About Us

In 2004, directors Tim Furbank and Ian Gould decided to take the plunge and set up on their own as Oakbank Game & Conservation Ltd.

Having started working together at a large agricultural merchant running their game cover department, Tim and Ian saw an opportunity to work more closely with farmers and land owners to make the best use of agri-environment schemes to improve wildlife habitats. From small beginnings, the business has now grown significantly and Oakbank recently added a Woodland Management department to extend our environmental capabilities.

Tim is well known in the Game Shooting world, as a regular contributor to a number of magazines and as a judge for the prestigious Purdey Awards. He is an active member of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, serving on the local committee and helping to organise local events.

Ian has increasingly become involved in the world of Regenerative Agriculture in recent years. He has a keen interest in how plants can be used to solve problems with soils and agricultural pests, plus the potential for carbon capture. Ian’s interest in cover and companion crops has taken him to the USA, France and Holland, with a wide network of contacts to discuss the latest trials results. He is a very capable and engaging speaker at events, discussion groups, etc

Our team has built steadily over the last few years and we now have a breadth and depth of experience that is hugely valuable to our clients. Oakbank are now often asked to contribute to projects that will shape the future of farming and the countryside, one that will undoubtedly have the environment at its core.

Seed and Advisory Team

Director

Ian Gould

Director

Tim Furbank

Ian Gould was a newcomer to agriculture, but it quickly became a very natural environment for him.

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The 3 years he spent at Harper Adams Agricultural College were very productive and hugely enjoyable.

Ian’s career has been pretty “seedy”, starting off at The Plant Breeding Institute (PBI) in Cambridge, then working for a number of seed companies in both sales and production roles.  He first worked with Tim at a large agri-business where they ran the Game Cover department together.

In 2004 Ian and Tim decided to start Oakbank, in an effort to provide on-farm advice to farms and sporting estates for the new environmental schemes. This has been both enjoyable and successful, with Ian now leading the company’s progress in the cover crop and natural capital areas. This has been a fascinating journey, learning about how plants can improve soil, reduce costs and also help with carbon sequestration.

Ian is married to Karen, with 2 sons, and when not working he still enjoys watching and coaching rugby

Get in touch with Ian

Office: 01480 890686
Mobile: 07843 378701
ian@oakbankgc.co.uk

Tim is very much a man of Stirtloe, and still lives in the family home that he grew up in, just outside Buckden near St Neots.

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Growing up on the family farm he always had a passion for agriculture, the countryside and country sports. After getting his degree in Agriculture from Newcastle University he had to think about getting a job, as the tenancy on the farm was soon to expire. Fortunately he didn’t have to look too far afield and a four year spell as Group Secretary for East Beds & Maulden NFU provided a fantastic opportunity to understand farm business and to deal with farmers. He also learned that NFU meetings needed a strong Chairman to avoid them lasting forever!

After 4 years he realised the insurance side of a group secretary’s role was not for him and he then moved to Dalgety Agriculture as an agronomist and farm trader. He thoroughly enjoyed this work but when he was approached by Kings of Coggeshall to run their fledgling game cover and conservation crop business the opportunity to work with sporting estates was too good to turn down. Tim and Ian developed the Kings business under the ABF banner but in 2004 they took the plunge and decided to go it alone, starting trading as Oakbank Game & Conservation Ltd in January 2005.

Tim has been a stalwart of Huntingdon Rugby club for many years as Captain, Chairman and President and more recently VP Liaison (organising boozy lunches for former players down at the club!). Away from work, home and rugby, Tim’s other passion is fly fishing. His knowledge of trout streams and pools is astonishing, mainly because whenever he is visiting clients he always asks if they have any fishing on the place! Tim’s family consists of (long suffering) wife Becky, who runs the Furbank family’s ladies fashion business, Anne Furbank of Buckden, son George who plays rugby for Northampton Saints and England.  Daughter Alex who is currently studying to be a sports teacher. He also has three springer spaniels Twix, Wispa and Decker (spot the theme) and assorted chickens.

Get in touch with Tim

Office: 01480 890686
Mobile: 07843 378702
tim@oakbankgc.co.uk


Stewardship & Conservation Manager

Henry Barringer

Senior Farm & Conservation Advisor

Kirsty Brannan

Henry has worked as a Farm Business and Environmental Consultant for the last 13 years,

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Based in Norfolk, and with a family farming background, Henry did a degree in Environmental Science at the UEA. His farming knowledge, coupled with an interest in environmental matters led him to work as a Farm Business consultant, with a major focus on the ELS/HLS and then Countryside Stewardship Environmental Schemes.

