AVEL Company Secretary and lead on the Hydro Electric projects |
Dr. Steve Agar
Steve has been a resident of the West Allen for over 25 years and is currently Chair of West Allen Parish Council. He is also vice-chair of the management board of Allen Valleys Landscape Partnership. He is an engineer who has worked in design and project management, with commercial, contractual and financial management responsibility and is former commercial director of IHC Engineering Business Ltd. with annual turnover in excess of £30 million. He has extensive experience and expertise in the design and manufacture of specialist equipment for the offshore market, including the oil, gas and submarine telecom industries as well as renewable energy generation; particularly tidal stream, wave power and offshore wind. He is currently a non-executive director of OSBIT Ltd. |
Lead on AVEL income generation, and property and legal & governance |
Jon Charlton
Jon is currently Project Director of a heritage – led regeneration project in Sunderland. Prior to this he worked in a variety of roles at the North Pennines AONB Partnership, most recently as Programme Development Manager. A resident of the Allen valleys for several years, Jon was previously a director of Sustainable Allendale CIC which successfully delivered a series of initiatives in the Allen Valleys until it’s closure in 2015. A founding director of AVEL, Jon is also a founding trustee of the Friends Of The North Pennines AONB and European Geopark, a local charity which works to further the protection and public understanding of the North Pennines AONB. Jon also runs a small heritage consultancy which works with and supports charities, community groups, churches and others to help raise funds and project manage heritage and tourism schemes. |
Lead on people management and for the Barney Craig project |
Ian Baker
Ian has broad experience in front line delivery, team leadership and operations/area management, chiefly in hospitality and tourism through 30 years with the Youth Hostels Association, a registered charity, and now management of a family run Youth Hostel business. Project development and management skills enhanced further in six years with Tadea, an not-for-profit energy efficiency project company. Particular skills areas are developing projects and report writing. |
Lead on finance and for the Community Growing project |
Christine Sherwood
Christine worked for 15 years for Daybreak, a charity providing work/life experiences for adults with learning disabilities. Her varied career has also included experience of running a successful small business, managing an estate agents office and acting as company secretary for a family owned business. In a voluntary capacity Christine is Secretary of Allen Valley Promotions Ltd, Secretary of the Pony Club, Treasurer of Wark Terrier Show and Secretary of Wark Recreational Charity |
AVEL lead on: marketing & communications
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Chris Welton
Chris is a marketing communications specialist with over 30 years of experience across a wide range of sectors locally, regionally and internationally. He now divides his time between being a Director of a Teesside-based marketing agency and running his own Allen Valleys-based business as a brand consultant and graphic designer. Other than a three-year stint spent working as head of communications for the European plastics industry in Brussels, Chris has lived, and brought up his family in the Allen Valley for the last 25 years, playing an active role the local community. Particular skill areas are branding, graphic design, copywriting, printing, web design, video production, public relations, advertising, exhibitions, event management and direct mail. |