Nik

Nik has nearly 20 years of military experience both in the British Army and as a private military contractor. During his time in service, he worked in support of the UK Special Forces and has nearly nine years of deployed operational experience.

After leaving the army, Nik worked as a Maritime Security Team Leader (Armed) protecting vessels from Somali-based piracy. His specialty was working with foreign security officers and teaching them safe firearm handling whilst onboard vessels that were at risk of armed attack.

Nik moved to New Zealand with his children in 2016, and has been a Mountain Safety Council Firearm Safety Training Instructor since 2019. Every month he teaches the Firearm Safety Programme to new licence applicants on behalf of the NZ Police Service.

He has a passion to teach people at a pace they feel comfortable with so that they get the most from their time on the course.

“Just like owning your first car and having driving lessons, people should be able to increase their firearms knowledge, skills and confidence in a safe environment with a dedicated and professional tutor focused on their learning needs and abilities”.

Nik - Managing Director

Les

New Zealand born and raised, Les obtained his firearms licence when he was 16 years old when he began shooting rabbits in Central Otago.

Les joined the NRANZ in the mid-90’s when he started competitive shooting around the country. In 2013 he had the huge privilege to captain the New Zealand team and represent the country at the F Class (1000m) World Championships in the USA.

Les has always had a passion for gunsmithing and now has over 30 years of fitting, turning and toolmaking skills and experience honing precision firearms.

His main focus and joy is the building and tuning of long-range rifles for both competition shooting and hunting. After listening to the client’s needs, style and abilities, he is regularly commissioned to make one-off custom rifle builds from scratch. Seeing all the components come together and eventually give the new owner their best 1000m group, or Himalayan Tahr record is truly amazing for Les as a creator.

Les is currently the only gunsmith in Dunedin and carries out all manner of repairs on firearms for Elios Gun Shop and Hunting & Fishing. It’s very important to him that everyone has the safest firearm when carrying out their own shooting discipline.

Along with several NZ Health and Safety qualifications, Les also holds a Dupont Health and Safety qualification gained in Australia.

Chris

Chris had a lengthy law enforcement career joining Merseyside Police Cadets in 1979 at the age of 16, and joined the regular police force in 1981.

He spent six years with the Operational Support Division working in specialist areas and public order operations. Chris was quickly noted for his incredible teaching abilities and became a regional specialist trainer in defensive tactics, public order and the use of tactical firearms. His love of the outdoors and exercise naturally suited an additional role as a Physical Training Instructor.

Chris has had leadership roles for much of his career and has represented the UK Police abroad as an advisor on a number of occasions.  Chris moved with his family to New Zealand and finished his policing career working for NZ Police as a tactical firearms trainer. He has a passion to help the community and has loved his time serving for the benefit of others.

Chris’s main hobby is riding bikes and after retiring from the police he has spent the last 10 years using his skills to develop coaches and leaders in sport and recreation.

In 2018 he was selected by the NZ Mountain Safety Council to be their regional practical firearms trainer for Central Otago.

Chris has been involved with the development of #firearmsafe from the beginning and is keen for this service to become a national product available to all.

“If these courses save one life……. its got to be worth it”!

Chris - Course Instructor

Matthew has over 25 years worth of experience as a front-line mental health nurse and has undertaken three post graduate papers.

Trained in the UK, he has lived in Dunedin for 19 years. Matt’s enthusiasm for mental well-being education makes what can be a dry subject engaging and fun. His professional and personal lived experiences make his lessons more realistic, easier to understand and more importantly, easier to relate to.

Matthew started a charitable trust called WEKA NZ (Wellness Empathy Kindness Aotearoa) which provides one-to-one support, peer group support and education to all. Matt also works for Stopping Violence Dunedin and two years ago joined the Arai Te Uru Kokiri Training Centre where he wrote the Whanau Ora Level 3 NZQA programme. 

Matt manages a private mental health education and support service called TASK Mental Wellness. Matt is also employed by Parent to Parent to travel around Aotearoa delivering seminars on “Anxiety and the Child”.

Matthew has held his firearms licence for over seven years now.