Meet The Team

General enquiries – info@thebcc.ac.uk

Admissions – admissions@thebcc.ac.uk

Marketing & Development – scott.hayman@thebcc.ac.uk

A variety of wood occupations courses, including carpentry, joinery, wood machining and furniture making is delivered by a talented team of experienced tutors. They deliver high quality training that has earned the BCC a reputation as a top provider of timber-based courses and apprenticeships.

• Travis Warrington – Tutor, Apprenticeships – travis.warrington@thebcc.ac.uk
• Anthony Lainson – Head of Bench Joinery –  ant.lainson@thebcc.ac.uk
• Errol Boswell – Technician – errol.boswell@thebcc.ac.uk
• Ruth Thomson – Tutor, Carpentry and Joinery – ruth.thomson@thebcc.ac.uk
• Lee Lane – Tutor, Joinery Apprenticeships lee.lane@thebcc.ac.uk
  Lee is a fully qualified bench joiner/shop fitter, completing his apprenticeship at the BCC while employed by both Sykes and Sons, and Bruce Tipper Joinery, based in Leyton. Both opportunities were the perfect place for him to excel at joinery and complete high end projects,. During his career, Lee has worked on some of England’s most prestigious sites, including the Royal Courts of Justice, Buckingham Palace and the Royal Opera House. Since fully qualifying, Lee has worked for prestigious furniture companies and was last employed as a set builder at the Royal Opera House.
• Steve McGloin – Tutor, Joinery – steve.mcgloin@thebcc.ac.uk
• Born in Salford, initially Steve undertook an art and design training, before moving to Bristol to study for a degree in industrial design which led to a successful career in advertising. On moving to Essex Steve completed a PGCE at Cambridge followed by seventeen years teaching design and technology, across secondary education including Product design and engineering A levels. As part of his personal and professional development he completed a furniture making course then bench joinery level two and three at the BCC.
• Nik Rushmer – Tutor, Joinery – nik.rushmer@thebcc.ac.uk 
• Nik joined the Building Craft College in 2021, after spending many years in the theatre industry. He began his career working in the Props Department at the National Theatre, working on many major productions including War Horse, Frankenstein and One Man, Two Governors. From here, Nik moved to the National Theatre’s scenic carpentry department, where he further developed his skills in carpentry, joinery and machinery. In 2015, Nik moved to the Royal Opera House, where he continued to produce high end scenic constructions for world famous productions such as, Swan Lake and Don Giovani.
• George Webster – Apprentice – george.webster@thebcc.ac.uk

The Construction provision at the BCC encompasses a wide range of work including site carpentry, maintenance, and bricklaying.  Delivered at our Gibbins Road Campus, the courses are attended by apprentices, and school leavers starting out on their careers in construction.

• Darren Oliver – Tutor, Construction Operations – darren.oliver@thebcc.ac.uk
• Andy Stirrup – Tutor, Site Carpentry – andrew.stirrup@thebcc.ac.uk
  Andy is a time served carpenter and worked in the industry for 33 years as a carpenter before progressing to foreman/supervisor and then onto project manager for a sub contractor. From there he progressed into Project Management for main contractors managing large commercial projects before a change of career in February 2016 when he joined the BCC to teach carpentry to apprentices. Andy now teaches up to level 3 site carpentry and is an NVQ assessor.
• Paul Dowding – Tutor, Site Carpentry – paul.dowding@thebcc.ac.uk
• Neil Hayman – Tutor, Multi-crafts and Bricklaying – neil.hayman@thebcc.ac.uk
  Neil became a bricklayer and completed his apprenticeship in the 1980s. He worked for a number of large companies including Harry Neal and Ideal Homes and then the charity, Kings Fund where he trained prisoners to build a sensory garden that was opened by Prince Charles. His skills include heritage brickwork which he teaches alongside traditional brickwork at the BCC.