He now offers advice on Countryside Stewardship Applications, Grant Schemes, the Basic Payment Scheme, Farm Budgeting and Cashflows, Contract Farming Agreements and Estate Mapping. His key motivation when assessing farms and estates is how farming and environment can work hand in hand to create an efficient, profitable and biodiverse business.

Henry has been involved with a number of fascinating historical and parkland restoration projects over the last few years, and can assist with the assorted management plans for these project types. He has also been involved with four large “Rewilding” projects in the UK, a topic which still stimulates much conversation and debate!

Outside of work Henry can be found traipsing about in the wilds of Norfolk trying to harvest something for the pot, or chasing his badly trained spaniel, Obi, across the Norfolk countryside. Much to the amusement of his wife and young son.

Get in touch with Henry

Mobile: 07778 091743

Office: 01480 890686

henry@oakbankgc.co.uk

Kirsty has worked in farm conservation for twenty years, including with organisations such as the RSPB,

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the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

Based in Oxfordshire, Kirsty is experienced in developing agri-environment agreements for arable, mixed and grassland farms that enhance their wildlife. She is involved in Catchment Sensitive Farming, Natural Flood Management and has a particular interest in planning wetland restoration projects. She is the facilitator for two farmer clusters, and able to provide professional surveys of birds, plants and butterflies where required.

Get in touch with Kirsty

Office: 01480 890686
Mobile: 07379 285818
Kirsty@toakbankgc.co.uk


Farm Environment & Stewardship Advisor

Ryan Peach

Game Cover & Stewardship Seed Advisor

Steve Snape

From a young age, agriculture and the countryside has been a real passion of mine, whether that be helping my father on a local pig farm or helping with the management of local wild bird shoots.

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This inspired me to attend Sparsholt College, studying Game and wildlife management. After gaining my National Diploma I worked in an array of positions in agriculture and game management. These included working on two large arable farms and as a ghillie on a National Trust estate in the Royal Deeside.

In 2017, I decided to undertake further education at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, studying Agricultural management. My dissertation was involved with cover cropping and regenerative agriculture and during that process I spent some time out in the field with Ian, learning a lot in the process. I graduated in 2020 and was delighted to secure a position with Oakbank.

Get in touch with Ryan

Office: 01480 890686
Mobile: 07540 184927
ryan@oakbankgc.co.uk

Based in Dorset, Snapey is our man in the South.

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He has a wealth of experience working in the game cover sector as well as a lot of practical knowledge, being a keeper himself. If you are not sure what to grow or where to grow it then Steve is the man to talk to.

Get in touch with Steve

Office: 01480 890686
Mobile: 07827 290322
info@oakbankgc.co.uk


Game Cover & Stewardship Seed Advisor – Northern England

Jonathan Hall

Farm Environment & Stewardship Advisor

Ethan Powell

Jonathan has vast experience of growing crops in the North of England, please give him a call for practical advice.

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Get in touch with Jonathan

Office: 01480 890686
Mobile 07831 528169

Ethan studied Agriculture and Crop Management at Harper Adams University, graduating in 2020.

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He has always had a keen interest in conservation, a passion given to him by his grandad and uncle while working on the family farm in Stonham, Suffolk – some of his earliest memories are of planting hedges with his grandad. In 2017 the farm won the Purdey silver award for game and conservation, with Tim being one of the judges.

After doing a placement year in agronomy trials as part of his degree, Ethan was looking for a career in agronomy. However, a well-timed call to Tim whilst job hunting led to him joining Oakbank. Improving profitability and biodiversity on farm is something which Ethan is keen to achieve through his stewardship work.

Get in touch with Ethan

Office: 01480 890686
Mobile: 07376 254845
ethan@oakbankgc.co.uk



Farm Environment & Stewardship Advisor

Rory Saunders

Senior Farm Environment & Conservation Advisor

Ann Gibson

Rory grew up around his grandparent’s farm in Norfolk, where he soon developed a love for agriculture and the countryside in general. This led him to pursue a degree in Agriculture with Crop Management at Harper Adams University which he completed in 2020.

