Severn Wye Energy Agency

choose a topic

Company >>

SWEA Home

Latest News

Events

Job Vacancies

Staff Profiles

Contact Us

Projects >>

Index of ALL PROJECTS

Resources >>

Resources Index

Staff Profiles

October 2008

>> Download our Organisational Chart

Director Catrin Maby Assistant Director Kaye Welfare Project Team Kierson Wise Alastair Stevens Jackie Williams Project Team Mike Brain Paul Sheridan Lucie Davies Jon Bird Ian Ferguson Paul Pearson Finance & Administration Linda Marshall Alison Patten Sandra Bradley Thomas Dowdeswell Elaine Stone Gloria Gibbons

Advice Team Joanna Nicholson Barbara Moreton Gilda Costley Eileen O'Haire Dave Worgan Beth Callinan SWEA Cymru Andy Bull Stuart Davies Lynne Davies Margaret Keville Warm & Well Sarah Giff Matt Matheou Ellen Cronin Education & Training Rachel Close Victoria Dinwoodie Partnership Manager Jagdish Patel [Vacant - see current jobs]

Director

Catrin Maby

With a background in engineering, Catrin has worked in sustainable energy since 1984, when she set up an energy advice service for tenant organisations in London. She has wide experience in strategic development, training, advice and awareness-raising, and assisted several local authorities in the development of their first Home Energy Conservation Act strategies in 1996.

As an independent energy consultant and energy ratings assessor, Catrin assisted Birmingham City Council in developing sustainable energy aspects of inner city regeneration programmes, working with technical and community liaison staff and community groups over a period of several years.

Catrin's extensive track record in energy advice includes co-authoring the 'Advice into Action' review of energy advice to low income households published by EAGA Charitable Trust in 1998, and a wide range of materials including the first Heating Advice Handbook in 1986, the NEA 'At Home With Energy' series, public information fact sheets for Midlands Electricity, and materials for use in teaching adult literacy, numeracy and English as another language. Catrin has trained over a thousand staff of fuel utilities, insulation companies, local authorities, housing associations and voluntary organisations in energy awareness.

Catrin joined SWEA in 1999, overseeing its development as a dynamic and dedicated team of energy professionals, with a wide portfolio of sustainable energy projects and services. She has presented the agency's work at international events such as the World Sustainable Energy days in Austria, the European Council for Social Housing in Greece, the Assembly of the European Regions in Sweden and European Commission 'Managenergy' conferences in Brussels and Italy. She was one of a team of four international consultants selected by the European Commission to research the work of European energy agencies in has subsequesntly been engaged in training for new agencies. She is leading two Intelligent Energy Europe projects including a study of energy advice in the 27 countries of the EU, launched at a conference in Paris in November 2007.

Assistant Director

Kaye Welfare

Kaye joined the agency in 2000, after three successful years as Energy Efficiency Coordinator for Stroud District Council. She has an excellent track record in developing and running local energy efficiency projects, and has gained a reputation for turning a challenge into a resounding success. Under her management the Gloucestershire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre has achieved maximum activity levels and an impressive range of outreach activities, with partnerships with housing, health, caring agencies, the Pensions and Benefits Agencies, installers and suppliers of energy efficiency products and local media.

Kaye has played an important role in the Gloucestershire Home Energy Conservation Act Group, and in the success of the Affordable Warmth Partnership, which she chairs. This partnership of seven local authorities and two health authorities has achieved national recognition for its work, and Kaye has assisted the development of similar strategic groups in other areas including Wiltshire, Cardiff and Caerphilly.

At national level she chairs the Community and Education Group for the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes. Kaye also leads the Natural and Built Environment Block for the Gloucestershire Local Area Agreement.

Project Team

Kierson Wise - Senior Project Manager

Kierson joined SWEA in 2002 and has worked on a variety of projects including running the community-based Lydney Local Power project, working with farmers in Gloucestershire on the Warm Farms scheme and developing wood fuel supply in the Forest of Dean.

With diverse experience in teaching English as a foreign language, overseas development and archaeology, he brings a fresh perspective to the organisation, and has shown that he has the considerable persistence, commitment and diplomacy needed to work through the barriers to success faced by community based sustainable energy projects.

Kierson has a Masters degree in Climate Change and Sustainable Development which included working with Sustainable Energy Ireland to deliver a successful dissertation on Ground Source Heat Pump technologies.

Alastair Stevens - Project Manager

Alastair joined the Renewable Energy team in late 2007, and has already become heavily involved in community sustainable energy, helping village halls, churches and schools in Gloucestershire to save energy and money.

Alastair has an engineering background, but had previously been working in IT for seven years in the Cambridge and Bristol areas. After deciding to embark on a completely new career path in the hugely important energy field, Alastair completed a Masters degree, with his research project focusing on the resources, technologies and economics of biomass energy. He then moved to Gloucestershire last October to join SWEA.

