New Hand on Tiller of Broads Fund
The man who has managed the spending of over £1million of government money on innovative Broads projects has handed over the purse strings.
Nigel Dark was the Broads Authority’s first administrator of Defra’s Sustainable Development Fund – £200,000 which has been given each year to English National Parks to fund sustainable projects for the last six and a half years.
During his term of office Nigel has organised the funding of 136 projects worth over £5.3 million, in the field of green tourism, education, helping disadvantaged people and the environment. The projects have been diverse but all aim to be innovative, sustainable, and improve the life of people living or working in the area.
They have ranged from rejuvenating the reed and sedge cutting industry, promoting canoe and bike hire, and researching an eco boat for the Broads, to part-funding wind turbines and wood chip boilers in schools and buying boats for use by disabled and young people.
“SDF has been a big success,” said Nigel. “Without it a lot of very worthwhile projects would simply never have happened and some extremely effective partnerships would never have been formed. Over the years the projects we have funded have become more interesting, more innovative and more sustainable and they will make a big contribution to the quality of life and the environment in the Broads.
“SDF is an excellent example of how a relatively small amount of money can make an enormous difference - to people, to places and to the way we collectively respond to the challenges we will all face in the years ahead.”
Nigel has enjoyed a vibrant and varied career, ranging from working as a Fleet Air Arm helicopter pilot serving in front line squadrons in Aden, Borneo and Africa, training as an architect, to restoring a 17th century corn mill. He worked as a marketing consultant and journalist in the offshore diving industry, wrote articles for trade journals, and managed a fleet of remotely operated mini-submarines.
In 1992 Nigel became regional officer for the Tidy Britain Group (now Environmental Campaigns (ENCAMS), promoting litter abatement, environmental education and sustainability. He helped administer Anglia in Bloom and then went on to manage the Anglian Water Environmental Partnership, distributing landfill tax credits for environmental projects. He also does consultancy work for local authorities including waste management and street cleanliness surveys.
Said Nigel: “I’ve been lucky in having had a varied, interesting and sometimes exciting working life, but I think running SDF has been the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done. I count myself lucky to have ended my full-time employment doing something so satisfying and worthwhile - and in such good company.”
Sustainability is at the heart of Nigel’s lifestyle.
“I don’t travel anywhere unless there are at least three things to do during the course of the journey,” he said. “I use public transport whenever possible. Save energy, save money is my motto.”
Nigel is leaving the job to spend more time in his garden, with his bees and on “healthy activities such as walking, cycling and practical conservation work.”
He hands over the SDF purse to John Ash, a chartered civil engineer who has been working for over 35 years in the flood and coastal risk management field for government, government agencies and environmental consultants.
He has a good knowledge of the Broads from managing the flood defences for eight years in the 1990s and the Barton Broad Clearwater 2000 project for the Broads Authority. His wife, Stephanie, was a Broads Authority member and advised the Authority on access for disabled people on a number of projects, including Barton.
John said: “I am looking forward to working again in the Broads and administering the SDF for the benefit of those living and working and visiting this very special area.
“When you’ve got grandchildren you try to make the world a better place. It brings it home that what we do now influences their future. The three pillars of sustainability are environment, economy and society. Like a three legged stool, if you take one away it will fall over. It’s about getting the balance right. We are looking to grant aid projects which combine all three to a greater or lesser extent.”
John, who lives in South Norfolk, is a trustee of the Horstead Outdoor Activity Centre and the Wherry Yacht Charter Charitable Trust. He enjoys gardening, walking, bell ringing and morris dancing.
SDF has another £180,000 to award in 2009/10 so if any one has any bright ideas for a project they should get in touch with John who can offer help and advice in forming an application. To receive a grant in the next round the application must be made by June 12.
You can contact John on 01508 550116 or SDF@broads-authority.gov.uk
08/04/09
