Meet the Team
Naomi Kay – AONB Senior Manager
Naomi joined the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 2016 after managing the Solway Wetlands Landscape Partnership Scheme for three years.
She has overall responsibility for the preparation and implementation of the management and action plans, and leads the AONB staff, working alongside local authorities, other public bodies, local organisations and local communities.
She is also responsible for identifying, developing and managing projects in the AONB, offering practical advice and effecting implementation. Naomi’s key aim is to ensure the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty continues to provide a sustainable future for the local community and people visiting this special place.
Naomi works with the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Joint Advisory Committee and the National Association of AONBs (NAAONB).
Chris Spencer – AONB Specialist
Chris joined the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Team in 2017 having worked on the Solway Wetlands Landscape Partnership Scheme for three years and managing the project in its last year.
Chris has a farming family background, but his love of the outdoors saw him following a career working with young people as a youth worker and outdoor adventure leader working in communities in South Yorkshire and East Lancashire.
Chris loves the wild landscapes of the bogs and wetlands and through his work on the Solway Wetlands Project he has developed a passionate interest in the vernacular architecture of the Solway, the clay dabbins and farmsteads that form such an important element of the areas built heritage.
He has a particular role within the team looking after the land management responsibilities, improving public access and conservation outcomes. He also works with Michelle on the team’s communication strategy and support Naomi across all aspects of the AONB management.
Michelle Irving – AONB Senior Business Support
Michelle joined the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty team in 2016.
Her role involves developing and operating the administrative systems, and supporting the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Joint Advisory Committee. Michelle’s role also includes promoting the qualities and opportunities offered by the landscape and heritage of the Solway Coast AONB through effective communication, marketing and social media.
Sophie has recently joined the AONB Team, October 2023. Sophie has worked in nature conservation in Cumbria for a number of years, most recently with Cumbria Wildlife Trust on the Planting for Pollinators project helping restore pollinator habitats across Cumbria, and before that with the National Trust on the west coast so the Solway isn’t completely new to Sophie. Initially Sophie will focus on land management, volunteering and community engagement alongside other projects. There’s been lots of exciting work happening over the last few years and she hopes to be able to continue to move that forward.