As well as being involved in a number of our community-based projects and our renewables work, Alastair also deployed his former skills as a web developer to create this all-new SWEA website, which was launched in May 2008.

Jackie Williams - Project Manager

Jackie joined SWEA in September 2008 to work on community sustainable energy projects across Gloucestershire and North Wiltshire, and is already working on audits for several village halls.

Before joining SWEA, Jackie was managing the Energy Efficiency Advice Centre for the Thames Valley area, having started her career in sustainable energy as an Energy Advisor in 1997. As well as advising householders on saving energy in the home, Jackie has been involved with a range of projects, including communicating climate change to Thames Valley Police employees, helping schools to achieve the Energy Saving Trust's Energy Certification for Schools and co-ordinating a range of outreach and promotional events.

Project Team

Mike Brain - Senior Project Manager

Mike joined SWEA in 2004, after two years managing the government-funded Action Energy programme of energy efficiency advice to SMEs for the northern half of the South West region. Previous experience includes private sector insulation schemes and coordination of an energy efficiency installers' network for the commercial and domestic sectors.

At SWEA Mike leads the Local Energy Support Team, delivers energy surveys for non-domestic buildings, and provides the secretariat for the South West Home Energy Conservation Act Forum. He has led the development of a unique holistic approach to energy efficiency in the prison community. Attracting support from Her Majesty's Prison Service as well as the Energy Saving Trust, the pilot phase includes nine prisons in Wales and the South West, and provides surveys of energy efficiency in prison buildings, training for prison staff, energy advice surgeries for prisoner families and the development of an educational programme for prisoners.

Mike has supported SWEA's work with schools with surveys of energy use, and the development of the 'School Energy Diary' approach to monitoring fuel consumption.

Paul Sheridan - Senior Energy Advisor

With a background in engineering, Paul joined SWEA in 2004. He has detailed practical experience of energy efficiency and renewable energy at domestic scale, and a wide knowledge of environmental issues including sustainable transport and organic food production. Paul has installed both solar water heating and photovoltaic panels in his own home, and as a volunteer has run practical renewable energy workshops and supported other householders in DIY installation of solar hot water.

Qualified as an NHER energy ratings surveyor, Paul leads the WISE homes work for the advice team, offering an in-depth service to those living in 'hard to treat' homes for which the mainstream and most cost-effective energy efficiency measures are not technically feasible. He also carries out home visits for social housing tenants and supports the promotional programmes for low energy lighting and refrigeration.

Lucie Davis - Project Manager

Lucie joined the Energy Efficiency Advice Centre in 2005, following a student placement and temporary work with Severn Wye Energy Agency. Her interest in energy issues began whilst at university where her studies included fieldwork on domestic energy use in rural Uganda.

Her role has included work on the DIY Energy Saving scheme as well as working with schools and community groups in the Gloucester city area.

Jon Bird - Project Manager

Jon joined SWEA in September 2007. Previously he participated in technical projects including the Carbon Trust's Biomass Heat Accelerator and micro-CHP Accelerator programmes, and educational work in Mexico where he piloted teaching energy concepts through English as a Foreign Language.

At SWEA, Jon focuses on non-domestic energy, where most of his time is dedicated to providing guidance to local businesses and organisations on how to improve their control and use of energy. He also advises on energy policy and legislative developments.

He is currently researching his thesis for his MSc in Architecture: Advanced Environmental and Energy Studies.

Advice Team

Joanna Nicholson - Advice Manager

Joanna came to SWEA in September 2007 after working for over 2 years for a similar energy agency in Devon: Westcountry Energy Action. She began at SWEA coordinating activities with social housing providers and tenants, as well as the Energy Neighbourhoods project which focuses on groups of households working together to save energy through small modifications in their everyday behaviour.

From May 2008 Joanna was appointed as manager of the Gloucestershire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, and from August 2008 will be leading all advice activity at SWEA including the delivery of contracts with Gloucestershire Local Authorities and managing the new Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre in Swindon.

Barbara Moreton - Senior Energy Advisor

Barbara joined the agency in 2001, when we took on the delivery of the Energy Efficiency Advice Centre. With an early career in the police service, Barbara returned to work after bringing up her family, taking a degree in Environmental Policy.

She has a keen interest in both community and environmental issues, and as a Forest of Dean resident was an active participant in the development of the local Agenda 21 plan for the area. Her voluntary work has also engaged her with a variety of church, youth and other community groups, and her patience and empathy with vulnerable people is an asset to the advice work of the agency.