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Since the age of 17, Rory has completed several years of farm work across arable and mixed farms, including a placement year as a field trials assistant at Rothamsted Research Farm in Hertfordshire.

Since graduating from Harper, Rory spent a year travelling and working across various farms in New Zealand as well as supporting his father’s hedge and woodland management business back home in Norfolk.

Rory will aim to utilise his keen interests in conservation, soil health and ecology through his stewardship work with Oakbank.

Get in touch with Rory

Office: 01480 890686
Mobile: 07484 017738
ethan@oakbankgc.co.uk

Having grown up on a mixed farm in Staffordshire, Ann always knew that the countryside was where she wanted to be.  

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After graduating Harper Adams with a HND in Land and Farm Management and a BSc in Agriculture with Marketing, Ann worked for various organisations in the agricultural industry including, most recently, spending eight years as part of a national farm consultancy team, offering advice on environmental schemes, BPS and contract farming agreements.

Based in Essex, in her spare time, Ann can be found running the home shoot alongside her farm manager husband, with Isla the reliable Labrador at her side, whilst trying to locate her feral Springer Spaniel Tweed!

Get in touch with Ann

Office: 01480 890686
Mobile: 07484 051976
ann@oakbankgc.co.uk

Farm Environment & Stewardship Advisor

Jamie Gunn

Regenerative Agriculture & Farm Conservation Advisor

Harry Moffat

A keen interest in the outdoors and wildlife saw me spending much of my childhood roaming the countryside. 

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I soon got to know our local farmer and was driving a tractor the day after I passed my driving test, before going on to complete 5 harvests on 3 farms across East Anglia. During my time working on these farms, I was introduced to game shooting and the wider management of the countryside, which developed into a passion for conservation, rural land management and shooting.

I decided to pursue this passion by studying Countryside Management at Harper Adams University, whereby I produced my dissertation looking at the new ELM scheme, followed by a Master’s degree in Rural Estate and Land Management. During my time here, I also completed a placement year working as a deer stalking ghillie and underkeeper on the Atholl Estate in Scotland, which further fuelled my passion for land management.

After completing my studies in the spring of 2021, a friend introduced me to Oakbank and I was put in touch with Tim and Ian. The company’s environmental and forward looking ethos really appealed to me and I was fortunate to begin working there later that summer.

Get in touch with Jamie

Office: 01480 890686
Mobile: 07484 011751
jamie@oakbankgc.co.uk

Having grown up on a farm, it was clear from a young age, my career was always going to be in agriculture. I first began working on local farms leading me to go travelling and harvesting in Australia and New Zealand. I then studied Agriculture with Crop Management at Harper Adams University, graduating in 2021.

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Following graduating, I have spent two years in assistant farm management on arable farms, where I practiced low input, regenerative farming. Putting low input farming into practice has enabled me to see the benefits it can create, from increased biodiversity, increased soil health and profitable yields. With a passion for this way of farming, I now hope to expand my knowledge and pass on any advice I can, now I have started a position with Oakbank, Spring 2023.

Get in touch with Harry

Office: 01480 890686
Mobile: 07497 617445
harry@oakbankgc.co.uk

Office & Accounts

Office & Accounts Manager

Charlotte Abbott

Administrative Assistant

Hanne Merckaert

Charlotte has the toughest job in the office, keeping everyone else organised!

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She is responsible for all office administration and our accounts, so if you have any problems with invoices, payments, deliveries, please get in touch with her.

Office: 01480 890686
charlotte@oakbankgc.co.uk

Hanne has joined to help with all the administration to ensure the team run efficiently

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Office: 01480 890686

Email: hanne@oakbankgc.co.uk


Woodland Advisory Team

Woodland Division Manager

Ross Guyton

Woodland Consultant

Dan Small

Ross is the son of an agronomist from Norfolk. After leaving school he studied arboriculture (the care of individual trees) at Easton College due to poor careers advice!

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He actually wanted to go into Forestry (the care of multiple trees – crops) and so then went on to Newton Rigg in Cumbria and finally Sparsholt College in Hampshire.

