Management Structure
High Winds has no employees and the business is not dependent on key individuals. Administration and day to day operations is managed by Energy4All under the supervision of the Board. The Board will bear ultimate responsibility to the Members, acting on reports and advice from Energy4All.
The Services Agreement between High Winds and Energy4All is for an initial period of 10 years.
High Winds– Directors & Company Secretary
Alex Hassan - Chair
As a long-standing director of Baywind, I became involved in the project to repower Harlock Hill early on and was co-opted onto the board of High Winds shortly after the new bencom was created. I was elected Chair of High Winds by the Board in January. I am a retired technologist, having graduated with a computer science degree from Cambridge and spent 22 years working in IT for leading corporations. I am an enthusiastic supporter of green, renewable energy and am a member of and investor in several Energy4All co-operatives.
Rosie King
This is my first year as director at High Winds and I am really enjoying being a part of the team. I am also a part of the operations sub-committee which communicates directly with the asset manager.
I work full time as a Mechanical Engineer for a renewable energy operator and have several years experience working as an engineer in the wind industry, focussing on asset integrity management.
In my spare time I am enjoy exploring the outdoors in Scotland, have a love of travel and spending lots of time with friends and family.
Richard Hillam
I have deep-rooted links with the High Winds. I was part of the team that secured planning consent for the development and latterly was instrumental in securing finance for the Mean Moor construction. My employment with Infinergy spanned over 8 years where I gained a significant understanding of the engagement processes with community stakeholders as well as an in-depth knowledge of the technical and environmental issues surrounding windfarm operations. My current role is owner and director of Elegen, a company committed to reducing energy consumption across commercial and industrial businesses.
John Millen
I live and work in the Lake District in the renewables field.
My work is focused on renewable energy and I am a senior project manager for the National Trust installing hydro electric plants in the area. I have installed a 100kW hydro in Langdale and have completed two further schemes, one in Borrowdale and another one in Patterdale. I’m currently developing schemes in Wasdale, Eakdale and Little Langdale. Prior to this I installed a number of hydro plants in Snowdonia including the Hafod y Llan scheme, the NT’s first high head hydro scheme. This scheme included a number of other environmental projects such as Solar PV, ground source heat pumps and biomass. I have assisted a community scheme in North Wales as a technical consultant and have assisted other communities with their vision for renewables.
Annette Heslop MBE
I have worked for Energy4All since it was formed in 2002 and became Finance and Administration Director shortly after. I am responsible for the professional management and administration of all the Energy4All family of co-ops. My role includes financial control, project costing, projections, banking and treasury. I have also been a director of Baywind Energy from 1999 to 2015. In Spring 2018 I was awarded with an MBE for services to Community Energy.
Tony Duckworth
I am a self-employed launderette owner living and working in Blackburn. I am active in my local community at Church and with the Chamber of Trade. I have an understanding of energy generation and renewables. I own ten PV solar installations. I am enthusiastic about Hydro and was keen to see the implementation of a Hydro scheme at the National Trust’s Quarry Bank Mill. I have attended and spoken at a number of planning enquiries and can cope with running meetings. As the current president of NALI (National Association of the Launderette Industry) I understand the need to represent and promote things that are important for my business and to me. I invested in this Co-op because I was interested in the project, the way it was being financed and promoted and it seemed deserving of support. I am proud to serve as a Director of our Co-op.
Catherine Ibbotson
Cath is a chartered engineer by background and has spent a large part of her career developing onshore wind turbines in the UK. She has 15 years’ experience in the industry inluding as a Director of a company that successfully developed several of the wind farms that operate community-owned cooperatives via Energy4All. She now works as a programme manager at the University of Oxford, and is Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for High Winds.