Dan McCallum

Manager

Dan was a co-founder of Awel Aman Tawe (AAT) in 1998 and has worked for the organisation ever since. He is a founding director of Community Energy Wales. Dan is a qualified energy efficiency surveyor and has degree in modern history from Oxford University. Dan has previously worked for Oxfam in Iraq and in Sudan. He has learnt fluent Welsh, French and reasonable Arabic. He was awarded an MBE for services to community energy in 2019. Email Dan: dan@awel.coop

Felicity Crump

Deputy Manager

Felicity has extensive experience in the charity sector in south Wales, including support worker, project manager and leader of two other small charities – Links, a mental health charity and Valley Steps, a wellbeing charity – developing their organisational strengths and financial sustainability. She is now enjoying working for another personal passion in combating climate change. 

Felicity’s role with AAT, since May 2021, has been to strengthen infrastructure and financial administration since the rapid growth of Egni in recent years.

Felicity has an ILM Level 5 in Leadership and Management and is currently studying for an ILM level 7 in Executive Coaching and Mentoring, which encapsulates the use of good practice management techniques and provides HR tools which can be utilised at all levels. 

She has also served as a Trustee for YMCA Cardiff. She has a degree in Fine Art (ceramics) and a Masters in Visual Arts Enterprise.

Emily Hinshelwood

Creative Director

Emily is a social anthropologist and creative practitioner. She is co-founder and Creative Director Awel Aman Tawe (AAT). She has written and designed all AAT’s publications including the Windfarm Consultation Toolkit published by the UK Government in 2002, our Awel and Egni Share Offer Documents, academic papers and all promotional material. She established AAT’s arts and climate change programme in 2010 and is currently project managing Hwb y Gors – a reimagining of former Cwmgors primary school into a zero-carbon arts, education and enterprise centre. Emily’s passion is in engaging people in climate action and she has carried out many projects to that effect. Among these, her favourites are:  AAT’s Naked Renewable Energy calendar 2007 (encouraging over 70 people to take off their clothes – in the name of renewables); her Sustainable Moon Mission in 2019 involving over 700 people in building a Lunar capsule where she lived as artist in residence for 2 weeks on the top floor of Pontardawe Arts Centre; and her walk across Wales (2012) on which she asked every person she met ‘3 questions about climate change’ and created verbatim poems from their answers which she has delivered at Welsh Government and other climate conferences in UK and Europe. And yes, she is mad!

Carl Richards

Finance Officer

Carl has been employed by Awel Aman Tawe since 2000 as Finance Officer. His relevant qualifications include the level III Diploma from the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers, Pitman’s SAGE accounts, The Institute of Exports Advanced Certificate in Overseas Trade and is currently studying for the ICAEW Certificate in Finance Accountancy and Business. He is a Welsh speaker.

Lisa Jones

Finance Officer

Lisa joined Awel Aman Tawe in 2022 as Finance Officer. Prior to this she worked at ‘The National Botanic Garden Of Wales for 5 years as a Finance and Payroll Officer. She has over 15 years’ experience of working in administration and finance positions, in the private, public and charity sector. She’s currently studying to be ACCA qualified. When she’s not busy working or studying, you will find her  in the garden, out running or walking, or travelling to new and interesting places.

Jen James

Education Programme Lead

Jen manages our education programme and has developed an exciting and innovative programme with our Egni schools called ‘We are Energy Warriors’.

Jen has been working in education for many, many years – first as a Librarian then as an English teacher before finally settling in roles in the third sector managing education programmes. She is passionate about teaching young people how living a sustainable life can be fun and encouraging curiosity, creativity and independent thinking skills. A lover of the fresh air, she is looking forward to getting outside more and developing exciting new education projects.

Louise Griffiths

Community Engagement Officer

Louise is our Community Engagement Officer and has been working with Awel Aman Tawe since 2022. She’s been busy spreading the news about Hwb y Gors and finding out what people would like to see happening in the centre. She says ‘In my job, I get to do my favourite thing and talk with people!’ But more than that, she has arranged workshops, events and volunteering opportunities to engage hundreds of people in the refurbishment of Hwb y Gors – textiles, stained glass, gardening and ceramics.

She studied in Oxford, gaining a BEd before spending the next few years on the road visiting schools across Wales.  After her 2 sons were born, she switched to homeworking, running a creative cake business.  She was on the PTA of Ysgol Cwmgors before it was closed and has brought a profound love of the school into Hwb y Gors ensuring that the memories of all those who worked and studied there are not forgotten.

In her spare time she loves walking and playing board games!

Mike Switzer

Solar Development Director

Mike is our Operations Manager for Egni Co-op and has 10+ years’ experience in a variety of renewable technologies including Solar PV, Battery Storage & Electric Vehicle charge points in domestic and commercial settings. He has expertise in the operation and problem solving relating to renewable technologies and he approaches issues such as repairs, scheduling, operations and maintenance with natural creativity and meticulous planning.

