Wey Valley Solar’s chair awarded MBE
Mike Smyth, chair of Wey Valley Solar has been awarded an MBE in King Charles III’s first New Year’s honours list for services to the environment. Mike has been recognised for his dedication and commitment in his roles in the energy and environmental sector, as chair of Wey Valley Solar and Energy4All and as a director of the seven other co-operatives where he serves as a board director. Mike has given much of his time on a voluntary basis for many years. Up until 2012 he was the Chair for the Friends of the Earth. He joined Energy4All in 2008 and launched Wey Valley Solar in 2010.
Upon receiving the news Mike said:
“I was thrilled to receive the MBE. What a lovely but totally unexpected surprise. I would like to thank the person or persons who nominated me. During my time working in the community energy sector we have faced many hurdles, but with the involvement of local communities and the wider renewable energy community, we have been able to create ground-breaking projects.
The co-ops that I work with give the power back to the people. Allowing them to own a stake in locally generated renewable energy. This, I believe, is the way forward for our energy market.”
Mike is the second member of Energy4All to receive this prestigious award in recognition of their work following the award being made to financial director, Annette Heslop, in 2018.