Gilda Costley- Energy Advisor

Gilda joined Swea after 21 years working for Local Authority Housing departments in Gloucester and Herefordshire. During that time Gilda developed an understanding of the importance of a well maintained home that could be heated on a low budget and worked with a number of local housing associations to incorporate these ideas into new housing.

Gilda continues to promote these ideas in her current role with Swea working with local housing associations and their tenants.

Beth Callinan- Energy Advisor

Beth joined SWEA in August 2008 after completing a degree in Zoology with Evolutionary Psychology at Liverpool University.

Beth has a keen interest in everything environmental especially carbon saving and waste management. She has taken part in marine and terrestrial expeditions to Fiji and Indonesia, helping create Marine reserves and assisting with other scientific research. She also has enjoyed working on environmental youth projects in the Forest of Dean. Her forthcoming work will see her assisting on the Energy Neighbourhoods project.

Partnership Manager

Jagdish Patel - Environment Partnership Manager

With a background in environmental campaigning and lobbying, Jagdish has worked in the campaign and not-for-profit sector for more than 20 years. He was the UK campaign leader for Greenpeace's international campaign for a 'World Park Antarctica' which successfully brought about a 50 year moratorium on the exploitation of oil and minerals in Antarctica. At Oxfam he was team leader for the Cut Conflict Campaign and at the UK Food Group he managed a network of more than 35 non-governmental organisations working on sustainable food security.

At a community level he was the Project Co-ordinator at the Stroud Valleys Project, initiating a number of community energy projects including a mobile Clean Energy Classroom and working with local enthusiasts to raise the profile of renewable energy with the public and local politicians. He is an experienced grant assessor and managed the Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation which specialises in awarding grants to environmental, peace and social justice organisations. Most recently he worked as a consultant specialising in communications.

SWEA Cymru

Andy Bull - Senior Project Manager

Prior to joining SWEA, Andy spent over 30 years in local government working in the planning departments of the Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council and Brecon Beacons National Park, and several departments within Powys County Council.

For three years he was seconded part-time to work with the Welsh Assembly Government on the development of its advice to planners in respect of renewable energy (TAN8). This opportunity arose because of his previous work in developing community renewable energy projects, particularly in the Dyfi Valley and through the bringing into being of Mid Wales Energy Agency.

Andy is currently employed as a Senior Project Manager with SWEA and is based in their Wales office in Builth Wells. Andy's current projects often relate to the inter-relationships between renewable energy and the town planning system but he is also leading for SWEA on a trans-national project that seeks to promote biogas technology. He commenced work with SWEA to set up the new Welsh Office in June 2007.

Stuart Davies - Project Manager

Born in Cardiff but grew up in Pembrokeshire, Stuart was educated at Haverfordwest Technical Collage before going to Greenwich University, London to study architecture.

For the first year after graduating Stuart worked at a small architecture practice in Carmarthen before accepting a post at Powys County Council as a domestic Building Surveyor administrating grants.

In 2000 Stuart started work with the newly formed Powys Energy Agency then in 2002 joined Herefordshire Council as a Home Energy Conservation Officer before returning to Powys County Council in 2005 to undertake a similar role.

In July 2007 Stuart joined the newly established Welsh Office of Severn Wye Energy Agency as a Project Manager to help run existing European and regional projects as well as to establish new work in Mid-Wales.

Stuart has won the regional 'HECA Officer of the Year' titles for Wales in 2002 and the West-Midlands in 2004 as well as a Certificate of Recognition for Home Energy Efficiency at the 2007 'Excellence Wales Awards'.

Lynne Davies - Project Worker

Lynne joined SWEA in October 2008 after completing a degree in Environmental Conservation at the University of Leeds.

Lynne has an interest in sustainable development and waste management in particular agricultural recycling, which her dissertation is based on. Lynne is based in the Wales office in Builth Wells and is employed as an energy advisor and project worker in which she will assist in forthcoming projects and events.

Warm & Well

Sarah Giff - Senior Project Manager

Sarah joined SWEA in 2002, after two and a half years with Devon Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, during which she was nominated for the South West HECA Awards for her successful leadership of the Plymouth Healthy Homes Project. Under her management the Gloucestershire Warm and Well programme has been consolidated as a model of an integrated local approach, delivering over £5m of energy efficiency improvements to nearly 9,000 homes in its first four and a half years of operation. The project won the prestigious Ashden Award for energy efficiency in 2006, and is listed as a European 'Managenergy' good practice case study.

A qualified trainer for the NEA City & Guilds 6176 in Energy Awareness, Sarah also runs a series of tailor-made courses for health professionals under SWEA's 'Active, Warm and Well' programme, covering falls prevention, diet and nutrition, physical activity and the health effects of cold and damp homes.

Sarah leads on marketing for the Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, and is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. She has been an active member of the EST Marketing Steering Group since 2003, and led the South West regional initiative 'Think Build it Greener', promoting energy efficiency through the DIY home improvement market.

