Julie Brown
Director

Julie and a group of friends set up GC more than 20 years ago. Tired of simply talking about how to change the world, they decided to do something practical to make a real difference.

Sarah McFadden
Operations Manager

Originally from New Zealand, Sarah’s career has spanned the organic, natural food industry and charity sector. She also teaches yoga around Hackney and Islington.

Richenda Wilson
Marketing Coordinator

After 20 years in journalism Chen progressed from veg scheme member to delivery worker & market manager before the lure of the warm(-ish) office proved irresistable.

Sophie Verhagen
Head Grower - Hackney

Her chequered career includes working in a bookshop, in housing, as a teacher and photographer. At GC she's done almost every job and was one of the first urban growing trainees.

Kerry Rankine
Farmer’s Market Manager/Grown In Dagenham Coordinator

A long time ago Kerry was a Greenpeace campaigner, which often involved getting wet and windblown. The market and farm are a bit like that but much less time spent in police custody.

Jo Barber
Veg Scheme Coordinator

After seven years as Great Ormond Street Hospital's senior press officer she retrained in sustainable food with an MSc in Food Policy at City Uni. Cheese souffle makes her cry (with happiness).

Ellie Virk
Assistant Veg Scheme Co-ordinator

Ellie was a civil servant for nine years until she decided to pack it all in and pursue a career in sustainable food. Provenance is her passion and the health of our soils is what spurs her on.

Hannah Schlotter
Food Activities Worker

From a farming family in Essex, she was encouraged to avoid farming but couldn’t keep her hands out of the soil. She now works at our Dagenham Farm and Spitalfields Farm as well.

Shelagh Martin
Grower - Dagenham Farm

After 15 years as a stand-up comedian Shelagh took up her other childhood passion - food. She now works at the Dagenham Farm and Stepney City Farm.

Alice Holden
Head Grower - Dagenham

Alice has spent many years working on farms, including a two-year Soil Association apprenticeship and managing a 100 acre farm in Wales.

Ximena Ransom
Head Grower - Dagenham - maternity cover

Ximena was one of GC's first trainee growers in Hackney and has been growing salad at the Patchwork Farm site in Hackney Tree Nursery ever since.

Michele Van Veerssen
Education and Outreach Worker

After teaching languages in mainstream schools, Michèle felt the need to change career and to work in the environment and organic food growing. She loves teaching children at the Dagenham Farm.

Rachel Stevenson
Finance Officer

Rachel’s background is in the public and voluntary sector. Originally our Office Manager, she left in early 2011 to do an MA in Creative Writing, and returned as Finance Officer later that year.

Rachel Dring
Marketing Assistant

Rachel’s background is theatre and community arts but she left it all behind to pursue her love of food and dislike of supermarkets. Her current obsession is her small brood of hens.

Helen, Jack & Dom
Delivery team

Helen, Isa (too new to be in the picture!) and Dom make up our dream team for the veg deliveries, working through sun, wind, rain and snow to deliver the right veg bags to the collection points on

Kerry, Phil, Kwame, Nicole
Market team

Kerry, Nicole and Phil take turns to manage the farmers' market on Saturdays, while Kwame (and Jack) keep them supplied with excellent coffee, served from Maisie the milkfloat.