Andy Middleton

Catch Andy on Do Radio: It’s Not About Trees with John Lunn 20th July - 26th July 2026.

Andy Middleton is a systems thinker, educator, entrepreneur and one of the founding partners of the Do Lectures. For more than three decades he has worked at the intersection of leadership, sustainability, education and regenerative thinking, helping organisations and communities navigate complex environmental and social challenges.

Growing up on the Pembrokeshire coast in West Wales, Andy developed an early connection with nature that shaped both his personal values and professional career. He founded Tyf Adventure, one of the UK’s pioneering outdoor learning organisations, introducing more than 200,000 people to learning through adventure while developing innovative approaches to leadership and environmental education.

Alongside his work with the Do Lectures, Andy has advised businesses, governments, charities and educational institutions on systems change, regenerative leadership and resilience. His work focuses on helping leaders understand the interconnected nature of today’s challenges, encouraging collaboration across sectors rather than isolated solutions.

Today, through his work with Weave and a wide network of collaborators, Andy is developing new approaches to community readiness, leadership development and regenerative systems. His vision is one where people reconnect with place, nature and one another, creating communities capable not simply of surviving change, but thriving through it.

Show Notes

In this episode of It’s Not About Trees, John Lunn is joined by Andy Middleton—educator, systems thinker, founding partner of the Do Lectures, and one of the UK’s leading voices on regenerative leadership and systems change. Together they explore why solving today’s environmental and social challenges requires us to rethink not only what we do, but how we see the world.

Andy reflects on growing up on the rugged Pembrokeshire coast, where a childhood immersed in nature shaped both his worldview and his life’s work. From founding adventure businesses that connected thousands of people with the outdoors, to advising organisations on leadership, governance and systemic change, his journey has always centred on helping people recognise the patterns that connect people, place and planet.

The conversation explores why incremental sustainability is no longer enough. Andy argues that while awareness of climate change has grown dramatically, many organisations remain focused on compliance rather than transformation. Instead, he advocates for leadership capable of thinking across entire systems—connecting food, health, energy, biodiversity, education and communities rather than treating each as isolated problems.

John and Andy discuss the hidden costs of our food system, the degradation of soil, the importance of regenerative agriculture, and the need to reconnect local communities with the way food and energy are produced. They also explore how governance, politics and economic systems must evolve if society is to become genuinely resilient in the face of climate disruption.

Throughout the discussion, Andy returns to a recurring theme: readiness. Drawing on decades of experience in outdoor leadership, he suggests that preparing communities for an uncertain future requires the same qualities as preparing people for an expedition—understanding risk, reading changing conditions, building trust and developing the capability to respond together.

Catch Andy on Do Radio: Being Well with Libby DeLana 03-09th November 2025.

Catch Andy on Do Radio: Making Stuff up with Jon Kaye and Alan Wick 22nd - 28th June 2026.