Nicky Saunter

Nicky Saunter, director of New Weather Institute
Nicky at a beaver wetland site enjoying some wildlife

Nicky Saunter is a writer, social entrepreneur, artist and activist.

Nicky is a social entrepreneur who co-founded The Boston Tea Party, the UK’s first espresso chain. The company is still known today for its stance on local sourcing, low waste and spearheading green business practices. Living sustainably and working for social justice have been her guiding principles. Originally trained as an editor with the Economist Intelligence Unit in Hong Kong, Nicky subsequently worked in marketing before starting her own businesses. After selling the Boston Tea Party in 2010, she created an eco-building social enterprise before developing The Woolly Shepherd, a natural acoustics company. From 2015 Nicky was CEO of the charity Transform Drug Policy Foundation, working for the legal regulation of all drugs. She is presently a director of Wellington Mills CIC, advocating for the “curated decay” of local heritage buildings. The aim is to benefit both local communities and wildlife by adapting to climate change. Recently, Nicky co-founded Beaver Trust, a charity encouraging people to live in harmony with the rest of nature. Last year she became a mentor with Promise Works, a charity supporting young people in Somerset.

Nicky’s photographic work has featured in exhibitions across the southwest. She specialises in fine printing coupled with the use of natural light,  She is a published poet, short story writer and artist who uses her creativity to draw attention to issues she cares about.

Nicky has recently contributed to:

Plague Poems – poems on shared themes during the pandemic

There was a Knock at the Door – Modern Folk Tales for Troubling Times

Knock Three Times – Modern Folk Tales for a Troubled World

Contagious Tales – Modern Folk Tales in the Wake of the Pandemic

Hope Tales – creating hope together in unexpected places

Pandora’s Box – multimedia exhibition, Babylon Gallery, Ely – multimedia exhibition, Babylon Gallery, Ely