His career began Managing 1,800ha of MoD owned Breckland forest in his home county of Norfolk, before progressing to a Rural Estate Manager’s role for a private facility management company overseeing the entire 10,000ha East Defence Training Estate (DTE). At this time he also seemed to be providing regular tree and forestry guidance to the other 9 national DTE Rural Estate Managers responsible for the remaining 200,000ha within the UK, so in 2007 he was promoted to Head Office and spent 6 happy years travelling the UK, assisting the management of some of the most stunning places. During his time working across the entire DTE, Ross became a professional member of the Institute of Chartered Foresters and rediscovered his love for Arboriculture and specifically wood decay fungi. He therefore re-trained to become a Professional Member of the Arboricultural Association. Amongst many other successes at this time, Ross negotiated the timber harvesting gain share agreement with the MoD, which marked the beginning of the commercial harvesting of the previously undermanaged 30,000ha of MoD woodland. He also developed, rolled out and supervised the tree hazard assessment process for the entire DTE.

Subsequently he and his young family moved to the South of France for 3 years, where he worked as a self-employed arboricultural and forestry consultant in France, the UK, USA and even Cyprus. On returning to the UK, Ross worked as Senior Forest Manager for Savills in the South of England and Rural Projects Manager for Landmarc in Norfolk before joining Oakbank in May 2018 as Woodland Division Manager.

Get in touch with Ross

Office: 01480 890686
Mobile: 07741 655785
ross@oakbankgc.co.uk

Dan studied at Moulton College and Northampton University, studying a degree in Land Management. He completed a dissertation researching the use of Game Bird feeders by farmland birds on two large Northamptonshire Estates.

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Whilst at University, Dan worked on local farms, helping with the running of shoots and a dairy farm, which has given him a good foundation of experience working in the countryside. Once he graduated, he began working for Lockhart Garratt as a graduate forester. Over the next four years, he worked his way up to an Assistant Forestry Consultant, which involved the preparation of Woodland Management Plans, felling permissions, grant applications, and contract management.

He then moved on to work for the National Forest Company as the Woodland Management Officer. This position involved advising landowners in the National Forest area on how to manage their woodland, with a particular focus on the woodland economy, pests and diseases, and woodland carbon. Dan also managed grant schemes to incentivise landowners to undertake woodland management, support woodland businesses, and the planting of new woodland. This role also involved speaking at forestry events and forums and representing the National Forest Company on the UK Squirrel Accord.

During Dan’s time at the National Forest Company, he became a Chartered Member of the Institute of Chartered Foresters following on from a review of his experience and professional standard. Dan also sits on the East and East Midlands Forestry and Woodland Advisory Committee, which supports the Forestry Commission in implementing Forestry and Woodland Policy.

When he is not at work Dan has set up a small woodworking business, which uses timber from his family’s piece of woodland to create tool handles, chopping boards, and anything else that he is asked to make. If it is summer, Dan will probably be enjoying some food and drink in a pub garden with his wife and their friends, or If it’s winter he will either be beating on a local shoot or in the mountains enjoying the snow.

Get in touch with Dan

Office: 01480 890686

Mobile: 07399 161088
dan@oakbankgc.co.uk


Woodland Consultant

Max Battison

I grew up in a town just outside of Bristol and have always loved spending time outdoors, whether it be walking the dog, playing tennis or hiking and camping with friends. My interest in trees started at a young age from helping my Grandad, who lives in rural Somerset, split the winter firewood.

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After going through school and not knowing what I wanted to do, my Grandad suggested tree surgery, so I went to college to give it a go and never looked back. I studied Arboriculture at Bridgwater college, which involved working within the arboriculture industry as a groundsman and secondary climber for a local tree surgeon, focusing on mostly domestic trees with some small-scale woodland management.

After college I wanted to learn more and gain a greater understanding of forest management which lead me to study Forestry at Bangor University, where I also completed a placement year. For this I decided to go to Costa Rica to experience tropical forestry and conservation, working at a nature reserve for 9 months. I became heavily involved with the Bangor Forestry Student Association at university which provided lots of opportunities allowing me to attend international forestry conferences and student events in Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Italy.

Having recently graduated from university, I came across Oakbank whilst job hunting through the Forestry Roots programme set up by the Royal Forestry Society. The company really appealed to me because the amount of experience the employees have across multiple fields of conservation and land management, meaning I could learn from true experts within their field. 

Get in touch with Max

Office: 01480 890686

Mobile: 07497 617451

max@oakbankgc.co.uk


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