Matt Matheou - Project Manager

Matt joined SWEA in October 2007, having worked within the energy efficiency industry for approximately 4 years. He previously worked for eaga plc as a team leader and was a self employed BBA qualified surveyor for 3 years prior to this; leading and training teams of surveyors for National Energy Services (NES) and within his own business. He is also accredited under ECMK to produce residential Energy Performance Certificates.

He currently manages the Warm and Well scheme and is the chair of the Welfare and Benefits Steering Group committee in Gloucester.

He has extensive experience in Customer Management having established customer service relationship management systems whilst working for Prudential Group Pensions and in his previous role as a Customer Service Manager for a department store. Matt's knowledge of business was also built upon whilst being the President of the Chamber of Commerce in Abingdon, increasing its membership by over 100% in his time of service.

Education & Training

Rachel Close - Senior Project Manager

Rachel is an experienced teacher and joined SWEA in 2005 to coordinate the development of educational programmes. She is leading on delivery of a major European partnership involving thirteen partners in nine countries, locally named the 'Power to Change' project. Through this she has enabled local primary schools to integrate education about energy issues into their curricula on an ongoing basis, providing them with carefully developed training, advice, educational materials and ongoing support.

With her detailed knowledge of the education system, experience in preparing and delivering materials for both children and adult training courses, and project management skills, Rachel is engaged in developing SWEA's educational work for the future, widening the scope of the work with primary schools and building upon partnerships between secondary schools and local employers. She is also further developing SWEA's work around basic skills, including a new City & Guilds programme to be piloted with prisoners.

Victoria Dinwoodie -Project Manager

Victoria joined SWEA in September 2008 to work on the YEP! project, which uses work-related learning to develop energy sustainability education in secondary schools. She has a strong secondary education background as a former Head of Geography. Victoria also has academic research experience using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to investigate public health issues, and her MSc dissertation analysed Environmental Training needs and perceptions in SMEs.

With this experience, Victoria's work will enable students to gain a broader understanding of Energy-related careers through investigating and improving the energy efficiency in their school and local businesses.

Finance & Administration

Linda Marshall - Company Secretary and Financial Controller

Linda joined SWEA in 2004 in a part time capacity and is now working full time as Financial Controller and Company Secretary. She has a wide knowledge of accounting and administration systems and has worked for a variety of organisations at a senior level.

Her role at SWEA involves her in the reporting requirement of European projects, financial reporting and Company Secretarial duties.

Alison Patten - Administration & Finance Manager

Alison joined SWEA in 2005, taking responsibility for company administration. She has wide experience of accounting and administration systems, having worked for insurance companies, a bank and private industry. She comes to SWEA after several years of successfully managing a busy office for a company selling products to the building industry.

Alison's role at SWEA includes the day to day running of the accounting systems, credit control, purchasing, recruitment and payroll.

Sandra Bradley- Secretary Administrator

Sandra started at SWEA in 2008 as secretary administrator after many years of working in the NHS as a receptionist dispenser in a local doctor's surgery.

Sandra's role in SWEA covers all aspects of reception and admin, this consists of meeting and greeting visitors to SWEA and general office duties.

Sandra is currently working towards an NVQ in business administration which will boost her skills in her role at SWEA.

Tom Dowdeswell - Administration Assistant

Tom joined SWEA on a temporary basis in early 2008, and was then promoted to a full-time administrative position.

Tom's remit at SWEA includes technical assistance and IT projects, as well as support to both administrative and project management staff. Tom hopes to continue working at SWEA whilst developing skills in various areas to help benefit the company.

Tom is currently taking an NVQ in IT User to become much more skilled in the art of Information Technology. He is also going to be taking the NEA City & Guilds 6176 Energy Awareness course, so that he will be able to attend project events.

Elaine Stone - Accounts Assistant

Elaine joined SWEA in October 2008 as a part-time accounts assistant

Elaine's job consists of assisting with accounts, timesheets and expenses. She also works with the renewable grants team.

Elaine is currently studying Excel spreadsheets and hoping to improve her skills in other areas.

Gloria Gibbons- Temporary Admin

Gloria joined the company in 2002 when it was an Energy Effiency Advice Centre. The company had just located to the Mews at the time

Gloria is a Temporary member of staff helping everyone out which she thoroughly enjoys, having worked mostly in an office enviroment since leaving school

Gloria was born and bred in the beautiful Forest of Dean where she currently lives with her family.

© 2007-2008 SWEA :: Registered Charity No. 1083812
Severn Wye Energy Agency Ltd, Unit 6/15 The MEWs, Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire, GL17 0SL
Telephone 01594 545360 :: Fax 01594 545361