He has a keen interest in new technologies, innovation and working towards a greener tomorrow for everyone and in his spare time he loves walking his dog, Jensen, in the beautiful Pembrokeshire national park.

Rosie Gillam

Egni Development Officer & Egni Director

Rosie is committed to tackling climate crisis and promoting cooperative ways of working, by scaling up community energy and getting education into schools. She’s also passionate about developing working practices which take into account the contribution of renewables to the ecological crisis and to social injustice, and to promoting awareness of the issues.

After graduating in 2015 with MEng in Renewable Energy she’s worked on community solar projects both large and tiny. She’s been with Awel Aman Tawe working on Egni Co-op projects since 2018 and led the huge expansion of Egni Co-op’s rooftop portfolio. She’s forged links with partners and set up internal systems which will allow Egni Co-op to thrive.

Ellie Critchley

Solar Development Officer

Elouise is a Solar Development Officer for Egni Co-op. She has a BSc in Geophysics from Durham University. Following graduation she started on a government Kickstart scheme with Egni and swiftly became a key member of the team. She has been with us since 2021, working to push forward the development of further solar installs. She mainly focuses on the scoping and feasibility assessments of new potential sites.

Lucy Harrison

Energy Officer

Lucy is a new addition to AAT’s energy team and says “it feels so good to finally be doing something to help the environment & my community after such a varied journey to get here” – from retail management, running cafe-bars in London, researching for the BBC’s X-ray consumer programme, to teaching for Swansea university and coordinating and re invigorating GCG’s Community Library, Y Lolfa. Volunteering will always be important & she hopes to continue the work with her ‘reading/support’ dog’ (trained with Burns by your side) in local schools. And if there’s any free time, when she’s not exploring the UK in the family camper van, she’s cooking exotic dishes from all over the world & doubling down on her Welsh lessons.

Kerry Bates

Energy Officer

Kerry started with Awel Aman Tawe at the start of 2024 and he says he has “finally landed his perfect role” working with the community and contributing to the fight against climate change! Kerry, by his own admission, has done a “few different things”, including accounts work in London (whilst playing drums in a band at night), pensions administration in Edinburgh and also road sales in the bridalwear industry travelling the UK, including the Highlands and Ireland. He has at last settled down and has been living in the Amman Valley for the past ten years, where you can still occasionally hear the distant sound of his drumkit! Kerry is really looking forward to working locally with our community members, where he says that growing up in a Llanelli pub in the 70s and 80s should give him the chatty tools he needs to get to know and help others (as well as practice speaking Welsh)…. And his Open University Diploma in Earth Sciences should finally come in handy too – where did he get time to do that?!!

Sachá Petrie

Community Transport Officer

Sachá Petrie was born and raised in North London. She’s a qualified Interior Designer having studied Architectural Interior Design at Nottingham Trent University. She ran her own business for many years in London and moved to Wales in 2017. She is leading Taith, our Community Transport Scheme.

Christine Burden

Community Transport Officer/ Driver

Christine is Transport Officer/Driver for Taith Co-op.

She’s a fiercely independent single mum to her wonderful pre-teen boy and her fur baby (Chihuahua). In her spare time she enjoys all sorts of crafts from knitting to stained glass and even some DIY – but don’t steal her screwdriver!

Michael Lukes

Community Transport Driver

Michael moved to Wales 20 years ago after a lifetime in corporate hospitality in London. “The best thing I ever did”. He now keeps chickens, bees and tries to grow all his own vegetables, with a spot of fishing when he can. 

“After a long time working for corporate giants, I really enjoy a roll where I feel I am helping people.

Bethan Edwards

Chair of Trustees

Bethan Edwards is a Renewables Developer with RWE Renewables. She has over 17 years’ experience in the role, focussing primarily on Welsh onshore wind projects. She was the project manager for the now operational Brechfa Forest West Wind Farm, a 28 turbine scheme in Carmarthenshire. Her role also encompasses quality assurance, procedure and risk management, with a UK-wide remit. She has recently completed a postgraduate diploma in Sustainability and Adaptation Planning at the Centre for Alternative Technology. 

Alun Lloyd

Trustee Treasurer

Alun worked in NHS Wales for 35 years before retiring in 2019.  He is a qualified accountant who, during his career, was a Director of Finance in a number of NHS Wales organisations. Other than a period in 2003/04, working in the former Swansea LHB, Alun’s career has been based in and around Cardiff.  

A Welsh speaking North Walian from Llandudno, Alun studied at Cardiff University, then worked and lived in Cardiff for a number of years before moving to Bridgend 24 years ago.  

In a voluntary capacity Alun is a director of Tenovus Trading Limited, a trading arm of Tenovus Cancer Care charity.  

