Ben Ferguson

Co-executive Director

Ben Ferguson has over a decade of experience in community energy, serving as a founding member and director of Carmarthenshire’s Ynni Sir Gar project - delivering the county’s first ever community-owned wind turbine - and Community Energy in Pembrokeshire. With extensive technical knowledge of climate change, energy efficiency and renewable energy at all scales, Ben has worked with a range of stakeholders – from community groups through to statutory bodies, local businesses, and multi-national developers.

Leanne Wood

Co-executive Director

Leanne Wood was the leader of Plaid Cymru from 2012-2018, and the first woman to represent the Rhondda in the Senedd, where she held responsibility for the party’s Sustainability, Environment, Social Justice, and Housing policies. A committed climate and social justice activist of more than 25 years, coupled with her experience of policy, governance, influencing and communication, she is a strong advocate for the much-needed rapid expansion of community energy.

Mark Hooper

Business Development Manager

Day to day Mark works on funding bids and commercial development for CEW and Ynni Teg, but also supports the wider community in developing sustainable business operations.

Mark is the second Barrybados resident to join us, and loves nothing more in his spare time than walking the dogs down the beach, tending his allotment or buzzing around on his electric vespa.

Dyfan Lewis

Marketing and Promotion Officer

Dyfan Lewis joined Community Energy Wales in 2020, prior to that he had worked as a translator, communications assistant and writer. Since taking on his role with Community Energy Wales, he has developed a keen interest in community development, and is especially interested in hearing about the stories around how community energy has had an impact at a grassroots level in Wales.

Gwenno Huws

Membership and Administration Officer

Gwenno joined Community Energy Wales as a Membership and Administrative Officer in December 2022. Originally from Cwm Prysor in North Wales, she now lives in Cardiff after spending three years in Aberystwyth studying a degree in International Politics. She’s previously worked for the Urdd and is now looking forward to learning more about community energy, especially learning more about the linguistic benefit that comes with it.

Jason Shilcock

Policy and Research Officer

Jason Shilcock joined Community Energy Wales at the start of 2024 and is based in Barry. Jason’s interest in community energy started when writing his Master’s thesis on projects in the UK, Denmark and Germany as part of his MSc in Renewable Energy and Resource Management at the University of South Wales. Alongside his work for CEW, he is also a translator and proofreader, volunteer at Barry Benthyg (Library of Things) and host of the Barry chapter of PeoplePlanetPint.

Lydia Godden

Energy Learning Network Co-ordinator

Lydia Godden joined Community Energy Wales as the Energy Learning Network Coordinator in 2024. Before this, she was the Policy and Research Officer at the Institute of Welsh Affairs focusing on how Welsh communities can retain greater economic benefits from commercial renewable energy projects. She has also worked at Public Affairs firm Cadno communications and has an MA in Welsh Government and Politics from Cardiff University. She strongly believes that community energy presents a bottom-up approach to tackle climate and social justice and reinvigorate Welsh communities.

Subscribe to our mailing list

If you’d like to keep up to date with all the news and activities from Community Energy Wales, sign up below. We won’t share your details with anyone else, and you can unsubscribe at any time.