin –

Allotment Caretaker

Martin is usually on site two to three times a week, educating the children (and adults!) on how best to care for and make use of our allotment. He supports Nova-Rey in keeping the space tidy, well cared for and watered, making plans for each season and letting us know what to expect in the kitchen when they're due a harvest.
When we first arrived here, the allotment was completely out of action, but through the hard work and dedication of our allotment team, it is now thriving and providing beautiful ingredients for our staff, volunteers and guests.

Close-up of tree bark covered with green ivy leaves and twining vines.

Dave –

Gardener

Dave is our live-in gardener, although he's also a dab hand in the kitchen and contributes to the peace we feel in our community by playing beautiful handpan music around the grounds.
Dave leaves us for a few months in the summer to work at festivals around the country, but when he's here, he slots right back in as if he never left and is a valued member of the team.
When Dave isn't working here or at festivals, he can usually be found taking the most gorgeous photos out in nature or recording his own music.

Meet the Team