Published on February 24th 2025
In our ‘Meet the Team’ series, we’ll get to know a member of the ReFLEX Orkney team and their ‘why’ in helping to decarbonise the local energy system in Orkney.
Job role: Consultant
Started working for ReFLEX: March 2024
What role do you play amongst your team? I'd say I'm the easy-going one
Q: What’s your role within the team?
I’m involved in product development and customer liaison. Most of my remit is to do with the Building Retrofit Plan service - from developing the BRP, right through to being a surveyor and processing reports and doing data analysis. I also support Christina in her role in customer engagement.
Q: What led you to join the ReFLEX team?
My previous job was in community development on the island, and I’ve always been interested in renewables, green energy, and carbon reduction, so it just made sense to make that move. The ethics of who I work for is really important to me, and this has what I was looking for. I love that there are lots of projects that are going on, and they’re ones that empower people to take charge of their own energy efficiency.
Q: What’s your favourite thing about living in Orkney?
The community. But also, the beauty of the place and of island life; believe it or not, I even enjoy the weather - a storm can be just as beautiful as a sunny day!
Q: What’s one thing you’ve learned since joining ReFLEX?
I’ve learned and improved upon so many different skills. I’ve upgraded from surveyor to retrofit assessor, and I’ve learned a lot of IT skills as well (more than just being able to get-by!). I really enjoy that I get to research and learn things that are connected to, but aren’t necessarily within my remit, and that are sometimes outside of my comfort zone.
Q: How do you see ReFLEX's role in our Orkney Community?
I think we have a role in awareness, and in making renewables accessible. If someone can make it easy to understand, they can make it easy to access. It all goes back to empowering people to take charge. We want to educate people about what’s out there, and what they can do to benefit themselves. It’s like giving someone a seed to grow a flower rather than giving them a whole garden to take care of. We want to get people to think about how the little things fit into the big picture – it’s the little things that make up the whole.
Q: When not working, where in Orkney can we find you?
You can find me volunteering for the RNLI Guild, at the community garden on Hoy, or looking after my own garden at home. I do a lot of things at home as well; I like food and I like reading. I’m a quilter and a gamer, too!
