Former secondary school teacher. Respected environmentalist, with over 35 years’ experience across the voluntary sector. Founded and developed Friends of the Earth Cymru and a number of FOE local groups, Sustainable Wales charity and community cooperative SUSSED Wales. Wide experience, managing, board/committee positions; campaigns, project development; communications – film, TV, radio, print; events and grant applications.  .

Winner of the Special Recognition Award, Cynnal Cymru Awards 2016

Currently as Director of Sustainable Wales I focus on coordination, project and group development, film production/PR, environmental and ethical policy development. Activities include: ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ campaigning – acting local, thinking global – including climate change and local energy; plastic pollution, air quality and waste reduction; reuse and refill;  fairtrade and ethical consumerism; supporting local arts and culture.

Sustainable Wales (SW) has been involved in motivating ‘green’ and ‘ethical’ behaviour locally and politically for more than 20 years, exploring solutions and ways forward https://www.sustainablewales.org.uk/history

Our Trustees feel that there remains an urgent need to stimulate local action, helping the community, to understand why and how to respond to this agenda. People are increasingly aware of problems like climate change, but still feel unsure about how to make changes to their lifestyle. We have over the years offered free support to groups and individuals and thus recognise the advantages in RENEW’s peer-to-peer approach.

Failure to act will see a significant and accelerating increase in sea levels and flooding, extreme and abrupt changes to weather patterns, crop failures, and extinctions of plant, insect and animal species. This will lead to global economic disruption and a humanitarian crisis, impacting billions of people.

Tell us about one or more experience of your work with Renew Wales

Bridgend Local Energy Group Action Plan

To establish an EV community transport scheme, in response to Council bus cuts – based on potential local routes to the new medical centre with vehicles fuelled using methane/biogas.

Actions:

Group development. (Chairperson, Dev. Terms of Reference, organise meeting/s schedule/content).

Review networking /training, consideration of grants and to work with Rural Development staff in Bridgend Borough Council.  Build partners and links with Cenin Renewables, Community Transport Bridgend and Medical Centre.

Mentor help included: Support for 2 grant application, interviewing feasibility contractors. Further outcomes include:- Challenging Bridgend Borough Council to adopt a climate emergency strategy, responding to the Local Development Plan and the Porthcawl Salt Lake Regeneration Plan .

What is your vision of your region in 2050?

A profligate approach to the environment – energy, waste, loss biodiversity etc will be frowned upon and a low carbon future will be much more the norm.

Good practice activity will be shared, adapted/replicated in local communities. Local distinctiveness will be admired and better regarded. This will include the arts and local culture.

Bridgend prides itself on high recycling figures re: waste  – this will become a  zero waste county.

Porthcawl will be a town running on renewables.

We will get there with an understanding of the local and the global connections. The importance of applying local responses.  Financial support for backing the local  economy, projects and activity. Encouraging more creativity and risk-taking and  increasing political engagement – not necessarily party-political.