• Robin Clifton – Lead Tutor, Furniture Design & Making – robin.clifton@thebcc.ac.uk
• Paulo de Vasconcelos – Tutor, Furniture Design & Making – paulo.devasoncelos@thebcc.ac.uk
  Paulo’s furniture making career started at The Building Crafts College and has now come full circle in becoming a tutor in the fine woodworking department. With encouragement from his tutor here, he applied for the apprenticeship at the renowned Edward Barnsley Workshop. On completion of his 3 year apprenticeship, he went on to work as a craftsman there before joining industry renowned furniture maker/ designer Richard Williams, during which time he made some incredible pieces of furniture. After a time working for furniture companies, Paulo decided on a change of career and wanting to share with others, the skills that he had learnt, went into teaching. After a period of time teaching at a secondary school, Paulo joined the BCC – right back where his passion began.
• Alex Worsfold – Tutor, Furniture Design & Making, Part time – alex.worsfold@thebcc.ac.uk
• Alex trained at The Bartlett School of Architecture and The Building Crafts College (BCC) where he also served as maker in residence. He has been course leader at The New School of Furniture, designing and running courses that teach craft techniques and making. Most recently Alex has been Lead Maker for Emma Leslie Furniture and workshop manager at the London based charity Goldfinch. Alex is a Designer and Maker he has frequently worked with architects, artists, designers, institutions, and private clients.
• James Read, Tutor, Furniture Design & Making, Part time – james.read@thebcc.ac.uk                                                                       James was lucky enough to discover the BCC in 2011 when he was looking to make a change in career from hospitality and studied the Fine Furniture Design and Making Diploma. Upon graduation James received the City and Guilds Medal of Excellence for his work and was made a member of the Worshipful Company of Carpenters. He stayed on at the college as a Maker in Residence for a year alongside establishing his own bespoke furniture company. He now teaches Bench Joinery and Fine Woodworkers. He is also a lead tutor for teaching Fusion360 CAD.
• Kate Payne – Tutor, Furniture Making and Wood Turning – kate.payne@thebcc.ac.uk
• Saena Ku – Evening Class Tutor, Wood Carving – saena.ku@thebcc.ac.uk
  Saena Ku is an established woodcarver and gilder with over 20 years experience in the industry. Graduating from the City & Guilds of London Art school in ornamental woodcarving and gilding in 2000, Saena has built a strong reputation and a successful portfolio within both the traditional and contemporary woodcarving sector. Prestigious past projects include gilding works at Tower of London for Historic Royal Palaces; woodcarving at New College and Oriel College in Oxford, carving and gilding for several London livery companies, and carving works for the Queen’s barge at the Diamond Jubilee. In more contemporary and commercial projects, Saena has worked with Penguin Books, Hodder & Stoughton, Guiness, Kopparberg and several fashion designers. A former woodcarving tutor at the C&G Art school from 2007-2018, Saena has taught at the BCC since 2009. In 2020 Saena was awarded the Master Carver Certificate from the Worshipful Company of Joiners & Ceilers. wwww.thewoodcarvingstudio.co.uk

• Nigel Gilkison – Lead Tutor, Stonemasonry – nigel.gilkison@thebcc.ac.uk
  Nigel has developed the Stonemasonry provision at the BCC so that its reputation as a centre for the development of high level skills is unparalleled across the country. Student work is of a very high quality, not only in the individual pieces produced by students but also in the many group projects they complete. Students in the area of stonemasonry benefit from Nigel’s extensive experience in the stone industry.
• Nancy Peskett – Tutor, Apprenticeships – nancy.peskett@thebcc.ac.uk
  With a background in architecture and conservation, Nancy has worked for over 20 years in the construction industry. She trained in stonemasonry at the Building Crafts College, from where she undertook a craft apprenticeship with the Prince’s Foundation for Building Community. Nancy is a registered assessor, delivering workshop training and site-based assessments in stonemasonry, heritage and related site management qualifications.
• Adeline Wartner – Tutor – adeline.wartner@thebcc.ac.uk
  Adeline obtained a Restoration Diploma at the City and Guilds of London Art School in 1999, then worked as a conservator and attended various stone carving classes and workshops. She studied the Advanced Level 3 Stonemasonry Diploma at the Building Crafts College in 2015 and qualified in 2018. She was then s Maker in Residence for two years and now teaches part time at the BCC. Adeline is also self-employed as a stonemason and stone- and letter-carver.