Dr Catrin Maby OBE MEI FRSA

Trustee

With a first degree in Engineering Science and a Masters in Energy Resources Management, Catrin started her working life in refrigeration engineering, but moved into energy efficiency in buildings because of fuel poverty. Catrin set up an energy advice service for London tenants in the 1980s, authoring handbooks on home heating advice, draught-proofing and recycling. She went on to work with numerous local authorities to develop energy efficiency aspects of housing renewal programmes, as well as affordable warmth and carbon emission reduction strategies.   

From 1999 to 2015, Catrin led the establishment and growth of the Severn Wye Energy Agency, a sustainability charity based in Gloucestershire, with a range of practical delivery and knowledge exchange projects and partnerships in Wales, South West England and the EU. Since 2015, Catrin has worked as an independent consultant on research and policy in the UK and EU, and completed a PhD focussing on the role of mainstream building trades in home energy retrofit  

Catrin is a member of the BSI Retrofit Standards Task Group, and the Energy Institute, a fellow of the RSA and an Associate Adviser with The Retrofit Academy and the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. Catrin was awarded an OBE in 2012 for services to the environment and social equity.  Catrin now lives near Monmouth. 

Caroline McGurgan

Trustee

Caroline studied Mechanical Engineering at Cardiff University and is a renewable energy and project management consultant. She has been involved in the renewable energy sector since 2006, having previously worked as a Project Manager, PMO Lead and Regulatory and Compliance Manager at Eco2 Ltd across a range of renewable technologies and was part of the development team for the Mynydd Y Betws wind farm in Carmarthenshire. She had experience in the full lifecycle of project development; from site assessment through to asset management. 

Katie Powis

Trustee

Katie is a Director of a stakeholder and community engagement communications company based in Alltwen. She has over 10 years’ experience of working to gain planning permission on renewable energy projects in tidal, wind, solar and battery storage. She also has experience in rail and road infrastructure delivery, local development plans and large scale, mixed use, urban extensions. She passionate about improving the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales and the UK.  

Helen Roach 

Trustee

Helen has over 20 years’ experience working in the Welsh voluntary and public sectors, half of which has been spent influencing policy and delivering projects to tackle fuel poverty in Wales.  Most recently, she worked for Christian Aid, ensuring that Welsh supporters are motivated and equipped to support the charity’s work addressing global poverty and the devastating impact of climate change on the communities Christian Aid works with.  Prior to that, she was Member Relations Manager for Tai Pawb, a charity focused on promoting equality and diversity in the Welsh housing sector.  In this role, she helped develop and deliver the award-winning QED quality mark.  Helen is an associate member of the Institute of Leadership and Management, has learned Welsh to near-fluency and is a member of three community energy co-operatives, including Egni Co-op.  

Brian Jones

Trustee

Brian moved to Alltwen in 1989 and taught mathematics at Neath Port Talbot College until he retired in August 2014. He was brought up in Bridgend and learnt Welsh as an adult. Brian went to Bath University to study Mathematics, during which he had a year’s placement working at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell. This experience led him to oppose nuclear power and he has been active in CND Cymru for many years. Brian was a Community Councillor for 8 years, and a school governor for 5 years.  

Martin Jervis

Trustee

Martin is a retired civil engineer who spent his working life in local council highways departments working mainly on the design of bridges and other highway structures. He developed an interest in environmental issues as a teenage angler. Talking to older fishermen, it became obvious that the rivers of mid Wales had deteriorated since their boyhood. This was the start of a more general interest in environmental issues. ‘It’s pleasing to see how a ‘pipe dream’ has since become a reality in my lifetime. I always thought the answer to objections to wind turbines was to bring the benefits more directly to the people who lived local to the turbines and so decided, when I retired in 2017, to put some money where my mouth was and invested a modest sum in Awel Co-op.’ 

Chris Johnes

Trustee

 Chris has extensive experience in the not-for-profit sector, in Wales, across the UK and in southern Africa, with a commitment to social justice and promoting community voices in decision-making.   

Chris has been CEO of Building Communities Trust since it was set up in 2015, providing support and funding to communities across Wales to make their areas even better places to live. In this capacity, he co-chairs the Community Resourcefulness Partnership which promotes co-productive approaches to community empowerment between public and third sectors.  

He previously spent 5 years working for Oxfam running their UK Poverty Programme and their operations in Wales (including climate change campaigning).  

Prior to that he spent 6 years providing support to Communities First partnerships running the Communities First Support Network and has worked for youth and civic organisations in southern Africa.  

He is currently the outgoing chair of Hub Cymru Africa (a position he took on in 2015) and has held previous non-executive roles with Cadarn Housing and People and Work.  

David Stonehouse

Trustee

 David is originally from Brynaman, but now based in Swansea. His working background includes being an Electronic Engineer (West Glamorgan County Council), Technical Engineer (Neath Port Talbot CBC), IT and Electronic Support (City & County of Swansea). David has a MSc in Technology. He speaks English, Welsh and Mandarin Chinese.