9. Details of the BIVLC Team

BIVLC Course Co-ordinator - Estelle Ellwood

Estelle  was employed by BT as a marketing manager for almost 20 years. She is a Chartered Marketer. She then trained as a teacher and taught for the Chartered Institute of Marketing at City College Manchester for 3 years. She then became Course Co-ordinator for a year before her move to Cromarty in 2003.



Estelle is responsible for management of the BIVLC. She aims to provide, develop and co-ordinate learning opportunities to meet the needs of the local communities whilst working with other learning providers.  She is also responsible for the promotion of all activities carried out by the BIVLC.

If you have any enquiries about the BIVLC or course availability, you can contact Estelle on
Telephone 0701 741 7754 or by email


Here at the Black Isle Virtual Learning Centre we now have 1 very experienced tutor, Rick Ladds,  who runs the majority of our ICT courses.

We are also supported by a couple of guest tutors who come and teach for us on an ad hoc basis.


BIVLC ICT Tutor - Rick Ladds

Rick Ladds  joined the BIVLC team in Spring 2007.





Rick recently moved to Culbokie from Cambridgeshire where he had been an Analyst/Programmer for the MOD Civil Service and prior to that in a full career as an Engineer with the RAF. Rick is experienced in all aspects of computing  from Programming to Project Management for both Administrative and Real-Time Systems. He is a Chartered Engineer as well as a Chartered IT Professional and a member of the British Computing Society.

Primarily Rick will be responsible for running the Outreach Courses. (Courses held in other locations across the Black Isle)

We are now looking to extend our portfolio and to offer courses in other subjects. If you have tutor experience, or have skills that you could pass on to others, please contact Estelle Ellwood on 0701 741 7754.


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Review Date  31/03/12
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