Who are we?
Sustainable Danbury is now a community benefit society and is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority as a mutual society registration number 8831.
A community benefit society is a type of Co-operative which allows us to trade as a business and raise money from community share offers and from banks. This model of incorporation is used widely within Community Energy organisations.
Our incorporation certificate and society rules can be found here.
We are also a member of Co-operatives UK.
We now have a board of directors:
Stuart Bird (Chair and Secretary), Nikki Wilson, Wendy Hubbard (Treasurer), Mary Huntington, Katherine Bird and Gary Hicks.
Bio's of the directors:
Stuart Bird (Chair)
Why Sustainable Danbury?
I was brought and have lived most of my life in Danbury. I have always appreciated the wonderful and varied habitats that exist on the Danbury Ridge and surrounding valleys. As an engineer I have always been interested in understanding how complex systems work and for the last 30 years I have been concerned about Climate Change. For most of my career I was involved in energy efficiency and I believe that the climate emergency can be solved in part by technical solutions that both reduce energy consumption and decarbonise energy production. Community Energy offers a way for local people to be involved in practical activities that help to tackle the climate crisis and move towards sustainability for both current and future generations.
Beyond Sustainable Danbury
I am a father of three grown up daughters and now recently retired. I am a volunteer member of Essex Wildlife Trust and a Sustrans Ranger (National Cycle Network). I am also a governor at St John’s Primary; the school I attended as a child.
Mary Huntington
Why Sustainable Danbury?
I was born and brought up in the area and am keen to preserve the green spaces and biodiversity that I have enjoyed. Regrettably, there are far fewer birds or hedgehogs in my garden now than a decade or two ago.
I am also passionate about the need to take action on what is a climate emergency, reduce our carbon footprint and live in a simpler more sustainable way for the benefit of those near and far. The recent floods and forest fires make it clear that we must act. We owe it to those who come after us to try to reverse the damage that we have inflicted on our world in the last 50 years. If we don’t manage this, the future looks bleak for our grandchildren. But if we all work together for the common good, we can make a difference. And Sustainable Danbury gives us an opportunity to do this.
Beyond Sustainable Danbury
As Editor of Contact magazine, I have set up a recycling project in the village for waste like crisp packets, confectionary packaging and blister packs which are all destined for landfill. The packaging will be recycled via TerraCycle into other products. Follow our progress on this on our Facebook page and our sister page Danbury Recyclers.
Wendy Hurrell
Why Sustainable Danbury?
I lived in Burnham-on-Crouch for 26 years and enjoyed coming to Danbury Lakes with my children. Now I enjoy walks in the woods with my son and his family who live in Danbury. Having been aware of climate change for many years, I've recently been learning about the current state of the crisis and possible solutions to some of the greatest challenges. Part of this led me to a talk about Community Energy schemes, and then to a group of people from Danbury also interested in local community action. As the UN says 'How we live and work together in communities and cities can have a huge impact in tackling climate change'.
Beyond Sustainable Danbury
I have a scientific background, and studied Biology when I was younger. The natural world captured my imagination and ever since I have held a fascination for the complexity and interrelations of all life on this beautiful planet.
Nicola Wilson
Why Sustainable Danbury?
I moved to Danbury with my family as a child in the 80s and attended Danbury St Johns, so the village has been home for most of my life. I have a growing personal interest in how I can live more sustainably but recognise that working collaboratively at a larger scale is vital to meeting net zero targets. I have been working in the social enterprise and charity sector for over 20 years and am particularly interested in community ownership models. So getting involved with Sustainable Danbury is the ideal way to bring these elements together and I'm keen to see how we can create a vibrant local project that brings together local people with all of their varied interests and skills for social and environmental benefit.
Beyond Sustainable Danbury
I'm the founder of social enterprise Resourcefully, working to strengthen activities focused on social and environmental change. I'm also a keen, but as yet not wildly successful cultivator of a tiny wildlife and vegetable garden and can often be seen walking the length and breadth of the village with my rascal Cavapoo Bella!
Katherine (Katie) Bird
Why sustainable Danbury?
10 years ago we took our family to Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe and to the ‘Mere de glacé glacier at Chamonix in the French Alps. Just 20 years early, Stuart and I had visited the same spot as teenagers, we had climbed down from the train station onto the glacier and, with our ropes and ice picks and crampons, we had hiked across the pure white ice. It was a beautiful and exhilarating place. Imagine our horror when we went back as a family to discover that a mile of the glacier tail had melted completely, leaving a huge shale filled scar. The only way to reach the grey melting tail of ice was to descend in a cable car. We were seeing at first hand the irreversible impact of global warming.
Beyond sustainable Danbury
I have always been fascinated by the miraculous medicinal compounds which many plants produce, be they from Amazonian rainforests or English Meadows, which is why my career started as a pharmacist. I am passionate about plants and preserving biodiversity. I garden organically and love walking in the woods around Danbury. I am also a Churchwarden.
© Copyright Sustainable Danbury
