Meet The Team - Member Engagement

Meet the Member Engagement Team

The Member Engagement team based at Ulster Wool Partners British Wool’s head office are responsible for providing a high level of service and representation to members in Northern Ireland.  The team are involved in key areas such as communication, marketing, events, and the regions as well as Member Services which supports members with any account queries and in keeping their account details fully up to date.

Please meet members of the team below:

Gareth Jones – Head of Member Engagement.

My name is Gareth Jones and I live in Denbighshire, North Wales.  In my role as Head of Member Engagement, I’m responsible for managing farmer-facing activities such as communication, stakeholder, press and media engagement, agricultural shows, and overall customer experience.  I’m a fluent Welsh speaker and this year will be my 30^th year of service for Ulster Wool.  This started in 1990 spending 14 years working at the wool grading depot in Denbigh before moving in 2004 to work for the Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) as County Executive Officer.  I returned to Ulster Wool in 2008 in my current role which has evolved during that time.

I firmly believe in the principles and the benefits of working together and have been involved with many community groups over the years – something I enjoy. I’m currently a non-magistrate member of the North Wales Advisory Committee for the Judiciary and an Independent Member of Glas Cymru, the parent company of Welsh Water.

In my spare time, I enjoy football, snooker and reading and enjoy nothing more than a night of live music and stand-up comedy.

Claire Jenkins – Membership Administration Manager.

My name is Claire Jenkins, I work at the Head office in Bradford and have been with Ulster Wool since October 2023 as the Membership Admin Manager. My main responsibilities are to oversee the Member Services Department and ensure all our members receive a VIP service, along with working in the Member Communication team to ensure all our key messages are communicated with our members either via social media, email, or post.

Outside of work I enjoy going to the gym and either watching my favourite team or my son playing football, also there is nothing better than a drama series binge watch.

Adam Woods – Member Communications Co-Ordinator

My name is Adam, I work in Bradford at Head Office as a Member Communications Co-Ordinator. I have worked here since 2019 where I started as a trainee administrator working my way around the company learning the sheep industry inside out. My main responsibilities are looking after and designing our Graze newsletter, sending communications to members as well and looking after Ulster Wool's presence at shows.

Outside of work I love/hate watching my favourite football team as well as bingeing food shows and then trying my best to recreate the dishes.

Jeanette Searle – Member Services Administrator

My name is Jeanette Searle, I have been working for British Wool since June 2017.  My role as Member Services Administrator is based at the Head Office in Bradford.  It is my job to ensure that members' accounts are maintained to a high standard and that any requests or updates they may have, are dealt with in a timely and accurate manner.

I enjoy spending time with my three grandsons, who keep me on my toes!  Also, I have just bought a motorhome, so I am looking forward to new adventures.