Name: Helen Chaplin
Pronouns: She/her
Company name: Cantarus
Job title: Community Services Executive
Country: I work from everywhere lol
How long have you been working with Umbraco?: A few months?
How did you first stumble into the Umbraco Community?
Cantarus does a lot with Umbraco (personally, I don’t) and a message went around on Teams that Umbraco were looking to fill positions on their sustainability team. With my background in waste and resource management, I thought it was perfect for combining my passion for sustainability with my desire to create positive environmental change within the digital world that we all live.
What do you do in the Community? Any special areas you’re passionate about?
I volunteer in the Sustainability Team. Hoping to make the world a better place.
Your top tips for someone new to Umbraco or the Community?
Don’t be afraid to get involved - even if you don’t work with or use the product. I’m still having a great time, meeting new people and learning along the way.
I left the sector in 2022, when I decided to go travelling. It was then that I was offered a position with Cantarus as an online community manager that I could do whilst travelling. I’d been working with Cantarus at my previous employment, so it was an easy transition.
Cantarus lets me work from anywhere - so long as I have an internet connection. It can totally depend how long I spend in each place - sometimes a week, sometimes less. I’ll work from trains, cafes, hotel lobbies, yachts - you name it! I find keeping the work/life balance super easy. I prioritise the work (love task finish!) and then enjoy my surroundings. When I was keeping UK hours in Australia, I would enjoy the day and then work in the evening to attend meetings. I have a fantastic relationship with my team, and they trust that the work will get done.
I still attend sector events such as The Waste and Resource Management Expo and continue my passion for Geography through my fellowship with the Royal Geographical Society.
I’d love to move back into the Environment and Sustainability sector more permanently.
I enjoyed the recent Community Teams visit. It was my first time at Umbraco HQ, and meeting all the people from the other teams. Everyone was very lovely, and we had a good laugh (it was a fantastic ab workout!). I also traveled from the UK to Denmark (and back) on the train getting to see Brussels, Hamburg, Hannover, Bremen and Amsterdam along the way. Sustainability for the win!
Work is only a small piece of who I am; I feel that most of me is built outside of it.
I live to travel, and am by far my happiest when I’m on an adventure. But I would consider myself a slow traveller, and prefer to immerse myself in the country rather than ticking off many places in one go. One of my favourite trips was spending 6months solo tripping overland around the Nordics which included catching the ferry to Faroe Islands and Iceland, and flying out to Greenland to finish the trip. Along the way I WWOOFed where I volunteered on farms including strawberry farms, community farms and pig farms.
I’ve lived in Reykjavik Iceland for 6 months where I volunteered for an organisation that ran residential opportunities. And I spent two years living, working and travelling around Australia where I pruned stone fruit trees, planted peonies and picked grapes. We also spent a lot of time living in our roof top tent and exploring the East Coast, West Coast and Tasmania. I can also claim to have seen both the Northern and Southern Lights!
I enjoy hiking and being out in nature. I love the sense of achievement you get when you reach the top of the mountain or complete the walk. Travelling provides endless opportunities to submerse yourself in nature.
Along with seeing new places, meeting new people and forcing yourself into new experiences, I love the challenges and problem solving aspects of travel. It provides skills of resourcefulness and resilience as you adapt to changing situations.
When I’m not physically travelling, I love getting lost in a good story. I borrow all my books from the local library (and book swap when I’m travelling). This year I have more than doubled my reading goal and it’s only October! I read mainly fiction books, but occasionally read non-fiction.
Sailing is another big enjoyment of mine. I have my RYA Day Skipper qualifications. I spent 3 months sailing in the Bahamas which was incredible - I’ve never seen water so clear. It was my first time snorkelling, and it was amazing. I also got to do a delivery of a 111ft yacht from Italy to Gibraltar, and sailed the Lofoten Islands in Norway. Maybe one day I’ll own my own yacht.
I love practicing yoga, meditating, sound baths and daily journalling. I have tried aerial yoga and hot yoga, as well as recently attending a yoga class that was in a building surrounded by a lake - so picturesque!
Is there someone you'd like to nominate for a uProfile?
Do you know someone who deserves a spotlight on their Umbraco journey? To nominate a friend, peer, or colleague, reach out to Mathilde Høst in the DevRel Team at community@umbraco.com and explain why!
A new chapter begins as passionate Umbracians come together to drive greener digital solutions. Discover how returning members and new voices are joining forces to make sustainability a core part of the Umbraco ecosystem, from smarter code to meaningful community impact.