Staff
Geraint Burrows
CEO & Hydrogeologist
Geraint is a hydrogeologist and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) engineer. He started his career as an exploration geologist before moving into the humanitarian sector working for International Rescue Committee, Médecins Sans Frontières and Oxfam. He obtained a 1st class MSc in hydrogeology from Birmingham University and went on to work for the UK Environment Agency as a hydrogeologist.
In 2012 Geraint founded Groundwater Relief in order to link groundwater expertise from within the private, public and academic sectors to the aid and development sectors. Since 2016 he has been working full time as Groundwater Relief's Chief Executive Officer. Geraint has experience developing and managing small to large scale groundwater supply projects all over Africa and Asia.
Nigel Backhouse
Head of Finance and Administration
Nigel has been working at a senior level in the charity sector for the past 18 years having responsibility for the finances, human resources, business and governance of the organisation. Previous to that he was a business owner which gave him the opportunity to work across Europe.
With a BSc (Hons) in Computer Studies and a MA in Personnel and Development Nigel joined Groundwater Relief in 2023 and is very excited to be part of the Charity’s aim of alleviating poverty by helping others develop and manage groundwater resources. This role allows Nigel to use his skills to help Groundwater Relief achieve its aims and next stage of growth.
Jim Grundy
Voluntary Technical Advisor
Jim has worked for over 20 years as a hydrogeologist for the UK Environment Agency. He started his career volunteering with the humanitarian sector with Save the Children Fund (UK) and Norwegian Refugee Council in Malawi and Mozambique. He obtained an MSc in Groundwater Engineering from Newcastle University and then went on to work for the UK Extractive Industry, hydrogeological consultancy and the Environment Agency.
Based locally to our office, Jim started to volunteer for Groundwater Relief as a Technical Advisor in 2022. He has been supporting our work with strengthening the Water Department in Yemen and advising on projects across the Horn of Africa. Jim is now also spending some time supporting with the Mentoring & Coaching for Groundwater Relief staff.
Dr Michelle Rygus
GIS and Remote Sensing Specialist
Michelle is a hydrogeologist, holding an MSc in Hydrogeology from the University of Birmingham and completed her PhD at the University of Pavia. Her doctoral research focused on using remote sensing data to investigate over-exploited, data-scarce aquifer systems. By leveraging advanced techniques like A-DInSAR (Advanced Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar), she investigated ground motion changes in response to aquifer exploitation.
In between her academic journey, Michelle also gained practical experience working in the contaminant groundwater remediation sector in Ireland. Her passion for both field work and data-driven solutions uniquely positions her to contribute to positive impact and drive change in the development sector